https://rescue.csod.com/ats/careersite/jobdetails.aspx?site=1&c=rescue&id=6796

Requisition ID: req6796

Job Title: Nutrition Technical Advisor

Sector: Health

Employment Category: Regular

Employment Type: Full-Time

Open to Expatriates: No

Location: New York, NY HQ USA

Job Description

Health is the IRC’s largest program, serving over 16 million people in over 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and South America. Nutrition is situated in the health technical unit in headquarters which is organized in four sectors: primary health, reproductive health, environmental health and nutrition. The IRC Nutrition Vision is to accelerate action against malnutrition by transforming the way malnutrition treatment is delivered and by addressing the nutritional and developmental needs of women and children, so they can reach their full potential no matter where they live. The Nutrition team has four specific commitments as part of our vision:

We will invest in cutting-edge research by piloting and testing new treatment protocols and delivery mechanisms to expand access, improve the continuity of care to full recovery for malnutrition, reduce inefficiencies and improve cost-effectiveness.

We will address the major drivers of malnutrition in crisis-affected contexts and protect the vulnerable nutritional status of women and children

We will measure our effectiveness and report on our reach and quality of services.

We will support children to reach their full developmental potential by designing quality, evidence-based and client-driven nutrition approaches that incorporate early learning and responsive caregiving into all nutrition programs.

 

Specific Responsibilities:

The Nutrition Technical Advisor (TA) will spend their time delivering technical assistance in-person and remotely to country program colleagues primarily in Asia, Middle East and Africa, coordinating within the health unit and with other technical units and departments. This is a primarily field facing position with the central responsibility focused on program quality, measurement and assessments. The remaining time is spent on supporting strategic initiatives in nutrition, the Good & Great standards and other internal initiatives at the discretion of their supervisor. The Technical Advisors’ specific responsibilities are as follows:

 

Supporting on Monitoring and Evaluation and nutrition assessments:

Improve quality of monitoring in nutrition programs by serving as the nutrition focal point with the Measurement Unit in HQ, leading on nutrition measurement initiatives (such as developing and training on IRC’s nutrition core indicators), developing resources for nutrition standard measurement packages, synthesizing nutrition program data and developing lessons learned across IRC country programs

 Ensure country programs conduct quality nutrition assessments and evaluations by providing technical guidance, capacity building, standardized guidance and on the ground support when possible

 

Engaging in business development:

Support country program staff to design programs and projects, ensuring that they are:

Support selection of indicators for country programs

Review technical quality of proposals, including review of  technical strategies, interventions and activities and ensuring alignment to IRC’s outcomes

Input into go / no go decisions on proposals

  When necessary, write technical narratives of proposals

Provide input on budgets required for project delivery

Engage with donors and do outreach in support of country programs

 

Building technical capacity of country program staff to ensure ongoing program quality and innovation:

 Conduct technical training and ongoing technical coaching for country program staff, including on IRC outcomes, theories of change, evidence and indicators

 Share cross-context learning with country program staff across the region

 Support senior country program staff recruitment and onboarding

 

Project delivery support:

 Work with country program colleagues to help analyze data that inform periodic review and course correction as-needed

 Review and share program-specific tools / resources / curricula and work with Technical Unit specialists to contextualize and adapt global and country-specific materials

Help define approach to teaming / partnering with other organizations

 

Management and Coordination:

Coordinate and plan with country coordinators and health technical unit sector advisors the technical assistance country programs receive.

 Participate in coordination efforts within the health unit and with other technical unit and departments in IRC as required.

 Provide necessary management support to any direct report.

 

Other:

 Participate in and advise strategic initiatives in the health unit, and participate in joint initiatives with other IRC technical units as agreed upon by the supervisor, for example, the Good & Great standards, outcomes and evidence, measurement, context adaptability, best use of resources, emergency preparedness, client voice and choice and research and development.

 Represent the Health Unit, nutrition team and the IRC in academic fora, donor meetings, inter-agency working groups, and various global/regional fora as assigned by the supervisor.

 

Qualifications

Education: a Master’s/post-graduate degree in Public Health Nutrition or equivalent. Participate in ongoing training courses and share knowledge and skill sets within the unit. 

 

Work Experience: A minimum of 5 years of international field experience, of which at least 3 have been in managerial/coordination positions with Non-Governmental Organizations in humanitarian or post-conflict settings in nutrition. Must be at an expert level in nutrition-specific interventions and programs particularly on preventing wasting/stunting, and demonstrated experience and competency in evidence-based nutrition strategies. Experience in nutrition technical tools and materials development and monitoring and evaluation (including SMART, SQUEAC, IYCF assessment) is required. Experience in strategy development and working across sectors or disciplines is highly desired.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies: Demonstrated expertise in working with donors, project design, proposal development, and monitoring and evaluation, with the ability to turn concepts and strategy into measurable action. Must have strong proposal development and writing skills and be able to develop technical and non-technical (compelling) proposals. Able to work with remote, multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary teams. Strong interpersonal verbal and written communication skills and ability to facilitate collaboration. Outstanding capacity to understand the country context in Asia and Middle East, portfolio, and overall programmatic needs, and pull and coordinate the relevant technical assistance from within and outside the health unit. Ability to transfer technical knowledge and skills to a diverse audience and in writing. Demonstrated commitment to renewing and maintaining currency with best practices. 

Language Skills: Fluency in English required; proficiency in French and Arabic is desired/an advantage.  

Working Environment: Up to 30% travel is required.  This position will be based in New York.