Lactation Specialist

Summary Infant and young child feeding practices are one of the basic pillars in the treatment and management of malnutrition, especially for infants under 6 months of age. The Lactation Specialist will complement the program by providing awareness and counseling to mothers affected by the Syria crisis with sub-optimal infant and young child feeding at various levels: community level, Primary Healthcare level and Secondary Healthcare level.   General Responsibilities  Provide support and counseling to mothers identified with difficulties breastfeeding and/or sub-optimal infant and young child feeding practices at the community level, PHC level and hospital level. Provide support and counseling to mothers of children with acute malnutrition that are under 2 years of age, with a special focus on exclusive breastfeeding for infants under 6 months of age. Assist and give one-on-one counseling sessions related to IYCF for pregnant women at the Primary Health Care centers and to mothers who have just delivered through routine visits to targeted hospitals in the area of work. Conduct regular follow-up visits to all women assisted, especially for assisted mothers of children under 6 months to ensure exclusive breastfeeding. Give awareness sessions to spread the knowledge among vulnerable families about optimal IYCF-E practices in the community and Primary Healthcare Centers in the area. Contribute to the training of hospital staff at targeted hospitals to support the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative Assist in the establishment and training of Mother Support Groups and supervise the activity of the mother support groups Report daily and weekly to the IYCF-E Coordinator on all activities conducted by completing the required forms Keep the necessary files for each case visited and counseled. Attend IOCC-related staff meetings when required Represent IOCC in a professional manner and wears the IOCC jacket and ID at all times when on duty Performs other duties as necessary.    Working Conditions: The position entails substantial traveling and visits to primary healthcare centers, hospitals and to locations where beneficiaries are living; it is preferable that candidate resides in the area of interest and that candidate can commute with his/her own car.    Qualifications, Knowledge and Skills Nurse, midwife preferred or related field Has completed the 20-hour training on Infant and Young Child Feeding Native Arabic speaker and fluency in English is necessary Computer literacy: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc. Experience: 1-3 year of experience as a nurse or midwife is preferable   Strong social, interpersonal, communication and intercultural skills Team player Able to meet deadlines   Contacts/Key Relationships IYCF-E Coordinator, Community Health & Nutrition Educators, Health & Nutriiton Area Coordinator, Health & Nutrition Coordinator   Interested candidates are welcome to apply by sending their CVs and cover letter to iycf.iocc@gmail.com with the subject “Lactation Specialist – (please specify: Akkar, Tripoli +5, South, Beirut Mt Lebanon or Bekaa)”