Nutrition Advisor - Kenya Country Office
Team / Programme: Programme Development and Quality
Location: Nairobi
Grade: TBC (Competitive Package)
Post Type: National or International
Child Safeguarding:
Level 3 - the responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people
Role Purpose:
Under the general direction and guidance of the Director of Programme Development and Quality ensure all nutrition programming is of excellent technical quality, attracts significant donor funding and contributes significantly to Save the Children’s strategic objectives, national/global learning and advocacy.
The Nutrition Advisor is expected to provide technical advice and support to project staff to ensure programming objectives are successfully achieved.
He/she shall also contribute to the development and implementation of the country office nutrition strategy, closely linked to WASH and health programming and the Hunger Signature Programme.
The Nutrition Advisor must be willing to embrace a child rights programming approach and represent Save the Children in national forums and working groups.
He/she will support the overall country strategic intent to focus on risk reduction, adaptation and resiliency in light of a changing context in East Africa.
Scope of Role:
Reports to: Director Programme Development and Quality
Dimensions:
Save the Children has been operational in Kenya since 1984, providing support to children through developmental and humanitarian relief programmes delivered both directly and through local partners.
Current programming focuses on child protection, child rights governance, education, health, HIV/AIDS, livelihoods, nutrition and WASH.
Save the Children has an operational presence in Dadaab Refugee Camp, Eldoret, Habaswein, Mandera, Meru and Wajir and has a logistics hub in Garissa.
Currently, we have a staff complement of approximately 370 staff and expenditure of approximately US$30 million this year.
Staff directly reporting to this post: Nutrition Specialist
Key Areas of Accountability:
Strategic Planning and Programme Development
- Be fully aware of and actively participate in the development and review of country strategy and thematic programme plans. Specifically lead the development and implementation of the nutrition component of the Save the Children Kenya Newborn and Child Survival strategy and stand-alone nutrition strategy.
- Build on technical knowledge, personal understanding of the operation of nutrition policy and services in Kenya, current/previous programming to develop proposals for new programming in close coordination with the programme staff. Ensure all new programming supports the achievement of Save the Children strategic and thematic objectives, specifically improving Newborn and Child Survival, Food Security, Resilience and Adaptation in Kenya.
- Analyse donor priorities and positions on issues related to nutrition; identifying institutional funding opportunities and developing and maintaining contacts with potential donors, partners and key technical agencies. Ensure that new partnerships in this technical area reflect the programme quality we expect of ourselves.
- Ensure that programme strategy supports and demonstrates good practice in child safeguarding.
- Using a child rights programming lens, ensure that our nutrition programming is built around the Theory of Change and aligns with Newborn Child Survival nutrition strategies.
Advocacy and Policy Development
- Be fully aware of national policies, strategies and other initiatives and developments by government and other stakeholders relating to the nutrition, and related health and Child Survival and/or food security issues. Regularly assess and communicate the implications for Save the Children’s programme and priorities of any changes in the operating environment relevant to this theme in close collaboration with the relevant advisor(s).
- Help to clearly articulate the nutrition advocacy messages for the Kenya country office. Develop an advocacy plan (with timeline and key outcomes) with the Nutrition and Food Security Advocacy Advisor. Ensure implementation of nutrition advocacy strategy.
- Develop policy briefs and position papers as and when required related to the nutrition programme in coordination with the Nutrition and Food Security Advocacy Advisor and EVERYONE Campaign Manager. This may require technical support from other technical advisors within the country office or within the SC Members.
- Represent and advocate for Save the Children with UN agencies, donors, Kenyan Government, NGOs and others at the highest levels in both verbal and written communications to ensure Save the Children is seen as the lead international agency in terms of innovation and quality of implementation that focus on child survival, food security and resilience.
Specifically ensure the following:
- Participation in monthly Nutrition Technical Forum meetings at the MoH
- Participate in Regional Food Security and Nutrition Working Group meetings
- Nutrition Information Working Group
- Ensure presence at relevant to UN/UNICEF coordination meetings at national and regional levels
- Advise field teams to ensure adequate field visibility through technical attendance and technical meetings at district level
- Ensure active dissemination of programmes findings and lessons learned through the production of high technical quality lessons learned documents and their effective dissemination to key stakeholders.
