Nutrition Coordinator

ORGANIZATIONAL DESCRIPTION:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

 

BACKGROUND:

Yemen is the poorest country in the Arab world and has been plagued with internal conflicts in recent years. The humanitarian conditions in Yemen deteriorated rapidly since 26 March 2015 with the beginning of Saudi-led air campaign to stop the expansion of Houthi militias and their supporters towards the south of the country.
Before the latest escalation of conflict 15.9 million people in Yemen (61% of the population) required some form of humanitarian assistance in 2015. Currently, an estimated 20 million people lack access to safe water or sanitation; 12.5 million people are food insecure, of whom about 6 million are severely food insecure; 1.6 million people are suffering from acute malnutrition; and about 8.4 million people are in need of health services.

The International Rescue Committee began its health, Nutrition and WASH programs in response to the impact of conflicts in Abyan and Aden Governorates in October 2012.  The health interventions are aimed at increasing access to curative and preventive health services; while the nutrition intervention is to ensure children under five have access to inpatient and outpatient treatment for severe and moderate acute malnutrition. The main activities include primary health care, reproductive health and ante-natal care, nutrition and immunization services as well as drug provision and outreach activities.

The IRC Yemen’s Environmental Health interventions are integral component of the epidemic prevention strategy. The WASH intervention aims to reduce the risk and spread of environmental health related diseases among disaster affected communities. It focuses on the provision of safe and dignified access to improved water supply and sanitation facilities to disaster affected communities and health facilities; the promotion of safe hygiene practices and the strengthening of community institutions, including health facilities to support and sustain WASH services.

To address the recent and currently ongoing conflict the IRC has also started implementing Health and WASH emergency interventions providing support to war affected populations, IDPs and host families through provision to medical supplies and pharmaceuticals to hospitals and health facilities, provision of NFI and WASH interventions.

 

SCOPE OF WORK: Under the supervision of IRC Yemen Country Director, and based in Sana’a, the Nutrition Coordinator will be responsible for the overall coordination, implementation, technical guidance and quality of the Yemen nutrition program working in close collaboration with the field-based nutrition managers, senior management team, particularly the health advisor, WASH Coordinator, and the teams in the field.  The Nutrition Coordinator will be based in Sana’a with frequent visits to the field sites.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

 

Technical Monitoring and Program Quality

• Provide technical supervision of, and technical support to IRC Nutrition programming activities
• Ensure that nutrition programs utilize standardized protocols, policies and guidelines, as prescribed by the Ministry of Health and WHO/UNICEF.
• Ensure that all nutrition activities are consistent with established best practices
• Oversee the collection and timely reporting of data and statistics for all nutrition programs in line with IRC guidelines and according to internal and donor requirements
• Ensure appropriate follow-up and decision-making on data relevant to IRC nutrition programs
• Ensure a good coordination with the Health Advisor, Wash Coordinator and Nutrition field teams and provide frequent updates
• Ensure all stakeholders, including IRC Field Coordinator, IRC Grants & Compliance Manager, IRC health technical unit and all donors are provided with updates, following the established reporting structures

 

Strategic Planning

• Monitor evolving needs of the target communities and adjust the programmatic priorities as necessary
• In collaboration with the Nutrition Technical Adviser, the Health Advisor and the Wash Coordinator, lead the overall development of an overall IRC Nutrition Program strategy in line with IRC Yemen Country Strategic Planning and YHRP (Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan 2015)

 

Program Development

• Identify opportunities for program development
• Lead technical assessments as a basis for nutrition program development when necessary

 

Staff development

• Ensure the ongoing capacity building of nutrition teams through support to direct supervisors in ensuring staff performance evaluations and individual development plans
• Ensure appropriate support to the field bases by regular visits, and replacement of staff if needed

 

Coordination and Representation

• Plan, coordinate and ensure quality implementation of the IRC Yemen nutrition interventions
• Collaborate with the health, WASH teams to ensure a holistic approach in line with IRC’s Program Framework principles
• Represent IRC to UN, international and national NGOs, and Ministries of Health, for nutrition coordination as needed at the national and State levels as necessary
• Oversee implementation of funding, including budget forecasting, development of spending plans in cooperation with the Health, Wash Coordinator and Grants Manager

Professional Standards

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct.  These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability.  In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

 

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

• Nutrition professional with a relative degree in Nutrition or Public Health Nutrition  and  significant experience in nutrition in emergencies 
• At least five years professional experience in nutrition IMAM (CMAM) programs
• Experience in nutrition emergency assessments or surveys preferred
• Experience in IYCF and/or SQUEAC an asset
• Excellent management and coordination skills
• Experience developing staff capacity
• Experience working in a multi-cultural setting
• Experience in emergencies or working in Yemen previously preferred
• Ability to write clear and concise reports and proposals and to meet required reporting deadlines
• Able to work independently while being a strong team player
• Competence with Windows, Microsoft Office
• Ability to work in unstable security environments
• Proficient English written and spoken required, Arabic an asset

 

 

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Security level orange. The situation in Sana’a is tense at the moment and remains unpredictable; concerns include criminality, presence of armed troops, and looting. There is active conflict in many parts of the country and a possibility for further expansion of the conflict and violence into other areas and other states.

 

HOUSING:

Lodging in Sana’a is in a private bedroom, with a shared bathroom, in a shared IRC guesthouse. In field sites, accommodation similar to the head office. All IRC sites have electricity and internet all day through. Food is the individual’s responsibility.

 

Please follow this link to apply: http://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=a2F0cmluYW1pbGxlci44Mzg0Ny40ODEwQGlyYy5hcGxpdHJhay5jb20