Job Vacancies at Helen Keller International

Job Description

• The USAID Advancing Nutrition implements and provides technical support to nutrition interventions across sectors and disciplines for USAID and its partners.
• The project’s multi-sectoral approach draws together global nutrition experience to design, implement and evaluate programs that address the root causes of malnutrition. Committed to using a systems approach, USAID Advancing Nutrition strives to sustain positive outcomes by building local capacity, supporting behavior change and strengthening the enabling environment to save lives, improve health, build resilience, increase economic productivity and advance development.
• The overall purpose of the project in Nigeria is to provide technical support to the Government of Nigeria, and other nutrition stakeholders and generate evidence to enhance nutrition programming toward achieving the overall goal of improving nutrition for a healthy, productive, and resilient Nigeria.

Scope of the Position

• The Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Officer will be responsible for the implementation of the nutrition-sensitive agriculture activities of the project including the introduction/promotion of nutrition-sensitive crops, sensitization and awareness creation to prevent malnutrition, support to women, and the most vulnerable beneficiaries targeted by the project.

Specific Responsibilities

• Coordinate and implement the nutrition-sensitive agriculture activities of the project in the state through increasing market access and consumption of diverse and quality foods, as well as increasing resilience of vulnerable households and communities. Integrate food and nutrition security into agriculture activities
• Raise community awareness and consumption of diversified, nutrient dense, fortified and nutritionally adequate foods.
• Improve nutritional status and intervention outcome through increasing production of diverse and safe foods, increased household food availability and gender sensitive interventions.
• Coordinate capacity building and technical support for beneficiaries on nutrition-sensitive agriculture issues including dietary diversification and nutrient dense diets, food preparation and utilization; best practices; and energy and time saving technologies for women
• Work with the M&E officer to monitor beneficiary adoption of the new nutrition targeted agricultural practices and food consumption methodologies.
• Promote food safety including appropriate methods of handling, preservation, processing, storage and utilization of foods.
• Establish linkages and facilitate collaboration across relevant sectors, agencies and public and private sector stakeholders working with the targeted communities.
• Promote water and sanitation activities in the targeted communities.
• Strengthen and promote community engagement processes in the project areas, particularly identifying project beneficiaries, assessing their needs and addressing and resolving community issues.
• Perform and document regular monitoring of all project activities in close coordination with the project team.
• Any other duties as assigned from time to time.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture or Nutrition or other relevant disciplines
• At least 6 years’ experience implementing nutrition-sensitive agriculture activities in Nigeria
• Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills In English Language, as well as the ability to report to and advise the State Coordinator on emerging issues.
• Able to work on own initiative with a creative approach to problem-solving.
• Computer literacy with good knowledge of office applications is required.
• Excellent knowledge of Hausa is highly desired.
• Willingness to travel extensively within the state as required.

go to method of application »

Scope of the Position

• The Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Coordination Specialist will be responsible for managing the engagement with the State Committee on Food and Nutrition and ensure the timely implementation of the ‘food and nutrition policies, strategies and activities.
• S/he will be responsible for fostering alignment and coordination of the state government ministries, departments and agencies and other key multi-sectoral stakeholders, maintaining effective communication and relationships.

Job Responsibilities

• Facilitate the project’s engagement, coordination and partnerships with multi-sectoral actors and stakeholders. Ensure that the project is connected and engaging with the right policy and decision makers
• Ensure effective multi-sectoral nutrition coordination among implementing departments/offices. Manage the successful implementation of technical and administrative project activities in the multiple sectors.
• In collaboration with relevant stakeholders, ensure the functionality of state food and nutrition committees providing support to implement work plans and other activities.
• Facilitate regular state level coordination and technical committee meetings and monitor the progress of each sector towards achieving nutrition objectives. Identify challenges faced by multi-sectoral partners in the implementation of policies and strategies and report to the relevant bodies for solutions.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with multiple stakeholders to support resource tracking for effective implementation of the project
• Together with other stakeholders, organize learning and experience sharing platforms to strengthen multi-sectoral nutrition coordination and implementation.
• Support the cascade of food and nutrition policy initiatives and strategies and mainstream nutrition across socioeconomic sectors
• Engage in professional forums, workshops, seminars and other eventsorganized at state level that contribute to the success of project activities
• Perform any other relevant duties as assigned by the State Coordinator

Expected Deliverables:

