Technical Advisor, Nutrition / MIYCN at FHI 360

Requisition: 2021202504
Band: MM
Supervisor: A&T Nigeria Country Director

Project Summary

• The Nigeria Alive & Thrive (A&T) MIYCN social and behavior change program focuses on improving the delivery and expanding the coverage of MIYCN interventions that contribute to reducing maternal, newborn and child mortality and morbidity. A&T will work across the public and NGO sectors to improve MIYCN through A&T’s four components: advocacy, interpersonal communication and community mobilization, mass communication, and strategic use of data. 
• At the national level, A&T will predominantly work with its public and NGO sector partners to improve the implementation, monitoring, and enforcement of key MIYCN policies (e.g., Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes; maternity leave; workplace support; breastfeeding-friendly health care and delivery facilities). 
• A&T will also work in seven states- Lagos, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, Yobe, Borno, and Sokoto—to apply the four components to reach households, communities, and facilities with targeted, age-appropriate social and behavior change communication (SBCC) messaging on MIYCN practices.
• At both the national level and in the seven states, emphasis will be to build the capacity of the public sector (primary healthcare facilities) and local NGOs/CBOs to improve MIYCN practices, advance MIYCN policies, expand the promotion of positive social norms, and extend timed and age-appropriate behavior change messaging through commercial facilities to households and communities. Alive & Thrive Nigeria is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and managed by FHI Solutions.

Position Summary

• The A&T Nigeria Nutrition/Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) Advisor will work as part of the A&T Nigeria senior technical leadership team led by the A&T Nigeria Country Director.
• The Nutrition/MIYCN Advisor is responsible for providing MIYCN and nutrition technical leadership to the Government of Nigeria’s National Strategic Plan of Action for Nutrition, specifically the FMOH; international donors, agencies, and projects; private/commercial and NGO representatives and projects; and other partners and stakeholders to help in the design, implementation, monitoring, and improvement of MIYCN social and behavior change communication strategies, approaches, and intervention designs towards the improvement of maternal nutrition, breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices.
• This position helps A&T Nigeria provide capacity building (technical assistance and training) at the federal level in Abuja, and in the project states for the four components that A&T will work through: policy and advocacy; interpersonal communication and community mobilization; mass communication; and strategic collection and use of data. The position will also ensure the quality and accuracy of MIYCN messages, materials, tools, and indicators being developed and utilized in A&T’s program as well as with other MIYCN-related programs in the public and NGO sectors.  
• This position will communicate, connect, and coordinate with other A&T HQ and A&T Nigeria office technical staff, subcontractors, partners, government and NGO stakeholders, and international donors to ensure successful design and implementation of the large and complex portfolio of activities expected in A&T Nigeria’s program. This position will provide highest level MIYCN/nutrition strategic program and technical leadership and quality assurance in Nigeria.

Essential Job Functions
Technical Leadership and Quality Assurance:

• Ensure the MIYCN technical and program integrity of the GON’s programs, partners, and projects to improve maternal, infant, and young child nutrition practices towards the goal of stunting reduction. This position will work closely with the Capacity Building Advisor.

General Roles / Responsibilities

• Serve as a technical and program advisor to GON, international donors, private sector and NGO leaders in various national working groups and task forces related to the National Strategic Plan of Action for Nutrition.
• Support the strategic planning and coordination of MIYCN and MIYCN-sensitive BCC programs in the context of the National Strategic Plan of Action for Nutrition. Provide oversight to the same collaborative approach at the state levels.
• Support and guide the work of the A&T Nigeria Senior Leadership Team as it works with its partners to provide capacity building (TA and training) in advocacy and policy, interpersonal communications and community mobilization, mass communication and strategic collection and use of data
• Provide in-service technical and program leadership input to ensure a high quality of messaging, BCC materials, training, supportive supervision, and monitoring is conducted and distributed through A&T’s partnerships, and especially within the FMOH, and with partners in project states.
• This includes skills training of trainers, message and interpersonal materials/job aids development, supportive supervision strengthening for front line workers (Primary Health Care, private/commercial services, NGO projects). This involves examining, strengthening, and building capacity to improve the quality of interpersonal communication within and from the supervisor, health care worker, and community volunteer to the community and households.

Specific Roles / Responsibilities include:

• Provide technical direction, coordination, and implementation support to the FMOH nutrition/MIYCN activities
• Support and guide the work of the A&T Nigeria Senior Leadership Team as it oversees an “at scale” state implementation of the project.
• This includes providing technical assistance and training directly to the A&T Nigeria staff hired and based in the project states and to NGOs/CBOs subcontracted to conduct advocacy and policy, interpersonal communication and community mobilization, mass communication, and strategic collection and use of data.
• Support initiatives which provide advocacy, guidelines, and materials development to medical, nursing, and health education institutions, including pre-service curricula development for medical, nursing, health education schools and programs in the university setting.

Other Roles / Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the development of A&T annual work plans and project reports, and ensure timely reporting and responses for information to HQ
• Actively participate in, contribute to, and in some cases conduct or help facilitate major A&T program development and implementation activities (strategic planning, program presentations, advocacy and policy meetings, workshops, etc.), as appropriate
• Work closely with A&T Nigeria Senior Leadership Team and Country Director to leverage other international donor and private sector resources to complement and extend project reach
• Generate and document new evidence on MIYCN programming/interventions based on the A&T project inputs
• Present program results, based on program experience, M&E, and evaluation data to the GON, projects and partners, and other professional colleagues and organizations, both in country and internationally
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Skills and Qualifications
Education:

• M.Sc. in one of the following or related fields:Human Nutrition, International Public Health, Behavior Change Communications, Behavioral Science.

Experience:

• At least 12 years of relevant experience in Nigeria (similar global experience may be acceptable) required with at least 5 years in a senior technical leadership role providing technical input to a large-scale nutrition or public health project across multiple levels (and sectors). Work experience with international projects and donors also preferred.
• Extensive knowledge of maternal, infant, and young child nutrition.
• Recent senior technical and program work experience (3-5 years in the last 10 years) in Nigeria (similar setting may be acceptable).
• Extensive public health/nutrition field experience in designing, implementing, monitoring, and reporting on capacity building in more than one component (policy and advocacy, interpersonal communication and community mobilization, mass communication, strategic collection and use of data)
• Familiarity with nutrition indicators especially MIYCN data collection, analysis, strategic data use, and report-outs.

Skills:

• Ability to work independently, assess priorities, and manage a variety of activities while communicating, connecting, and collaborating with HQ and field office staff, subcontractors, and a broad coalition of government, NGO, and international project partners
• Strong interpersonal, supervisory, and organizational skills
• Excellent problem-solving skills
• Excellent writing, editorial, training, and communication skills, including strong presentation skills.