Deputy Head of Nutrition and Health Department at Action Against Hunger | ACF-International

Action Against Hunger is currently looking to fill the role of Deputy Head of Department (DHOD) Nutrition and Health, who will be responsible to define the strategies and coordinate activities of Action Against Hunger in the fields of Nutrition and Health in Borno State.

Reporting to: Head of Department Nutrition and Health 

Proposed start date: July 2024

Work location: Maiduguri, Borno State

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure effective integration and coherence of ACF’s health and nutritional activities – primary health care, nutrition surveillance, feeding programs, health system strengthen – in accordance with the ACF country strategy and the national and state Ministry of Health strategy;  
• Conduct health and nutritional situation analysis in the Borno state;  
• Support Nutrition and Health Head of Department to ensure the cohesion of the nutrition and health teams within themselves and with the other sector programs;  
• Support Nutrition and Health Head of Department to ensure programs are harmonized, standardized and in line with the most up to date ACF protocols and tools;  
• Create and archive ACF and Sector Nutrition and Health protocols and tools and ensure this is available and disseminated to field teams. 
• With the Nutrition and Health Head of Department; Deputy Country Director (program) and Field Coordinators ensure regular technical support to the Nutrition and Health Programme Managers: technical induction, follow up, evaluation, and promotion of positive team dynamics and motivation;  
• In case of gap of a Nutrition and Health Programme Managers, the Deputy Nutrition and Health Head of Department can provide assistance to the Nutrition and Health team in running the program (in coordination with the Field Coordinator; 
• Assist the Nutrition and Health Head of Department in overseeing the work of Nutrition and Health Programme Managers in order to ensure good compliance of activities within the objectives of the mission and of proposals - this includes regular visits to the teams in the field in order to evaluate achievements; to discuss the constraints encountered, the possible solutions and to make recommendations for current and future programs;  
• Evaluate Nutrition and Health Programme Managers as per the defined schedule and make recommendations for their career path. 
• Ensure good quality of the trainings provided by the nutrition and health teams to partners and that these trainings match with ACF and national nutrition and health protocols;  
• Ensure compliance of programmes in achieving project objectives according to current grants;  
• Actively engage surveys, operational researches and guideline development at national and states level;
• Support field teams implement measures to ensure rational use of medical supplies in all ACF intervention sites to guarantee a high standard of care; 
• Provide technical guidance to the pharmacy team about handling of medical commodity in coordination with Nutrition and Health Head of Department;
• Provide technical backstopping to the nutrition and health team and identifying areas that require further or more specialized support.
• In coordination with the Nutrition and Health Head of Department, participate in all relevant meetings related to nutrition and health, including meetings with donors, partners, sectors and governmental bodies (when required);  
• Encouraging the collaboration with other agencies, on nutrition and health activities or technical assistance;  
• Support to ACF advocacy activities related to nutrition and health issues (follow up on advocacy plans, press releases);
• Promote ACF as a major actor in nutrition and health in Nigeria; through active participation in the nutrition and health sector technical working groups (PHC, IMAM, IYCF and NiEWG) in coordination with Nutrition and Health Head of Department;
• Active participate in the Nutrition Sector Coordination meetings and Health Sector Coordination meetings in coordination with the Nutrition and Health Head of Department;  
• Actively participate in LGAs coordination meetings when required in coordination with Nutrition and Health Head of Department, Field Coordinators and Program Managers;  
• Collaborate and communicate with Head of Departments, Programme Managers, and any other ACF resource people in order to ensure the coherence of activities and reports in terms of ACF nutritional and health strategy;  
• Informing/updating the Nutrition and Health Head of Department on the programme implementation and any issues on a regular basis;  
• Participation in weekly coordination team meetings and any other general team or strategy meetings;  
• Support ACF Pharmacist on drugs management in coordination with Nutrition and Health Head of Department and Logistics in each base;  
• Follow up of logistics requirements for nutrition and health programme in liaison with the Logistics Department and in collaboration with Programme Managers;  
• Contribute to the overall mission and programme strategy, narrative and financial project proposals and reporting, in collaboration with Nutrition and Health Head of Department /support department and other programme coordinators as necessary. 
• Regular update of Nutrition and Health HoD and Area Coordinator on meeting updates and communications from sectors.

Position Requirements:

• MBBS, Nurse or Master’s in Nutrition, Public Health, Public Health Nutrition, Management or related fields or Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition, Public Health Nutrition with experience in sector/partnership coordination;
• At least 6 years of experience in managing nutrition and health programs in underdeveloped/ crisis contexts;  
• Humanitarian field experience, preferably with supervisory role;  
• Excellent skills in report writing and analysis;  
• Sound understanding of national guidelines/protocols; PHC, IMAM, IYCF, IMNCI, RMNCH, PHC; 
• Experience communicating in different cultural work environments & with a wide diversity of cultures;
• Experience with external representation and knowledge of cluster mechanisms; 
• Good diplomatic, negotiation and conflict/dispute resolution skills; 
• Working experience in Northern Nigeria.