• Development of quarterly and annual plans of the State Food and Nutrition Committee, clearly defining activities and resources required
• Schedule and organize regular State Food and Nutrition Committee meetings and other coordination meetings with external stakeholders.
• Development and implementation of a routine multi-sector nutrition monitoring system, including process monitoring and annual outcome monitoring solutions for the program.
• Implementation of resource tracking system for multi-sectoral contributions to the nutrition sector

Requirements

Education:

• Required: Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent related experience

Experience:

• Required: 8+ years of experience in coordinating multispectral activities, partners and stakeholders

Knowledge and Skills:

• Capacity building/facilitation skills
• Understanding of the coordination mechanisms for multi-sectoral nutrition activities in the state
• Deep knowledge of key actors in the state’s food and nutrition ecosystem
• Proficiency in spoken and written English and spoken Hausa required.
• Experience in cross-cultural work environment
• Ability to work under pressure in fast-paced environment.

Competencies:

• Adaptable, creative, collaborative and able to think strategically.
• Purpose driven and outcome focused - moving roadblocks, tackling difficult problems and is action oriented.
• Operate as a nimble learner - knowing personal strengths, weaknesses and limits, has a growth mindset.
• Impeccable negotiation and problem-solving skills
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and rapport building.

Physical Demands:

• Ability to travel regularly within the state as needed.

Terms & Conditions:

• This is a local posting in Nigeria, and as such, is subject to local terms and conditions.

go to method of application »

Scope of the Position

• The Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Officer will be responsible for the implementation of the nutrition-sensitive agriculture activities of the project including the introduction/promotion of nutrition-sensitive crops, sensitization and awareness creation to prevent malnutrition, support to women, and the most vulnerable beneficiaries targeted by the project.

Specific Responsibilities

• Coordinate and implement the nutrition-sensitive agriculture activities of the project in the state through increasing market access and consumption of diverse and quality foods, as well as increasing resilience of vulnerable households and communities. Integrate food and nutrition security into agriculture activities
• Raise community awareness and consumption of diversified, nutrient dense, fortified and nutritionally adequate foods.
• Improve nutritional status and intervention outcome through increasing production of diverse and safe foods, increased household food availability and gender sensitive interventions.
• Coordinate capacity building and technical support for beneficiaries on nutrition-sensitive agriculture issues including dietary diversification and nutrient dense diets, food preparation and utilization; best practices; and energy and time saving technologies for women
• Work with the M&E officer to monitor beneficiary adoption of the new nutrition targeted agricultural practices and food consumption methodologies.
• Promote food safety including appropriate methods of handling, preservation, processing, storage and utilization of foods.
• Establish linkages and facilitate collaboration across relevant sectors, agencies and public and private sector stakeholders working with the targeted communities.
• Promote water and sanitation activities in the targeted communities.
• Strengthen and promote community engagement processes in the project areas, particularly identifying project beneficiaries, assessing their needs and addressing and resolving community issues.
• Perform and document regular monitoring of all project activities in close coordination with the project team.
• Any other duties as assigned from time to time.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture or Nutrition or other relevant disciplines
• At least 6 years’ experience implementing nutrition-sensitive agriculture activities in Nigeria
• Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills In English Language, as well as the ability to report to and advise the State Coordinator on emerging issues.
• Able to work on own initiative with a creative approach to problem-solving.
• Computer literacy with good knowledge of office applications is required.
• Excellent knowledge of Hausa is highly desired.
• Willingness to travel extensively within the state as required.

go to method of application »

Scope of the Position

• The Grant & Compliance Officer will supervise Grants Under Contract (GUCs) for the project. S/he will participate in the review of proposals/applications, undertakes pre-award assessments, participates in compliance visits, and provides guidance on program contractual requirements.
• The position reports directly to the Senior Finance & Operations Officer, with dotted line reporting to Helen Keller Grants & Contracts Senior Manager in the U.S. The position will support programmatic/technical oversight of GUCs that are funded and managed by the project prime contractor – JSI – and, therefore, the Officer will also work directly with JSI counterparts, as appropriate, for oversight of GUC recipients.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions)

