South Sudan: Nutrition Coordinator

ORGANIZATIONAL DESCRIPTION:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

BACKGROUND:

The IRC began its health work in South Sudan in 1989, training health workers and making health services available to remote, underserved communities. With the signing of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the IRC began supporting the Government of South Sudan's efforts to establish health systems. Today, the IRC continues to work closely with the newly formed Republic of South Sudan in strengthening those systems. However, a lack of resources, widespread poverty, and low literacy levels continue to challenge efforts to meet the basic needs of the South Sudanese people. It is estimated that only 25% of the population has access to any kind of health care services, 80% of which are provided by humanitarian and other non-governmental organizations. With the ongoing emergency, the health and nutrition response is rapidly expanding to meet critical needs.

The Nutrition Coordinator will be responsible for the current emergency response in Bor and the integration of the treatment of severe acute malnutrition into the integrated community case-management (iCCM) in Northern Barh el Gazal and Unity State. The overall goal of the iCCM and nutrition project is to decrease child morbidity and mortality in Aweil East, Aweil North and Aweil South Counties of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State and Panyijar County of Unity State by training and equipping Community Health Workers to treat children under 5 for malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia at the home level, and screen and refer children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) for treatment. IRC is interested in closer integration between the iCCM and the CMAM program to improve access and coverage of SAM treatment. The Nutrition Coordinator would oversee an exciting new initiative to pilot home-based treatment of SAM as part of the iCCM program and coordinate an evaluation (i.e. SQUEAC) to measure the impact on access and coverage with technical support from the Coverage Monitoring Network. The Nutrition Coordinator will also be responsible for setting up a new infant and young child feeding initiative in the areas of implementation and ensuring an appropriate evaluation.

SCOPE OF WORK: Under the supervision of IRC South Sudan Community Case Management Coordinator, and based in Juba, the Nutrition Coordinator will be responsible for the overall coordination, implementation, technical guidance and quality of the South Sudan nutrition program working in close collaboration with the field-based nutrition managers, senior management team, particularly the health, CCM Coordinator, and the teams in the field. The Nutrition Coordinator will be based in Juba with frequent visits to the field sites.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Technical Monitoring and Program Quality

• Provide technical supervision of, and technical support to IRC Nutrition programming activities
  
• Ensure that nutrition programs utilize standardized protocols, policies and guidelines, as prescribed by the Ministry of Health and WHO/UNICEF.
• Ensure that all nutrition activities are consistent with established best practices
  
• Oversee the collection and timely reporting of data and statistics for all nutrition programs in line with IRC guidelines and according to internal and donor requirements
• Ensure appropriate follow-up and decision-making on data relevant to IRC nutrition programs
• Ensure a good coordination with the nutrition coordinator, CCM coordinator and CCM and nutrition field teams and provide frequent updates
• Ensure all stakeholders, including IRC Deputy Director Programs (DDP), IRC CCM Coordinator, IRC health technical unit, UNICEF, DFID and all donors are provided with updates, following the established reporting structures

Strategic Planning

• Monitor evolving needs of the target communities and adjust the programmatic priorities as necessary
• In collaboration with the Nutrition Technical Adviser, the CCM Coordinator and the DDP, lead the overall development of an overall IRC Nutrition Program strategy in line with IRC South Sudan Country Strategic Planning

Program Development

• Identify opportunities for program development
• Lead technical assessments as a basis for nutrition program development when necessary

Staff development

• Ensure the ongoing capacity building of nutrition, CCM and emergency teams through support to direct supervisors in ensuring staff performance evaluations and individual development plans
• Ensure appropriate support to the field bases by regular visits, and replacement of staff if needed

Coordination and Representation

• Plan, coordinate and ensure quality implementation of the IRC South Sudan nutrition interventions
  
• Collaborate with the health, CCM and emergency teams to ensure a holistic approach in line with IRC's Program Framework principles
• Represent IRC to UN, international and national NGOs, and Ministries of Health, for nutrition coordination as needed at the national and State levels as necessary
• Oversee implementation of funding, including budget forecasting, development of spending plans in cooperation with the Health, CCM Coordinator and Grants Manager

Professional Standards

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

• Nutrition professional with a relative degree in Nutrition or Public Health Nutrition and significant experience in nutrition in emergencies
  
• At least five years professional experience in nutrition IMAM (CMAM) programs
  
• Experience in nutrition emergency assessments or surveys preferred
• Experience in IYCF and/or SQUEAC an asset
• Excellent management and coordination skills
• Experience developing staff capacity
  
• Experience working in a multi-cultural setting
• Experience in emergencies or working in South Sudan previously preferred
• Ability to write clear and concise reports and proposals and to meet required reporting deadlines
• Able to work independently while being a strong team player
• Competence with Windows, Microsoft Office
• Ability to work in unstable security environments
• Proficient English written and spoken required, Arabic an asset

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Security level orange. The situation in Juba is calm at the moment but remains tense and unpredictable; concerns include criminality, presence of armed troops, and looting. There is active conflict in many parts of the country and a possibility for further expansion of the conflict and violence into other areas and other states.

HOUSING:

Lodging in Juba is in a private bedroom, with en suite bathroom, in a shared IRC guesthouse. In field sites, accommodation ranges from tent to a traditional hut to permanent structures. Field compounds have latrines and showers. All IRC sites have electricity and internet at least several hours per day. Food is the individual's responsibility.

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