Health and Nutrition Officer - Samburu

ROLE PURPOSE: 

Following 3 years of extensive research and piloting phase, USAID Nawiri’s context and audience-appropriate interventions have taken shape complemented by continued experiential learning and adaptations based on what works and what needs to change. The research phase was aimed at providing contextual and nuanced insights to inform co-creation, designing, piloting, and scaling up interventions with the highest potential to contribute to the reduction of persistent acute malnutrition (PAM). Using the designed interventions, USAID Nawiri aims to contribute to reduction of PAM by 6% by 2024, although there is potential of an extension by a further 3 years. USAID Nawiri is now implemented a variety of innovative and business unusual interventions designed to fit context and meet audience specific needs and vulnerabilities. The interventions include multisectoral, multiple system nutrition resilience, policy environment and Governance strengthening interventions requiring a multiplicity of partners, governments, communities, local implementing partners and civil society organizations. 

Under the general guidance and direction of the Field Health and Nutrition Advisor,  the Health and Nutrition Officer will support people management, technical support to program implementation and monitoring of all health and nutrition activities in the project sites including case management for all the anchor groups, coordinate and work closely with County departments responsible for both nutrition specific and sensitive interventions, local partners, and communities, prepare reports and build capacity of the County/Sub-county staff and respective local communities, promote best practices in health and nutrition programmes and contribute to the overall success of the USAID Nawiri project.

The health and nutrition Officer will ensure joint targeting , planning and implementation, multi-sectoral coordination, learning and adaptation of health and nutrition interventions across all program participants through the anchor group models led by different USAID Nawiri program teams. He/she will ensure continued alignment and monitoring of progress being made towards contributing to improvements in the research and experiential learning informed priority behaviors, practices, policy and system actions, nutrition enabling environment among others for improving nutrition outcomes in Samburu and Turkana county. 

In realization that malnutrition causal pathways are multifaceted, complex, intertwined and cannot be realistically be achieve by any single entity and requires a multisectoral and multi-agency approach, the office holder will be required to understand the complex dynamic and contexts and steer the project in the direction of continuous delivering considering the prevailing realities. The role involves working make full use of the potential of county and national mechanisms, coalitions, and partnerships, working with other civil society organizations and local implementing partners to layer, integrate and sequence to ensure resource sharing, reduce duplication of efforts and cost share multisectoral efforts required to contribute to the reduction of persistent acute malnutrition (PAM). He/she will ensure that the approaches designed are well poised to contribute to reduction of persistent acute malnutrition at all times. 

The role holder will provide technical oversight of interventions with emphasis on Health and nutrition interventions including health system strengthening, MIYCN and social behavior, adolescent and sexual reproductive health, WASH, Nutrition resilience, adolescent nutrition among other aspects in the health and nutrition spectrum. He/she should be knowledgeable and skilled in nutrition specific and nutrition-sensitive strategies/activities designed to contribute to nutrition resilience and reduction of PAM.

The office holder will have opportunities to represent the USAID Nawiri at Sub-county, County and national forums from time to time. 

He/She will work with the monitoring evaluation and learning (MEL) and project team to ensure timely reporting, identification and documentation of key successes as well as the identification of potential bottlenecks in implementation and proposing remedial measures. He/she will contribute to the preparation of annual work plans, capacity building of project and MoH staff, quality implementation of interventions and effective coordination of the program with collaborating partners. He/she will work with other project staff and field teams to support Health and nutrition advocacy including budget for Human resource for health & nutrition, budget for program activity delivery as well as policy mechanism for a strong health system. 

Staff reporting to this post:  Program officers

Country Dimensions: SC has been operational in Kenya since the 1950s, providing support to children through developmental and humanitarian relief programmes delivered both directly and through local partners. Current programming focuses on child protection, child rights governance, education, health, HIV/AIDS, livelihoods, nutrition and WASH. In 2012, as part of a global reorganization process, combined the programmes of SC UK, SC Canada and SC Finland to create a single operation in Kenya.