• The Grant and Compliance Officer will support in issuing GUCs to selected grantees. Serve as liaison between USAID advancing Nutrition and grantees, as needed, on technical, financial and compliance issues.
• The officer provides guidance to grantees on USAID GUC regulations and GUC agreements.
• Support in soliciting for grant applications, reviewing and evaluating applications, and awarding GUCs to selected grantee organizations.
• Oversee the preaward assessment process, including reviewing preaward survey, site visit, conducting risk assessment, and coordinating with her/his supervisor on risk determination and potential special conditions.
• Support in the selection and negotiation process, including obtaining necessary documentation from grantees.
• Establish system for grants monitoring including designing templates for Grants Status Reports for use by the senior project management team for monitoring.
• Overse grantees programmatic and technical implementation and verify program achievements.
• The officer will also assist with training on compliance, conducts programmatic oversight and follow-up of recommendations, identifies training needs, and develops site-specific curriculum to address the needs of grantees.
• Provides guidance to technical staff in the development of SOWs, EOIs and RFAs for grants, including the development of program technical description, milestones, deliverables and selection criteria to support USAID approval.
• Maintain GUC documentation in organized filing system, including communications with all parties on the contract.
• Review all the project financial documents to ensure appropriate back-up documentations are available; ensure that minimum documentation requirement is met, all invoices, time sheets, contracts are available and sequentially attached to each payment request.
• Perform other tasks as assigned by the supervisor or designee.

Education & Experience

• Master's Degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Economics, or any other relevant field and 4 years of relevant experience, or Bachelor's Degree in similar fields with at least 6 years of relevant experience.
• Professional experience supporting USAID-funded projects and managing Grants Under Contracts programs in Nigeria.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Specific experience in Nutrition program strongly desired.
• Experience implementing Grants Under Contracts program under a USAID contract is required
• In depth knowledge of USAID Acquisition and Assistance regulations, including Code of Federal Regulations, Automated Directives System, Federal Acquisition Regulations, and USAID Acquisition regulations is required.
• Past experience working with partners such as Ministries of Health, local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and CBOs.
• Experience working with and providing technical assistance to NGOs and/or CBOs in internal controls and compliance systems design, implementation and review, and capacity building in other functional areas such as human resources, policies & standard operating procedures (SOPs) development.
• Experience conducting trainings and other capacity building work both one-on-one and with larger audiences.
• Good knowledge of using Microsoft office especially word, excel and power point
• Outstanding organizational and coordination abilities
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Fluency in English is required

Competencies:

• Adaptable, creative, collaborative and able to think strategically.
• Ability to work under pressure and deliver timely good results
• Purpose driven and outcome focused - moving roadblocks, tackling difficult problems and is action oriented.
• Operate as a nimble learner - knowing personal strengths, weaknesses and limits, has a growth mindset.
• Impeccable negotiation and problem-solving skills
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and rapport building.

Physical Demands:

• Ability to travel regularly to the project states (FCT, Abuja) as needed.

Terms & Conditions:

• This is a local posting in Nigeria, and as such, is subject to local terms and conditions.

go to method of application »

Scope of the Position

• The Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Coordination Specialist will be responsible for managing the engagement with the State Committee on Food and Nutrition and ensure the timely implementation of the ‘food and nutrition policies, strategies and activities.
• S/he will be responsible for fostering alignment and coordination of the state government ministries, departments and agencies and other key multi-sectoral stakeholders, maintaining effective communication and relationships.

Job Responsibilities

The main responsibilities of the position are:

• Facilitate the project’s engagement, coordination and partnerships with multi-sectoral actors and stakeholders. Ensure that the project is connected and engaging with the right policy and decision makers
• Ensure effective multi-sectoral nutrition coordination among implementing departments/offices. Manage the successful implementation of technical and administrative project activities in the multiple sectors.
• In collaboration with relevant stakeholders, ensure the functionality of state food and nutrition committees providing support to implement work plans and other activities.
• Facilitate regular state level coordination and technical committee meetings and monitor the progress of each sector towards achieving nutrition objectives. Identify challenges faced by multi-sectoral partners in the implementation of policies and strategies and report to the relevant bodies for solutions.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with multiple stakeholders to support resource tracking for effective implementation of the project
• Together with other stakeholders, organize learning and experience sharing platforms to strengthen multi-sectoral nutrition coordination and implementation.
• Support the cascade of food and nutrition policy initiatives and strategies and mainstream nutrition across socioeconomic sectors
• Engage in professional forums, workshops, seminars and other eventsorganized at state level that contribute to the success of project activities
• Perform any other relevant duties as assigned by the State Coordinator

Expected Deliverables

• Development of quarterly and annual plans of the State Food and Nutrition Committee, clearly defining activities and resources required
• Schedule and organize regular State Food and Nutrition Committee meetings and other coordination meetings with external stakeholders.
• Development and implementation of a routine multi-sector nutrition monitoring system, including process monitoring and annual outcome monitoring solutions for the program.
• Implementation of resource tracking system for multi-sectoral contributions to the nutrition sector

Job Requirements
Education:

• Required: Bachelor's Degree or equivalent related experience.

