Senior Officer Nutrition at International Medical Corps

Job Summary

The primary functions of the Senior Nutrition Officer is to provide leadership and overall day to day management of all Nutrition programming at duty designation and state, participate in defining intervention priorities, develop necessary contacts and relationships with government, non-government, donors and UN agencies at the field level; contribute to the development of strategies and manage existing programs and resources, and provide day-to-day supervision, management and coaching to a wide team of Nutrition in the operation areas.

Main responsibilities:

• Lead the OTP & MIYCN-E components of the entire Nutrition Program implementation.
• Supervise the Nutrition Assistants, Care Group Supervisors and Community Nutrition Volunteers in the entire Nutrition Program.
• Supervise and work in strict collaboration with the nutrition team in the screening activities of severely and moderately malnourished children.
• Identify training gaps for the incentive staff and beneficiaries within nutrition program and communicate the same to the Nutrition Coordinator.
• Effective implementation of IMC’s Emergency Nutrition Projects within the framework of pertinent national policy, strategy, and guidelines.
• Ensure observance, always respect the dignity of beneficiaries and members of the community.
• Participate in any nutrition sector-specific assessments and make technical recommendations for appropriate activities, both for initial disaster response phase and for longer-term disaster risk reduction and transition phase.
• Determine the cause of malnutrition in the emergency response and formulate appropriate responses that will address the cause.
• Assess the immediate lifesaving nutrition interventions needed (such as CMAM) in addition to the prevention activities (ENA, IFE) that need to be implemented at the same time.
• Provide direct hands-on technical support to Nutrition Staffs and International Medical Corps partners to manage emergency nutrition projects effectively and innovatively with focus on key technical areas.
• Ensure that emergency nutrition and related projects are technically sound, environmentally friendly, socially, and culturally acceptable.
• Actively represent International Medical Corps in nutrition sector discussions and activities, serve as an International Medical Corps nutrition sector resource person, and display technical and organizational leadership in sectorial activity commensurate with the role as a primary resource person for International Medical Corps in Damboa and Askira Uba.
• Update the Nutrition Coordinator on the implementation of the CMAM/IYCF-E on a weekly basis.
• Assign tasks among the staff according to the variation in workload, holidays, unplanned absences, or illness.
• Work with State and LGA MoH, and other officials to ensure all aspects of program understood and agreed to implement the program.
• Conduct Joint supportive supervision and capacity assessment of the Outpatient Therapeutic Program (OTP) sites on monthly basis with State and LGA nutrition focal persons and incorporate the findings to the monthly progress report.
• Ensure referrals to the Stabilization Centre (SC) are monitored smoothly.
• Follow up management of stocks with the storekeeper; monitor rates of consumption and ensure supplies are ordered in a timely manner in liaison with the Nutrition Coordinator.
• Ensure all criteria are understood by the teams, including admission, discharge, and transfer to and from the various components of the program.
• Manage International Medical Corps’ nutrition response and recovery activities across a wide range of actors within International Medical Corps, donors, host governments, UN and NGO partners to ensure consistency of programming.
• Strong negotiation skills with the partners, host community and government officials.
• Actively participate and represent International Medical Corps in LGA nutrition Cluster meetings.
• Assist in development of, or provide technical review for, emergency response proposals to be submitted by International Medical Corps to ensure that proposed activities and programs align with best practice in the nutrition sector. As appropriate, suggest new developments in the nutrition sector to International Medical Corps programming.
• Be fully aware of national policies, strategies and other initiatives and developments by government and other stakeholders in nutrition. Regularly assess the implications for IMC’s program and priorities of any changes in the operating environment in this sector and report on these to the Nutrition Coordinator as required.
• Actively participate in surveys done at the Community level (KAP, SMART, Causal Analysis, Barriers, Coverage etc.)
• Provide technical support and training where required to all team members and partners.
• Build the capacity of Technical, Community Nutrition Volunteers (CNVs) and committees to deliver quality service and undertake participatory monitoring of the implementation of the project works and record lessons and reports.
• Prepare weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual reports to line manager as well as feed into donor reports.
• Strengthen partnerships, institutional linkages and working relationships.
• Ensure that all staff fully complete and sign time sheets monthly for submission to Maiduguri office.
• Timely raise Procurement Requests and regularly update departmental Procurement Tracking Sheet (PTS).
• Ensure payments made locally are compliant with the Procurement & Authorization Chart with appropriate supporting documentation.
• Supports the Stabilization Centre Program in Damboa and OTP in Damboa and Askira Uba.
• Carries out MIYCN & OTP Program Monitoring and Supervision and monitor program gaps and report them to the Nutrition Coordinator.
• Facilitate and strengthen referral mechanism of the entire nutrition program.
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

 Qualification and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in nursing, Nutrition or other medical related course.
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in nutrition work and implementation of nutrition intervention programs, including community mobilization, monitoring and evaluation aspects.
• Significant experience on community management of acute malnutrition and Infant and Young Feeding in Emergency (MIYCN-E) in host communities/ IDP camp settings.
• Understanding of nutritional surveillance and information systems.
• Proven ability and experience in planning and conducting formal training session on nutrition including CMAM and MIYCN-E.
• Proven capacity to supervise, train and coach local staff and community workers.
• Excellent communication skills and a willingness to be respectful, kind, sensitive and empathize with children and their care takers.
• A willingness and capacity to be flexible and accommodating when faced with difficult and frustrating working conditions.
• Ability to deal with relations with local authorities as a Nutrition representative of International Medical Corps in the working areas.
• Ability to integrate into the local environment including awareness of political, religious and economic aspects of the community.
• Excellent inter and intrapersonal skills to ensure consistent positive relations with key stakeholders.
• Strong report writing and computer skills.
• Fluent in written and spoken English and Hausa
• Commitment to and understanding of International Medical Corps’ aims, values and principles.