Since 2014, Save the Children has worked closely with communities and a wide range of partners to ensure that children under five do not die from preventable causes. We have a long-standing history of success in maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition programming, and we are known as a national and global leader implementing ‘state of the art’ interventions that contribute to significant progress in these areas. SC now has an operational presence in Kisumu, Kakamega, Kitui, Bungoma, Busia, Garissa Host and Dadaab Refugee population), Mandera, Turkana, Baringo, Samburu and Wajir and we work through partners in many other parts of the country. In total, we employ around 184 staff and had an operating annual budget in 2019 of approximately US$  12.4 Million.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY: 

Technical assistance, program quality, capacity building and implementation

• Support implementation of health and nutrition activities, with a view to strategically learn and adapt USAID Nawiri projects in Samburu and Turkana. 
• Provide technical oversight of interventions with emphasis on Health and nutrition interventions including health system strengthening, MIYCN and social behavior, adolescent and sexual reproductive health, WASH, Nutrition resilience, adolescent nutrition among other aspects in the health and nutrition spectrum. 
• Ensure that the approaches designed are well poised to contribute to reduction of persistent acute malnutrition at all times.
• Provide leadership for quality assurance and quality improvement in the health and nutrition activities, modules and guidelines implementation. 
• Provide Health and nutrition technical assistance to County/Sub County government, local partners and communities.
• Contribute to the capacity building of Health and Nutrition staff, Community resource persons; CHVs, mentors, lead mothers, directly responsible for delivering the health and nutrition package. 
• Support continuous Health and nutrition education/orientation of partners within the consortium and among partners on the health and nutrition approach for nutrition resilience. 
• Liaise with PREG and consortium partners to ensure sequencing, layering and integration of health, ASRH, nutrition and WASH activities. 
• Ensure timely follow – up on data collection and feedback to relevant County government staff and partners.
• Support the H&N officers to quantify procurement and supply chain needs for the health and nutrition service delivery across all anchor groups for procurement actions and for inclusion in the DIPs. 
• Technical support to the implementation case management for nutrition resilience activities in the community- level service delivery anchor groups.
• Support health and nutrition commodities’ supply chain strengthening activities work.
• To provide technical support on the social and behavior change team to support layering and integration of SBC activities in the anchor groups/group platforms.
• Provide programmatic and strategic leadership, setting priorities for achieving process indicators required to meet the program goal. 
• Support integration of quality benchmarks within Health and Nutrition programming in Turkana and Samburu Counties.
• Ensure that lessons learn, and recommended adaptations incorporated into relevant programme designs and technical guidance for approaches and policies.
• Ensure that the minimum standards of humanitarian relief are maintained in accordance with the Sphere Charter and Red Cross Code of Conduct in the event of a health emergency response. 
• Contribute to humanitarian reporting; weekly humanitarian context updates, monthly sitreps, case studies, and donor reports among other.
• Work with local implementing partners including CBOs in the sub-county of jurisdiction.

Representation and advocacy

• In consultation with the supervisor, represent USAID Nawiri’s Health and nutrition component in relevant internal and external fora including stakeholder meetings, c/Sc county nutrition technical forum as appropriate at the SC level or as delegated. 
• Work with partners to further to strengthen sequencing, learning and integration with other partners, civil society organizations, local implementing partners.
• Represent Health and Nutrition component in the consortium joint planning, coordination and review forums to strengthen USAID Nawiri work. 
• Contribute to the development, review, dissemination and operationalization of County level policies, legislation, strategies and other initiatives and developments by government and other stakeholders relating to nutrition, health, reproductive health, WASH and/or food security issues.
• Regularly assess and update management about any changes in the operating environment relevant to USAID Nawiri project and Save the Children’s priorities.
• Support development of the County health and nutrition strategy and implementation plan including dissemination of nutrition advocacy messages for the USAID Nawiri project.
• Orientation of USAID Nawiri partners, local government, local implementing partners and civil society organization on the USAID Nawiri approach and how these entities can adopt the promising interventions for nutrition resilience.
• Participate in any donor visit to project(s) within the country office portfolio as required.

People management, mentoring and development

• Lead and motivate the team to ensure effective project implementation.
• Manage the Health and nutrition officer; define expectations, provide leadership and support as needed, and evaluate direct reports regularly
• Ensure the recruitment, training, and promotion of staff as appropriate; ensure availability of and support appropriate professional development opportunities for direct reports.
• Incorporate staff development strategies and Performance Management Systems into team building process. 
• Ensure that staff meet deliverables; time sheets, develop to perform, reports among others on time.
• Ensure staff deliver quality activities and reports at all times. 
• Assess for technical and operational need gaps of direct reports and establish mentorship plans as necessary. 