Programme Quality
- Monitor and provide timely, relevant, accurate input on overall technical aspects of Save the Children nutrition programme work in Kenya. The position will be required to travel 30-40% of the time to Save the Children field locations.
- Liaise with the Programme Operations departmentto ensure all nutrition and other programme staff receive the necessary and appropriate technical support. In consultation with staff and project managers agree on the range of advice, support, training and/or other assistance required from you to facilitate high quality programming. This will involve regular visits to Save the Children operational areas.
- Assist in the development of tools for project staff and partners to improve the quality of nutrition work. Where necessary provide technical training for project staff and partners as required (IMAM; IYCF; KAP and nutrition surveys, other monitoring and evaluation; etc …).
- Where external consultants (local or international) are required to technically support or monitor and evaluate projects, lead the recruitment and subsequent management of contracted consultants as per the recruitment guidelines.
- Review relevant monitoring reports to donors to ensure that technical debates are well articulated and reports are of acceptable quality before submission. Provide support where necessary to improve report writing skills.
- Provide input on partner selection, and provide technical coaching of partners in nutrition.
Monitoring and Evaluation
- Ensure the development of an M&E framework and key indicators for nutrition that helps each project improve quality of reporting, clearly articulate progress and impact of projects, identify issues for advocacy and new programmes/projects in the future.
- Participate in the design of baseline, mid-term and end of project evaluations for nutrition programmes, or nutrition components of multi-sectoral programmes. Monitor the evaluation process and provide input and clarification as needed. Review evaluation findings and ensure that lessons and recommendations are captured in the Lessons Learned database.
- Regularly review and monitor programmes for child safeguarding issues. Take corrective action in modifying programme activities and/or report incidents.
Other
- Participate actively in PDQ programme meetings, planning and review activities, providing enhanced insight into nutrition programming.
- Actively participate in key relevant internal meetings such as Programme Review Meetings, Senior Management Team or Area-based meetings as required. Participate in any Donor visit to project(s) within the country office portfolio, as required.
- Ensure the recruitment and training of nutrition programme staff in technical areas of expertise as appropriate and ensure availability of appropriate professional development opportunities.
Skills and Behaviours (our Values in Practice)
Accountability:
- Holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
- Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved
Ambition:
- Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same
- Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
- Future orientated, thinks strategically
Collaboration:
- Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters
- Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
- Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to
Creativity:
- Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
- Willing to take disciplined risks
Integrity:
- Honest, encourages openness and transparency
Qualifications and Experience
- A nutrition professional with a Masters Degree in nutrition or equivalent.
- Significant professional experience, at least 3 years, of working at a senior advisory level in nutrition for international NGOs or the private sector in Kenya.
- Excellent understanding of the nutrition sector within the Kenyan context, particularly maternal, newborn and child nutrition issues.
- Clear understanding of hunger and food security issues in Kenya, particularly in the context of Northern Kenyan.
- Proven representation and advocacy skills.
- Strong commitment to capacity building of national staff and partners with willingness to adopt a participatory and consultative approaches.
- Experience with nutrition programming in humanitarian settings preferred.
- Experience writing donor funding proposals for large institutional grants in excess of US$1 million.
- Strong report writing skills, including experience in writing proposals and donor reports.
- Good interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate and negotiate clearly and effectively at all levels, taking into account cultural and language difficulties.
- Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching
- Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
- Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mindsets.
- Experience solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy-in.
- Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner.
- Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices and hours, and work with incoming surge teams, in the event of emergencies.
- Fluency in English, both verbal and written, required. Swahili preferred.
- Commitment to Save the Children values, including willingness to abide by and enforce the Child Safeguarding policy.
The application period is now open and will close on Monday 28th January 2013 at 4.30pm.
To apply for open positions, please send a short cover letter and CV to Kenya.jobapplications@savethechildren.org indicating the position applied for in the subject line.