Experience:

• Required: 8+ years of experience in coordinating multispectral activities, partners and stakeholders

Knowledge and Skills:

• Capacity building/facilitation skills.
• Understanding of the coordination mechanisms for multi-sectoral nutrition activities in the state.
• Deep knowledge of key actors in the state’s food and nutrition ecosystem
• Proficiency in spoken and written English and spoken Hausa required.
• Experience in cross-cultural work environment.
• Ability to work under pressure in fast-paced environment.

Competencies:

• Adaptable, creative, collaborative and able to think strategically.
• Purpose driven and outcome focused - moving roadblocks, tackling difficult problems and is action oriented.
• Operate as a nimble learner - knowing personal strengths, weaknesses and limits, has a growth mindset.
• Impeccable negotiation and problem-solving skills
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and rapport building.

Physical Demands:

• Ability to travel regularly within the state as needed

Terms & Conditions:

• This is a local posting in Nigeria, and as such, is subject to local terms and conditions.

go to method of application »

Scope of the Position

• The Program Officer, will work in conjunction with the program team and be responsible for providing technical and managerial support for the development, implementation and monitoring of activities, for the USAID Advancing Nutrition Project.
• S/He will provide support in ensuring the achievement of project objectives and completion of activities while adhering to scope, budget, and schedule requirements.
• Responsibilities include project start-up, managing the development and monitoring of implementation plans and budgets, program reporting and documentation, donor and partner relations, compliance, programmatic monitoring, and close-out.

Specific Responsibilities

• Support the development of work plans and track performance against project timelines, budget, objectives, and deliverables
• Support the development of project budgets and budget modifications, and monitor project expenditures to ensure activities are implemented within budgetary guidelines
• Support implementation teams to achieve timely, high-quality project deliverables and ensure they meet project objectives and donor requirements
• Provide technical support and assist in the implementation and coordination of program activities, particularly for multi-sectoral partnerships, capacity development to local partners, and M&E activities in the target states.
• Support the documentation and dissemination of project accomplishments, results, challenges, and lessons learned among internal and external partners.
• Working closely with the Senior Program Officer, to build and maintain partnerships and relationships with program partners, such as non-profits, federal agencies and community organizations, in order to expand resources, and educate the public about the work of the project.
• Participate in the development of project Implementation Plan, training manual/curricula, and other various standard operational procedures (SoP).
• Assist in developing and monitoring annual work plans, program initiatives, and budget development
• Work with the Grants office to support effective project management, and coordination, and provide support to partners on the project implementation procedure, data management, and effective financial management.
• Provide support as needed, the preparation and timely submission of detailed reports by the partners on project activities on a quarterly and annual basis in compliance with project requirements.
• Support the development of annual, quarterly donor, and government report writing including management and updates.
• Participate in project monitoring and supportive supervision of partners, project sites, and communities.
• In collaboration with USAID Advancing Nutrition Communications team, produce program content for program website and activities as required.

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition, Public Health, Social Sciences, International Development or a related field.

Experience:

• 5+ years of professional experience working in complex programs, preferably with direct experience in Nigeria; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Experienced and demonstrated success in coordinating activities with multiple stakeholders to optimize use of limited resources, including development of joint work plans.
• Prior experience in project management cycle.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft software packages: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook.
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience working effectively in teams and cross-cultural settings
• Must possess excellent management, documentation, presentation, and written communication skills.
• Experience in cross-cultural work environment
• Ability to work under pressure in fast-paced environment

Competencies:

• Adaptable, creative, collaborative, and able to think strategically.
• Purpose-driven and outcome-focused - moving roadblocks, tackling difficult problems and action-oriented.
• Operate as a nimble learner - knowing personal strengths, weaknesses, and limits, has a growth mindset.
• Impeccable negotiation and problem-solving skills
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and rapport building.

Physical Demands:

• Ability to travel regularly to the project states (Bauchi, Ebonyi, Kebbi and Sokoto) as needed

Terms & Conditions:

• This is a local posting in Nigeria, and as such, is subject to local terms and conditions.