Assessment, monitoring, evaluation and documentation

• Provide technical support to the monitoring of USAID Nawiri program health, ASRH, nutrition and WASH activities. 
• Support regular field monitoring visits to ensure health programmes meet defined quality standards. 
• Provide technical support to monitoring of case management for nutrition resilience activities in the community-level service delivery anchor groups.
• To ensure activity plans and concept notes are aligned to the project DIPs, phased budgets and work plans. 
• Prepare narrative and financial reports for donor(s) and Save the Children as required, ensuring these are of a high quality and submitted for review in a timely manner. This will involve compilation of information from a range of project staff and MoH partners.
• Monitor program outputs and results and work closely with the MEAL team to ensure that results are documented and reported accurately and in a timely manner.
• Ensure direct reports support and achieve IMAM Indicator performance meet the minimum sphere standards at all times. 
• Ensure focus on health systems strengthening around quality quality across the health and nutrition spectrum especially documentation and reporting.
• Promote project visibility through USAID Nawiri work, IEC materials, tools among other opportunities. 
• Ensure technical and administrative compliance with donor requirements.
• Work closely with the MEAL team and take a lead in ensuring that the H&N activities have robust monitoring and implementation plans. 
• Support the H&N advisor and team lead to deliver from technical deliverables that maybe required from time to time.

Knowledge management

• Through the direct reports, support continuous harvesting of successes/stories, documenting and sharing best practices and innovations for replication in Liaison with the supervisor, team lead and communication team. 
• Work with technical resources within USAID Nawiri and Save the Children members to facilitate sharing and learning on good practices in Health and nutrition.

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice) 

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling USAID Nawiri and Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• Actively supports the team to brainstorm on technical implementation challenges and co-create. 
• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• He/she should be honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• A minimum of a degree in Nutrition and dietetics/Nursing/Public Health/clinical medicine 
• Prior experience working with USAID Nawiri project 
• At least 3 years of experience community nutrition, health and community health strategy in the context of Samburu and Turkana. 
• Understanding of the malnutrition situation, policy environment, context specific and complex causal factors and potential innovative solutions/strategies for reducing PAM in the context of Samburu and Turkana counties. 
• Clear understanding of nutrition resilience, hunger, and food security issues in Kenya, particularly in the context of Samburu and Turkana Counties. 
• Excellent understanding of the health and nutrition sector within the Kenyan context, particularly maternal, newborn and child nutrition issues including policy and system approach to ending persistent acute malnutrition. 
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international and matrix management environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Strong commitment to capacity building of county staff and partners with willingness to adopt a participatory and consultative approaches.
• Good interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate and negotiate clearly and effectively with County government, local partners and community members while considering cultural and language difficulties.
• Strong results orientation, with the ability to take initiative and challenge existing mindsets.
• Ability to extensively travel for project monitoring and provide on-site technical support to field teams. 
• Knowledge of current global and regional public health conversation and policies in child health, nutrition and food security 
• Understanding and experience working within the devolved Kenyan health system is necessary. 
• Proven experience and skills in research and advocacy and influencing institutional, private and/or corporate donors and writing up high quality donor reports.
• Experience of working with local/national governments and capacity building of systems, partners and staff.
• Experience of and commitment to working through systems of community participation and accountability.
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching.
• Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mindsets.
• Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy in.
• Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner.
• Fluency in English, both verbal and written, required.
• Commitment to Save the Children values.

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities 

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children any form of abuse.

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.

THE ORGANIZATION

We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard. 

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday.
• All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated.

Save the Children is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to employ and assign the best-qualified talent.

Female Candidates are encouraged to apply.

Disclaimer:

Beware that there are individuals who may take and use SCI’s name in an attempt to solicit fees from interested job-seekers. We do not use recruiting persons or agencies to help us identify candidates for employment. If you’re contacted by a person promising you recruitment or placement at SCI for a charge, do not accept, and please get in touch with us at SCIFraud@savethechildren.org.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.