ROLE PURPOSE:

The role holder will lead the nutrition thematic area across all refugee response programs of Save the Children in Balkan countries. The role holder will work closely with all response teams providing technical support and guidance throughout the development and implementation of IYCF-E programming, ensuring quality, harmonization, and coherence with the 2016 SCI Europe Response Strategy.

Please apply with your CV and brief outline of your suitability for this role to Megan Gayford: m.gayford@savethechilcdren.org.uk by the 12th of March.

This position is based in Athens, Greece and is for an initial period of 6 months.
Applicants should be available to commence the role by April 1.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Needs Analysis, Program Design, Implementation and Coordination:
• Lead on situation/response analysis, development of IYCFE strategy documents, sector response plans and programme design for Balkans refugee program, and provide input to the response teams’ strategies and response plans;
• Monitor and encourage minimum standards and best practices in IYCFE for the response that will be applied across all the countries involved in the refugee response in Europe;
• Contribute to development and review of proposals developed by various response teams as well as lead on conceptualization of regional concepts papers and proposals, in coordination with the nutrition backstop for Europe
• Support design of tools, and provide guidance and technical support to the staff and organizations performing assessments, baselines and evaluations in IYCFE and nutrition more broadly;
• Provide technical leadership and oversight to IYCFE from program planning, proposal design, capacity building plans, development of indicators and checklists;
• Develop and provide oversight to a referral system for vulnerable women and infants who require additional support in IYCFE across the whole journey;
• Lead the roll out of the IYCFE communications strategy, in partnership with UNICEF and other organisations
• Contribute to region level contingency plans and where possible, integrate contingency planning for IYCF-E and nutrition in all program planning and proposal design

Technical Support to Program Management
• Provide technical oversight to the response teams overall responsible for the implementation of IYCFE project activities ensuring that services are delivered on time, on budget and in compliance with donor regulations;
• Lead and conduct technical training in IYCFE for SCI and other partner staff, as needed;
• Provide technical guidance, in all areas of IYCFE and nutrition programming, ensuring that implementation methods are consistent with acknowledged good practice and achieve sustainable results;
• Ensure the IYCFE program is implemented in ways responsive to communities, partners and children in line with Save the Children’s principles, values and strategic plan and compliant with Save the Children’s procedures;
• Monitor programs progress against both programmatic targets, making adjustments to programme design as necessary based on changing situation and caseload size;
• Prepare timely and high quality consolidated reports to the MEE RO, members and Save the Children International centre about progress and impact of Save the Children’s IYCFE programs.

Technical Support to Partner management
• Assist the response teams identify appropriate partners for implementation of the IYCFE response and to develop partners program design and proposals;
• Provide guidance to the response teams for capacity building of partners and other aspects of partners input into IYCFE programming.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Accountability
• Provide support to Monitoring & Evaluation and indicator tracking plans for all awards across the refugee response programs, developing additional Monitoring & Evaluation tools as necessary to monitor project progress, with support of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Manager;
• Ensure appropriate, timely and accurate data collection against agreed indicators to enable both internal and external reporting for all response teams, and ensure that ongoing programme monitoring/learning feeds into alterations into program design;
• Work with Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Manager of RRT to identify and incorporate project suitable accountability mechanisms.

Staff Management, Mentorship, and Development
• Ensure appropriate staffing within the IYCFE teams in the Balkan countries;
• Develop staff capacity building plans on IYCFE;
• Identify (and where possible, provide) learning and training opportunities for Save the Children staff and partners, and work as a mentor and role model for less experienced staff.

Coordination, Representation, Advocacy & Organisational Learning:
• Lead coordination amongst the nutritionists who are based in the Balkan countries, to ensure harmonization of programmatic approach and sharing of resources and information
• Contribute and support the IYCF-E global discussion group for the Europe response, which is currently co-chaired by UNICEF and Save the Children UK
• Maintain and strengthen partnerships with UNICEF, UNHCR and other organisations across the Balkan countries;
• Contribute to the revision of the Operational Guidance for IFE and the interim guidance for IFE in transit settings;
• Support response teams in setting up meaningful referral systems between all sectors and different agencies working in the area are in place;
• Represent Save the Children with external stakeholders as requested (working groups, donors) and influence the shape of broader sector strategies through inter-agency coordination forums;
• Take steps to document lessons learned from IYCFE with specific focus on integration of IYCFE with Child Protection programs, for wider dissemination.

General
• Demonstrate compliance and leadership with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child safeguarding, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS
Health / Public Health / Nutrition / BSc or equivalent;

Essential
• At least three years demonstrable experience in IYCFE programming;
• Demonstrable commitment to promoting and supporting optimal breastfeeding and complementary feeding;
• Demonstrable management experience;
• Experience in conducting assessments and an understanding of nutritional data and information systems;
• Proven capacity to supervise, train and coach staff;
• 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;
• Specific experience of designing and managing DFID, ECHO, OFDA and other major donor projects and understanding of donor compliance
• Ability to analyse information, evaluate options and to think and plan strategically
• Ability to write clear and well-argued assessment and project reports
• Team player who is able to work collaboratively and with people of diverse backgrounds
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy
• A high level of written and spoken English
• Commitment to the aims and principles of Save the Children including willingness to abide and enforce the Child Safeguarding Policy. In particular, a good understanding of the mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support.

Desirable
• Language skills in Arabic or Farsi
• Experience in refugee settings
• Qualification in breastfeeding counselling;
• Experience or knowledge of working and living in relevant regions/contexts