Nutrition Officer at Amref Kenya

JOB PURPOSE

The Nutrition Officer will be responsible for implementing nutrition interventions in the USAID Imarisha Jamii emergency response programme. He/she will be responsible for the day-to-day implementation of humanitarian nutrition and interventions in the emergency programme. He/she will play a critical role in the scale-up of Inpatient Management of severe Acute Malnutrition (IMAM)services as well as promotion of optimum maternal, infant and young child practices at the community level. The position holder will work closely with the sub-county health department and the local partner to strengthen health system support for improved quality of care

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Organizing trainings for Ministry of Health staff and community health volunteers on nutrition system strengthening including Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition, IMAM Surge, and Nutrition Supplies Management.
Promote infant and young child feeding practices through community campaigns and other channels.
Ensure availability and distribution of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials, nutrition protocols and supplies, reporting tools etc. at the health facility and Community Level.
Support the Ministry of Health to scale up the Micronutrient supplementation program (Vitamin A Supplementation (VAS), Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (IFAS), Deworming and Zinc supplementation in treatment of diarrhea) in hard-to-reach areas at a distance of more than 15 kilometers from health facilities through Early Childhood Development (ECD) centers and community health volunteers.
Participate in milestone meetings for monitoring the progress of the programme such as midterm reviews, strategy meetings, previews and reviews and annual reviews.
Ensure exchange and sharing of experience, lessons learnt, best practices and new methods to county officials, programme staff, other Implementing Partners as well as within the organization in collaboration with the health and nutrition teams.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Professional Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition, Public Health (with specialization in nutrition).
• MUST be registered and licensed by Kenya Nutritionists & Dieticians Institute (KNDI).

Required Qualifications and Experience

• At least Four (4) years of relevant professional work experience in Nutrition Programming.
• Intense understanding of the Ministry of Health and county health departments, particularly the integration of donor-funded programmes into county plans.
• Experience in effective working relationships with stakeholders from government agencies, international organizations, donors, academics and opinion-leaders.
• Experience in training and capacity building.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Good knowledge of the nutrition and health field.
• Good presentation and persuasion skills.
• Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mind-sets.
• Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner.
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills, collaboration experience, creativity and willingness to innovate.
• Commitment to AMREF Values.
• Good computer skills (particularly Word, Excel and database)