VAS Coordinator at Helen Keller International

Reports to: Head of Nutrition Programs

Background

• Helen Keller International is a global health organization dedicated to eliminating preventable vision loss, malnutrition and diseases of poverty. Cofounded by Helen Keller - and guided by her fierce optimism and belief in human potential - the organization delivers life-changing health solutions to vulnerable families where the need is great but access to care is limited.
• In the US, Africa, and Asia, Helen Keller’s proven, science-based programs empower people to create opportunities in their own lives and build lasting change.

Vitamin A Supplementation (VAS)

• Helen Keller works closely with the Government of Nigeria to ensure high coverage of more than 80% of the target population of children aged 6 to 59 months old with Vitamin A. Helen Keller also supports the national and state-level advocacy, planning, training of health workers, community sensitization and demand creation, delivery of Vitamin A capsules, program monitoring and evaluation. In 2001, Helen Keller integrated Vitamin A supplementation into Community Directed Treatment with Ivermectin (CDTI) as a cost-effective, sustainable strategy and a strong platform for community mobilization. Vulnerable groups, including children 6-59 months old and post-partum women within 8 weeks of delivery, were targeted.
• However, since 2009, Helen Keller aligned with the Federal Government of Nigeria and adopted the bi-annual Maternal Newborn and Child Health Weeks (MNCHW) as a high-impact strategy to distribute Vitamin A capsules alongside other low-cost interventions that have been proven to be highly effective in reducing mortality rates and improving maternal and child health. Helen Keller currently supports Vitamin A Supplementation in Nassarawa and Benue states and has received additional funding from GiveWell to expand the implementation of its VAS program and conduct yearly post event coverage evaluation surveys across four new states in Nigeria (Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Katsina and Taraba).

Job Responsibilities

• Under the supervision of the Head of Nutrition Programs, the VAS Coordinator oversees the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of Helen Keller Nigeria’s Vitamin A Supplementation programs in all supported states in accordance with national protocols and policies.

Technical Capacity:

• Ensures the overall management and implementation of Helen Keller Nigeria’s Vitamin A Supplementation project across Nassarawa, Benue, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Katsina and Taraba, and any other state the organization expands to in the near future
• Provide technical support to the governments at National and State-level to implement the bi-annual Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Weeks.
• Coordinate with Helen Keller’s’ Nutrition Program Officers to liaise with the nutrition unit of the State Ministry of Health (SMOH) or State Primary Health Care Development Agencies (SPHCDA) to develop costed nutrition strategic work-plans and detailed implementation plans.
• Support the development of activity budgets for the VAS project across all Helen Keller-supported states
• Support states in advocating for timely allocation and release of funds to implement the bi-annual Maternal Newborn and Child Health Weeks.
• Support the state in assessing personnel, logistic and commodity needs towards effective microplanning of the VAS campaign
• Support training of health personnel at State, LGA and Ward levels and facilitate training of independent monitors prior to the VAS campaign
• Collaborate with Helen Keller’s M&E Specialist to analyze, interpret and present program data in useful formats and disseminate findings to relevant stakeholders to promote timely decision making and course correction
• Work closely with the State and Nutrition Program Officers to conduct yearly Post Events Coverage Surveys after the VAS campaign, analyze results and share findings with relevant stakeholders for course correction during subsequent campaigns
• Maintain regular communication with other state nutrition program officers and partners
• Facilitate program planning and review meetings on Vitamin A supplementation
• Coordinate with Nutrition Program Officers to collaborate with the states in developing /rolling out IEC / SBCC strategies and tools to support nutrition programs
• Contribute to the development of policy documents and the review of national MNCHW guidelines and training manuals
• Actively participate and contribute to key relevant national and state-level nutrition technical fora, meetings and workshops
• Coordinate with Nutrition Program Officers to and State Nutrition Officers to strengthen technical reporting in accordance with defined reporting schedule and program indicators
• Track program progress using mutually agreed indicators, targets, and recommend remedial action to keep programs on course
• Ensure, in collaboration with the Finance department regular budget tracking, monitoring and reporting to avoid underspend and/or overspend
• Collaborate with Helen Keller Nigeria’s Communication’s and Media Officer to document success stories, lessons learned and achievements on the VAS project.
• Ensure timely and quality reporting to GiveWell and the maintenance of an updated database of technical program reports including site visits, monthly reports, quarterly and annual reports
• Participate in research to increase VAS coverage and other nutrition interventions
• Facilitate the capacity building of Nutrition Program Officers on relevant nutrition interventions
• Regularly go on field trips to provide technical support to nutrition staff at State-level and monitor the progress and implementation of the VAS project
• Support the implementation of other relevant nutrition activities beyond the Vitamin A Supplementation project such as healthy lifestyle project, infant and young child feeding, community management of acute malnutrition, food fortification, food security e.t.c.
• Provide technical support in drafting Terms of Reference (TORs) / Job Description (JDs) for relevant nutrition positions
• Participate in preparing interview questions, recruitment of nutrition staff and perform staff evaluation
• Participate in and contribute to regular program update meetings with other members of Helen Keller’s nutrition team
• Perform any other duty as assigned

Qualifications Required

• Minimum of Master's Degree in Nutrition, Food and Dietetics, Public Health or any other relevant Management / Social Sciences
• Or Bachelors’ in Nutrition plus a Master’s in Public Health or Management Sciences or similar related field
• Minimum of 4 years experience

Competencies Required:

• Demonstrates technical knowledge pertaining to job requirements
• Demonstrated managerial capacity to lead projects and supervise other staff
• Prior experience working in the field of VAS will be an added advantage
• Able to work under pressure minimal supervision and able to meet up deadlines
• Ability to use the Internet and computer software such as Microsoft office
• Must possess good interpersonal skills and be a good team player
• Ability to analyze and interpret program data using SPSS or STATA statistical software
• Demonstrated excellent personal integrity and confidentiality
• Ability to speak the local languages of the states where Helen Keller is implementing the VAS project is highly desirable and an added advantage