Nutrition Coordinator, Somalia (Save the Children)

[Admin]

Nutrition Coordinator
Save the Children Alliance
Closing date: 28 Feb 2010
Location: Somalia - Temporarily based in Nairobi for security reasons

JOB PURPOSE

To develop and coordinate Save the Children emergency nutrition activities in Hiran region, central Somalia, including planning, implementation, management and support of CTC activities, implementation of nutritional surveys as needed, support to and building capacity of nutrition staff delivering services at the project sites, and the recruitment and training of national staff.

This is an international post based in Hiran region, central Somalia. However, given prevailing security conditions, the post-holder may be required to work remotely from Nairobi until such time as security on the ground improves and SC sends international staff back to Hiran. While working from Nairobi, the post-holder will be required to provide support to the CTC nutrition team remotely and may travel into central Somalia for short monitoring and support visits. Barring security clearance to travel to central Somalia, the Nutrition Coordinator will be requested to travel to Somaliland on a regular basis for support, monitoring and management meetings with the Hiran nutrition team. In the event that security improves and international staff members return to Hiran region, the post will be re-instated in Hiran.

Key accountabilities

- Provide leadership and co-ordination of nutrition activities in the program sites
- Assist in the recruitment of nutrition staff for the program
- No direct line management responsibility but will serve a technical advisory and support role, working closely with the Hiran nutrition team and Grants Manager. The Nutrition Coordinator will also serve an advisory role and work in close coordination with the Somalia Emergency Coordinator
- Ensure all nutrition program staff are adequately trained and supervised. Develop nutrition staff capacity to ensure that staff can:
o Supervise and manage the storage and ordering of nutrition-related stocks and ensure accurate records are maintained
o Plan and implement nutritional surveys
o Monitor nutrition program performance against the protocols designed for the programme.
- Ensure all nutrition staff adhere to the security protocol and are sensitised to child protection policy and issues
- Ensure appropriate and consistent health and nutrition education messaging to mothers and other carers at sites and in the community
- Facilitate the development and scheduling of outreach activities
- Conduct trainings to build the capacity of staff/volunteers and the community at large, when possible or through national staff in the field, in identification and management of the malnourished and in prevention of malnutrition
- Liaise with other partners in nutrition
- Represent Save the Children in nutrition-related meetings and ensure co-ordination with other nutrition support providers in the country, avoiding duplication and sharing learning. Coordination to be undertaken through relevant forums in Nairobi and locally, when security allows.
- Feed-in to monthly internal and donor reports, ensuring that the nutrition component of reports is high quality, accurate, reliable and available in a timely fashion as per plan
- Assist in the dissemination of the findings and results of surveys and ongoing analysis both within Save the Children and the wider community
- Lead in using the findings of surveys and ongoing analysis to ensure optimal programme performance and design modifications as appropriate
- Co-ordinate nutritional surveys, including training, planning, analysis and report writing. Plan and co-ordinate Save the Children site nutritional response as indicated by the results of surveys/situation analysis and related data.
- Establish and follow up standard indicators to help monitor work progress, measure quality and impacts on the target population
- Maintain an overview of the nutrition component of this budget by monitoring expenditures against planned work and provide assistance to the budget holder when required.
- Contribute to the development of a further programme proposals for Save the Children's nutritional response in Somalia to develop the program to more appropriately address the causes of malnutrition where possible
- Liaise with Programme Manager, Deputy Programme Manager and Security Coordinator on issues related to staff and program security
- To perform any other assignment required by the line manager (agreed according to workload)

Person specification

Essential

- Health / Public Health / Nutrition BSc or equivalent
- Substantial emergency nutrition experience of (4 years) including the design and implementation of feeding programs and their analysis and monitoring and evaluation.
- Experience in planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating CTC programmes
- Experience in conducting nutrition assessments (survey design, implementation and analysis using the SMART method and package, an ability to include sound causal analysis) and an understanding of nutritional surveillance and information systems.
- Proven capacity to supervise, train and coach national staff.
- Experience and ability to represent Save the Children's nutrition work in external meetings.
- Willingness and capacity to be flexible and accommodating when faced with difficult and frustrating working conditions.
- Demonstrable ability at report writing and excellent communication skills
- Experience of working safely in hostile and insecure environments
- Self-motivated and enthusiastic personality, commitment to understanding and improving the lives of children in an emergency context
- Ability and willingness to frequently travel and stay in the field
- Ability to work under extreme pressure and meet deadlines with minimal guidance
- Fluent written and spoken English
- Distance management experience

Desirable

- Qualified nurse with primary health care / community health care experience
- Awareness and understanding of food security and livelihoods programming options and other generic programming options for addressing the underlying causes of malnutrition
- Experience of distance management of staff/resources in a remote location
- Somali language skills
- Knowledge of the region – Horn of Africa in general; Somalia especially
- Coaching and training skills with a view to capacity strengthening of staff and partners
- Experience of participative processes involving children, and ability to coach staff in mainstreaming good practice
How to apply
For further information please write to [s.brinkmann@scuk.or.ke] and to submit your application please forward to this email: [h.jobs@scuk.or.ke]

Reference Code: RW_82RGFT-33