Nutrition Coordinator at International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Job Description

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The International Rescue Committee is a global humanitarian aid, relief and development nongovernmental organization.

Purpose of the Role

The Nutrition Coordinator is responsible for providing all support vital to ensure successful implementation of nutrition programming and proposal development/project design for prospective projects. While advising the nutrition team and working with other partners, the Technical Coordinator will ensure adequate participation, appropriate delivery, and sustained impact of all nutrition interventions which are under health outcomes under the Kenya SAP . This position will support all aspects of technical design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation; development of implementation strategy/approaches and guidelines including providing feedback to partners for purposes of improving program quality. Internally, the role is a primary interlocutor with IRC’s regional or headquarter based Technical Advisors to ensure coordination and complementarity of programming, as well as appropriate technical difficulty in project design and implementation. You will collaborate closely with other coordinators within IRC to advance a cohesive, integrated country programme. Aside from the health sector, they will also ensure the program is integrated with other IRC Kenya sectors like livelihoods, women protection and empowerment and child protection, WASH programs, governance, and partnerships. The position holder plays a vital role in advancing IRC’s ambitions, strategies, and priorities amongst like-minded agencies, government, private sector, and community partners, including the Nutrition technical Forum and the related technical working groups. In line with IRC SAP ambitions and as part of the scope of work, you will contribute to the ambition to scale up IRC cash and partnerships while ensuring IRC involvement in the relevant cash coordination forums at national and county levels. In undertaking the above, you will ensure strong coordination and coordination with the relevant GOK departments, implementing partners. This position reports to the Deputy Director for Programs and is based in Nairobi with regular travel (at least 50%) to program sites across the Country.

Key Responsibilities.

Strategy and Business Development.

Provide leadership to the department team in advancing and implementing evidence-based, cost-effective funding applications and finding opportunities for sustainable program growth through the pursuit of new programming initiatives and emphasizing the significance of securing multi-year funding to support them. Ensure, with nutrition that design of projects/ new business reflects IRC program quality standards and industry standard methodologies, clear theory of change while embracing an integrated and triple nexus programming approach. Develop partnerships with both local and international organizations to support positioning to pursue new funding opportunities to deliver on the program strategy and scale. Advance IRC SAP ambitions within program and contribute to attainment of the articulated SAP ambitions including developing strategic partnerships with local organization (emphasis on women and youth led organizations), the advancement of cash programming and GEDI integration/mainstreaming within IRC programming. Contribute to evolution nutrition strategy, planning and documentation, in deliberation with the technical unit. Be responsible for the IRC’s relationship with consortia implementing partners and support the identification of new partners as it relates to new programming.

Technical monitoring and Program Quality:

Supervise the implementation of Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) including simplified approaches (the combined protocol, Family MUAC) as well as nutrition assessments in consultation with national and county MOH. Coordinate with other programs on appropriate management, compliance, and performance standards, as well as effective systems for budget management, knowledge management and risk management. Formulate integrated programming initiatives so that Nutrition sector complements the other IRC sectors and promotes integration/ main streaming of GEDI-responsive approaches. Provide guidance, strategies, and instruments to make certain that programming choices are based on needs assessment findings (primary & secondary data) and analysis, input from communities, partners, a thorough understanding of context, technical standard methodologies, and operational viability. Support to improve quality of specialized services available in country in addition to contributing to the standardization of nutrition models/protocols, referral pathways and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Support the use of global technical resources to promote program quality and broad approaches. Collaborate closely with Technical Advisors within the Health Unit and Technical Advisor Governance and Regional Advocacy Advisor to benchmark programming to global standards and that of relevant institutions and statutory bodies, ensure application of standard processes, review, and advance nutrition sector programming policies and guidance. Support the development of SOPs and Guidance Notes for program activities. Promote quality by setting up quality assurance mechanisms and providing technical supervision of program staff. Ensure that ethical and sound data collection and information management systems are in place with associated information sharing protocols for nutrition analysis, planning, evaluation, and advocacy. Provide guidance on confidential and safe data collection, case identification, safe information sharing and referral mechanisms in check with internationally recognized standard processes.

Project Management

Provide overall leadership and management of the nutrition portfolio, ensuring strategically coherent program direction, well-managed growth, and compliance with IRC and donor regulations, and well led supply chain for nutrition products together with pharmacy and supply chain teams. Continually seek out ways to raise the capacities of team members, individually and collectively. Ensure that detailed, realistic, and feasible project implementation plans are developed, modified as needed and implemented accordingly. Support nutrition staff to collect, document and disseminate lessons learned and standard methodologies, incorporating these into new project designs. Work closely with M&E Coordinator to regularly review progress against indicators. Provide direction on implementation of accountability mechanisms for beneficiary feedback and review sector M&E and accountability data with sector staff to identify areas for operational improvement. Guarantee that the stated goals and objectives for the nutrition programme are met with strong monitoring and evaluation (M&E) follow up, including design of robust M&E plans, lead technical assessments, design/adapt nutrition information systems as a basis for nutrition program development. Develop methodologies and tools to strengthen the quality of data collection, analysis, and reporting and any required operational research, with technical support from Technical Advisors as needed. Review donor reports in joint effort with Program Managers, other Technical Coordinators, and the Technical Advisors. Conduct regular travel to the field to support program implementation review and provide technical guidance to the implementation teams.

