Surveillance Manager at Action Against Hunger

The Positions and Responsibilities:

AAH Somalia is looking for suitable candidate to fill Nutrition Surveillance Manager, based in Nairobi. Reports hierarchically & technically to the Health & Nutrition (Nut) Head of Department while working closely with the M&E Manager and other sector managers to include FSL and WASH. The Nutrition Surveillance Manager’s core responsibilities will include but not limited to the following:

General Objectives:

The Nutrition Surveillance Program Manager (PM) is in charge of planning, designing, conducting, analysing and reporting on surveillance, SMART survey, nutrition assessment, and coverage survey activities. The technical coordination and AAH HQ must validate all survey or study reports if an external dissemination is planned before external dissemination.

Specific Objectives:

Objective 1: To provide technical support to the departments in order to perform assessments and surveys when needed/asked by the technical departments:

• Identification and design of surveys activities according to needs and capacities that might include rapid nutrition assessment, nutrition survey (SMART survey), coverage survey (SQUEAC methodology), etc.
• Encouraging and facilitating an integrated approach to surveillance.
• Collection of background and general information and contextual information relevant to the survey. The PM is in charge of the scientific quality of the research. S/he will organize for the field officers access to books, reports, key informants interviews, local authorities, etc., according to the needs of the research.
• Responsible for the survey design (according to survey methodology): initial planning, selection of tools and methods, sampling, writing guidelines and set up time frame, working days needed, budget and logistics planning and any special tools and equipment needed.
• Lead the team in data collection (following designed methodology), data entry, analysis and processing of information (Sphinx, ENA for SMART, SPSS, Epi Info, and Excel).
• Produce survey analysis and reports and guaranty the scientific quality of the final survey report, recommendations and the integrated collaboration with other Action Against Hunger technical departments for contextual information.
• To write quality technical reports for external release – i.e. Nutrition surveys, rapid assessments, and coverage survey, Action against Hunger training sessions and/or workshops.
• To disseminate findings among stakeholders, partners, Action against Hunger teams, etc.

Objective 2: Management and internal coordination:

• Supervision of the surveillance/SMART survey/coverage survey teams including induction; follow up, evaluation, and promotion of positive team dynamics and motivation.
• Work with AAH other department to produce a multi-sectorial analysis of the nutrition security situation
• Training and building of technical capacity of the surveys' team.
• Collaboration with the Head of Department and Program Managers and any other AAH resource people in order to ensure the coherence of AAH activities and reports.
• Collaboration with health authorities and Nutrition implementing partners on surveys and surveillance activities
• Follow up of the budget allocated to survey activities in liaison with Administration
• Follow up of the logistics requirements of the surveys' team with the Logistics Department and relevant Field Cos
• Participation in the program strategy, narrative and financial project proposals

Objective 3: Capacity development:

• Liaising with relevant ministries and stakeholders to identify survey training needs and develop appropriate funding proposals
• Support AAH Nutrition program PMs and Nutrition teams on any challenge faced with implementation of nutrition activities
• Planning and facilitating technical capacity building and training sessions for the government ministries and partner NGOs/UN agencies staff

Objective 4: External representation and coordination:

• Representation of AAH to UN, Consortia other NGO bodies and agencies including community leaders at the district level on surveillance and survey activities.
• Coordination with the Ministry of Health and/or other line ministries on the implementation of surveillance/survey activities.

Qualifications, Experience and Competencies:

• Bachelor’s degree in Epidemiology, Nutrition, Food Security Livelihoods or related discipline.
• At least 3 years nutrition/health field work experience at program management level (Somalia preferred)
• At least 2 years of experience in humanitarian work
• Experience in surveillance specifically in Nutrition, FSL and WASH
• Excellent knowledge of SMART, LQAS, CSAS methodologies for surveillance
• Knowledge of nutrition program coverage survey methodologies such as SLEAC and/or SQUEAC
• Excellent communication skills
• Excellent writing and analytical skills.
• Good management and representation competencies.
• Excellent influencing and negotiation skills
• Experience in developing world context
• Familiarity with Action against Hunger and acceptance of Action against Hunger principles.
• Familiarity with donors and donor procedures
• Experience in planning, implementing and statistically analyzing nutritional surveys
• Fluent in both written and spoken English.