Nutrition Officer - Der Dalloum

Job Overview:  

The Nutrition Officer will support the health program in the implementation and supervision of the nutrition component, ensuring that the related activities of the program are delivered properly, providing quality care to all beneficiaries.

Major Responsibilities:

Technical support

• Monitor nutrition activities and staff (such as Infant and YYCF activities, malnutrition screening, breastfeeding counseling, IYCF counseling) through regular field visits.
• Provide support to IRC supported PHCCs staff in training on malnutrition screening, growth monitoring, and anthropometric measurements, while also overseeing and ensuring the effective implementation of these activities.
• Provide support to the dietitians at the PHCC and assist with the coordination of monthly meetings.
• Provide IYCF technical support to concerned staff
• Ensure that concerned staff understand and implement recommendations and guidelines when assessing the mother-child pair and advise the best feeding options and follow-up as appropriate.
• Facilitate the Focus group discussions with caregivers, mother/father, and pregnant and lactating women to identify specific barriers, opportunities and communications related to IYCF practices and knowledge.
• Contribute to the development of tools to assess the knowledge of beneficiaries before and after services as per need
• Contribute to the development of awareness sessions content and messages for adolescents, children, and caregivers according to the needs
• Contribute to the development of education materials on breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices

Capacity building and Training

• Oversee the education and awareness sessions conducted by the outreach workers.
• Conduct orientations and training to build the capacity of IRC and partners staff and volunteers, for key messages on IYCF, danger signs, screening, referral and follow-up of clients
• Offer technical guidance and support to ECD facilitators on topics such as IYCF, responsive feeding, malnutrition screening, and milestone cards.

Referral and Coordination

• Oversee the referral of children and mothers for intensive nutritional/medical care as required.
• Monitor referrals of identified malnutrition cases from the community or PHCCs to appropriate treatment or supplementary centers.

Reporting

• Ensure that the outreach workers and staff are maintaining records of mothers and children attending education sessions, receiving skilled assessment and support
• Submit monthly reporting of activities to the Nutrition Senior Officer
• Document case studies regularly and share with team members

Job Requirements:

Work Experience:

• Experience in training, and/or coaching others.
• Experience in the MoPH and nutrition sector strategies and SOPs.
• Previous experience in nutrition interventions including IYCF, malnutrition screening, and ECD.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Knowledge of optimal IYCF and ECD practices, able to support pregnant and lactating women, as well as caregivers of children under 5 and a willingness to learn
• Proven capacity of teamwork
• Fluency in local working language.
• Excellent communication skills and a willingness to be respectful, kind, sensitive and empathize with all clients
• Capacity to keep accurate records of activities and report in a timely manner
• Demonstrable ability at report writing
• Ability to make a work plan and direct work independently

Education:  

• University degree in nutrition, public health or any related field.

Language Skills: 

• Excellent command of written and spoken English and Arabic are required.

Preferred experience & skills:

• Knowledge of trauma-based care desirable.

Working Environment:  

• Standard office working environment with frequent trips to the field

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct.  These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability.  In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.