Financial Management

Work with finance, operations, and grants to ensure compliance with donor requirements and develop periodic re-forecasting of the annual operating budget. In collaboration with the field management, ensure that protection staff are well trained to properly handle project budgets. Meet with sector, grants, and finance staff regularly to review budget comparison reports. Mitigate risk by collaborating with the Finance Department to ensure that sector staff fully understand financial and administrative processes involved in project budget cycles. Ensure that risks limiting achievement of objectives are reported and rapidly addressed.

Systems Strengthening and Advocacy

Support IRC programs to fully reflect and where required transition their approach to system strengthening as a crucial component. Support the Governance and Systems Strengthening Coordinator and Technical Advisors in articulating and implementing an advocacy vision for the Kenya program which includes an advocacy framework for refugees and for various sectors the country program is engaged in for citizens engagement in demand driven service delivery. Support the sector team to incorporate advocacy, policy & campaign priorities into all new proposals and to ensure adequate resourcing and cost recovery. Provide support to field offices delivering nutrition policy influencing and advocacy projects while ensuring alignment across national advocacy, policy objectives and results for the country while delivering on advocacy goals. Work at the policy level with key decision makers from various national and county government and donors, participating in strategy development and technical discussions relating to future direction of this program and influence policy reforms/development across all sectors.

Emergency Preparedness and Response

Ensure that the IRC Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan, in relation to the nutrition sector, are prepared in dialogue with relevant government and aid partners, are kept up to date with protocol, standards and guidance from relevant bodies and conform to the needs of clients. Together with the Senior Management Team (SMT), collaborate on establishment and operationalization of the Emergency Response Team (ERT) as pertains to nutrition considerations.

Staff and Partner Capacity Development:

Create a supervisory environment focused on the achievement of team and individual results that emphasize the importance of learning, productivity, accountability, and willingness. Communicate regularly with staff and promote positive conflict resolution among team members. Provide guidance and supervision to sector managers; guide recruitments, discuss job expectations, set objectives, and provide appropriate and timely feedback on performance of direct reports, including timely implementation of performance management as per IRC’s performance management system. Build capacities of sector staff in key project management principles, tools and approaches and ensure that these new skills are applied on the job. Develop/organize training and other capacity strengthening opportunities to build the capacity of local partners. Lead with commitment, integrity, and accountability to the “IRC Way Standards”. Promote constructive, congenial collaboration between sector staff, other IRC program staff and operational support staff.

Coordination, Representation and Communication

Enhance IRC Kenya’s nutrition sector profile among relevant collaborators – donors, national and local government partners, international and national NGOs, etc. Represent the IRC Nutrition Sector at NGO, inter-agency and governmental meetings. Lead and advice on advocacy activities for the sector ensuring the integration of Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion objectives in IRC and partner programming. As the nutrition focal point for program-related communication between IRC country programs in the region and the global level, the role includes being responsible for nutrition sector inputs to advocacy efforts both locally and globally.

Qualifications

Advanced degree in health, nutrition, or public health. Must have experience in the nutrition sector and experience in dynamic management, including technical staff supervision. Experience in integrated management of acute malnutrition (IMAM), infant and young child feeding in emergencies (IYCF-E) is required. Experience in conducting nutrition assessments is highly desired. Experience in nutrition program design, implementation, and M&E. Validated practical experience in developing and using community participatory approaches in design and implementation of nutrition programs. Experience of working with forced migrants. Attested capacity to develop and work with innovative systems, new technologies, creative approaches, and sustainable models to nutrition programming. Experience in leading programs financed by US government agencies, DFID, EU, UN, foundations, and private donors is required, with previous experience in competitive financing environments a plus. Experience working with community groups, community engagement and negotiation. Ability to develop winning proposals to public and private sector donors. Shown ability to handle projects to completion on time, within budget, and with the anticipated results. Successful leadership experience with a multi-disciplinary team in a cross-cultural setting, capacity in the transfer of technical knowledge and leadership skills through technical training, coaching, and mentoring of staff, as well as identified partner organizations. Experience and success working in partnership models. Extensive experience with research, monitoring and evaluation tools and systems for sophisticated programs. Ability to respond to multiple priorities in a timely manner, producing high-quality outcomes. Demonstrates strong understanding of integrated programming and has experience in running multi-year and multi-sectoral programming. Must be capable of applying skills and knowledge in a variety of capacities, including direct implementation and advisory functions. Experience working with new program start-up. Strong program/technical and budget leadership skills, budgeting, planning, reporting, monitoring and evaluation skills across multiple grants and countries. Demonstrates strong relationship building skills with a strong presence in coordination bodies and advocacy processes. Confirmed practical experience in program design, implementation, and M&E and experience in developing and using community participatory approaches. Experience working with community groups, community engagement and negotiation. Highly diplomatic with excellent political awareness and sophisticated negotiation skills. Experience in governance programming such as working with GOK, county governments, devolution processes for increased demand and improved service delivery is desirable. Experience working on government policies and laws. Working experience in partnership/partner engagement and management. Strong written and oral communication skills, effective in representation and liaison with external parties. Ability to work and live in a sometimes-insecure environment while maintaining a positive attitude. Strong people leadership skills with cross-cultural exposure and comfortable working with a diverse team. Critical to interpersonal differences and a range of viewpoints. Advance planning and organizational skills. Able to prioritize and follow multiple activities and deadlines simultaneously. Able to adapt plans and pivot approaches in response to changes in context. Proactive, reliable, and able to work independently in a fast-paced environment. Fluency in English and Swahili, spoken and written, is a must.