Graduate Nutrition Program Assistant at Save the Children Nigeria

Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change in the lives of children in over 20 countries around the world. Recognized for our commitment to accountability, innovation and collaboration, our work takes us into the heart of communities, where we help children and families help themselves.

We work with other organizations, governments, non-profits and a variety of local partners while maintaining our own independence without political agenda or religious orientation. Save the Children’s mission is to Inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Nutrition Program Assistant

Location: Borno, Nigeria

Programme Support

• Working closely with the Nutrition Coordinator and the Nutrition Project Officer, the Assistant will do the following;
• Support community volunteers to screening of all children under five years (6-59 months) and referral systems are in place for all children in the target location and conduct follow-up visits on children referred.
• Promote, protect and support optimal Infant and Young Child Feeding practices.
• Support Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergency (IYCF-E) training of health workers and community volunteers.
• Daily supervision of support group meetings in communities.
• Work closely with staff at the Health facility and OTP sites to ensure that all children referred with malnutrition are treated accordingly.
• Provide counseling to caregivers of children with Moderate Acute Malnutrition.
• Support in the referral of malnourished cases from support groups to health facilities offering Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) services.
• Collate and compile program monthly data reports.
• Prepare transport requests for field trips to the program implementing communities.
• Participate in the training of lead mothers and support group members on Food Demonstration
• Working closely with the Nutrition officer, ensure timely implementation of nutrition activities.
• Provide capacity building and trainings to community nutrition mobilizers, health workers and Community Nutrition Mobilizers on IYCF-E and referral mechanism.
• Facilitate the formation of Mother to Mother and Father to father support groups meetings and conduct supportive supervision/spot checks during support group meetings
• Ensure monthly and quarterly follow up with Community Mobilizers and community leaders through review/feedback meetings.
• Working closely with the project Food security and livelihood (FSL) team to promote a more robust integration of FSL-Nutrition linkages in an attempt to solving the underlying causes of malnutrition.
• Work closely with the MEAL team to ensure that data are captured in a correct and accurate manner
• Assist the nutrition team in giving supportive supervision to community volunteers.
• Compile and submit reports on weekly progress report

Capacity Building:

• Identify learning and training opportunities for partner staff and communicate this to the Nutrition Program Officer or Nutrition Coordinator. 
• Ensure all OTP/SFP team members are familiar with their posts.

Representation & Advocacy & Organisational Learning:

• Ensure that Save the Children's work is coordinated with efforts of other agencies and Government, and support Interagency Coordination forums, advocating for the specific needs of children. This may involve supporting coordination working groups within the IDP camps and host communities or target project sites.
• Contribute to communications and media work as required through correction of data and information and sharing with the project heads

General:

• Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures

Qualifications & Experience
Essential:

• Health / Public Health / Nutrition / BSc or equivalent
• Completed NYSC
• Proven capacity of management, leadership and teamwork
• Excellent communication skills and a willingness to be respectful, kind, sensitive and empathise with all beneficiaries and their carers
• Willingness and capacity to be flexible and accommodating when faced with difficult and frustrating working conditions
• Demonstrable ability at report writing
• Prepared to live and work in an uncertain security environment
• Ability and willingness to frequently travel and stay at the field
• Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles
• Fluency in written and spoken English and local languages
• Computer literacy

Desirable:

• Experience of emergency nutrition work (preferably CMAM) and implementation of feeding programs, including monitoring and evaluation
• Experience in conducting nutrition assessments and an understanding of nutritional surveillance and information systems

Application Closing Date
16th July, 2017.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note: Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be assessed as received and ONLY shortlisted candidates will be contacted.