Nutrition Project Manager at Medair

Overall, Purpose:

Working as an important member of a diverse team who are committed to serve the world’s most vulnerable with practical and compassionate care the Nutrition Project Manager (NPM) manages and oversees programme activities implementation. On a day-to-day basis the NPM carries out a variety of functions required to ensure programme activities are delivered to beneficiaries while ensuring adherence to international and national guidelines and quality standards. The NPM is responsible for capacity building of nutrition staff and promoting best practice in the nutrition programme.

Project Overview:

This project provides emergency assistance to acutely malnourished women and children in severe drought affected communities in Marsabit County, Northern Kenya. Project activities are designed to strengthen the existing health system to respond to the crisis, alongside local government, and development partners. This project will support health facilities to deliver quality outreach nutrition services in the community and strengthen the quality and capacity of facility-based services.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Ensure implementation of the project in accordance with the objectives and within the required time frame and budget. Where necessary ensure preventative and corrective action is taken
• Design and manage a comprehensive activity plan for the nutrition related activities, including resource needs analysis, covering the time frame of the project proposal.
• Ensure all relevant nutrition documentation and reports are produced, coordinate with line manager and HN advisor to ensure filing according to Medair and donor guidelines.
• Contribute to defining appropriate policies and protocols for the medical and nutritional aspects of Medair’s work in country, in consultation with HN advisor and in line with government, Sphere and WHO guidelines.
• Support Nutrition Officers and Nutrition incentives in day-to-day decision making as requested.
• Provide technical support and carry out regular clinical supervision visits alongside Nutrition Officers, M &E officers to ensure quality of service provision in accordance with international sector and Medair quality standards.
• Supervise and monitor the implementation of M&E system for data collection (qualitative and quantitative), analysis, follow-up, and feedback.
• Maintain an oversight of medicine and nutrition stock, utilization and ensure procurement planning appropriate for timely resourcing of project activities.
• Oversee integration of beneficiary participation and accountability in nutrition activities
• Contribute to overview of the regional context with a view to the strategic development of new projects both in current sites and other sub-counties, which may include implementation of nutrition needs assessments.
• Take lead around the development and production of new concepts and proposals.
• Conduct monthly review of health and nutrition data including pharmacy and nutrition stocks and program trends.
• Conduct regular project review meetings with the Nutrition Officers, M & E officers, and Supervisors to assess achievement of project targets and challenges for health and nutrition interventions.

Representation and Coordination

• Develop and maintain relationships with relevant stakeholders (e.g. beneficiaries, community leaders, local and national government officials, donors, UN agencies and other NGOs)
• Accompany donors on field trips, ensure project progress is communicated in a timely and professional manner.
• Represent Medair at national and regional cluster coordination, sector and bilateral meetings, technical working groups, with national and/or local government departments and any other relevant meetings or events, facilitating supportive synergies and overall progress in the nutrition sector and avoiding duplication with the work of other agencies (e.g. NGOs, UN, etc).

Financial Management

• Plan and construct the budgets for the nutrition proposals, in collaboration with the line manager, PSM, HN Advisor and in accordance with donor guidelines.
• Manage and report on project budgets to ensure activities are implemented in line with Medair and donor guidelines for financial accounting and reporting practices.
• Participate in the periodical BVA review meetings and make appropriate recommendations to the finance and logistics staff as well as to the field-based health staff.

Logistics

• Work with the logistics team to ensure effective procurement planning and implementation particularly in relation to procurement of medicines, supplies and equipment for the supported facilities and outreach sites.
• Liaise with logistics and finance staff to ensure project stocks are procured, transported, stored, managed, and accounted for correctly in accordance with international best practice and Medair guidelines.

Quality Management

• With support of the Senior Health and Nutrition Advisor, work to ensure nutrition response is implemented in line with international, national and Medair quality standards.
• Plan and implement appropriate training for health and nutrition staff based on technical knowledge and skill gaps.
• Regularly assess and provide feedback and recommendations to Health & Nutrition staff as well as community field staff on the quality of nutrition programme during field visits.
• Ensure timely and complete submission of monthly sitreps, donor and cluster reports.

Staff Management

• Oversee recruitment and management of line managed staff (Nutrition and M &E Officers), including day-to-day management, development, training, and appraisals.
• Ensure regular meetings are held to assist information sharing between health facility staff, local partners, nutrition outreach staff and community nutrition volunteers to ensure they are informed of project activities, work plans and to provide opportunity for feedback.
• Provide coaching and technical supervision to foster ownership and responsibility for nutrition activities.

Delegated Responsibilities

• Prepare and write the nutrition sector of donor proposals and reports in collaboration with the nutrition staff and with support of Senior HN Advisor
• Liaise with support departments for implementation of the activities within agreed budget and time frame.
• Implement the in-country staff health policy, nutrition strategy and guidelines in consultation with senior management and Senior HN Advisor
• Ensure proper management of approved drug and nutrition supplies and maintain sufficient stock levels including buffer stock for project implementation.
• Recruit and line manage assigned staff, including monitoring performance, in accordance with HR policy.
• Represent Medair at meetings and through relationships with external partners (e.g. community leaders, local and national government officials, UN agencies and other NGOs)

Person Specification

Vocational qualification

• Clinical degree (nurse or doctor), or Nutrition or Public Health degree.
• Clinical degree with Nutrition degree strongly preferred

Work experience

• 5 years’ experience in managing nutrition programmes, preferably in a relief environment.
• Over 5 years’ managing and coordinating emergency nutrition response

Languages

• Strong working knowledge of English (spoken and written)
• Ability to speak, or willingness to learn, local language desirable

IT

• Competent with Microsoft Office programmes, in particular Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint

Competencies

• Team-player, good inter-personal skills
• Aptitude for quality improvement and capacity-building
• Experience in training / mentoring / coaching staff
• Experience of living and working in a multi-cultural team
• Capacity to work under pressure and manage personal stress levels.
• Creative, open-minded, flexible
• Ability and willingness to efficiently run the overall Nutrition activities in a PHC and community set up.
• Good numerical & report writing and skills.
• Knowledge of humanitarian principles, Sphere, HAP Standards, and other international humanitarian guidelines
• Knowledge and experience of nutrition / PHC principles and management
• Able to prioritise clearly and oversee multiple tasks.
• Able to take the initiative and enforce procedures.
• Able to set clear objectives for staff.
• Committed to consultative and servant-minded leadership.