Food Security & Nutrition Specialist at Plan International

Role Purpose

• The position holder is overall responsible to lead and coordinate the Nutrition and Food Security Programmes in Nigeria.
• In addition, the position holder is to provide a technical support to the Emergency Program team and Country Office in terms of nutrition programming.
• S/he is responsible for the design of nutrition and food security programming component of the humanitarian response in Nigeria and will provide capacity building, technical expertise.

Dimension of Role

• The incumbent will be overall responsible for leadership and representation of the Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group in Nigeria.
• To support design and implementation of an efficient and effective response program, the Nutrition Specialist is responsible for building relationships with the key stakeholders in sector, including donors, peer organisations, local NGOs, Plan National Offices and the overall coordination of sectoral response and inter-sectoral collaboration.
• Working closely with the Emergency Response Manager and the project team, the role will lead on effective delivery of Nutrition and Food Security program commitments in the humanitarian response in Nigeria.

Accountabilities

• Contribute to and support the preparation, design and updating of the situation analysis for the nutrition and food security sector(s) to ensure comprehensive and current data on maternal and child nutrition is available to guide policy development, and the design and management of nutrition programmes/projects.
• Keep abreast of development trends to enhance the quality of programme management, efficiency and delivery.
• Participate in strategic programme discussions on the planning of nutrition programmes/projects.
• Formulate, design and prepare funding proposals for the nutrition programme, ensuring alignment with Plan International’s Global Strategy, Country Strategic Plan, NE Response Plan and the overarching Humanitarian Response Plans (HRPs) of the UN system.
• Ensure thematic integration of programme activities with other key thematic areas like Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) and Education in Emergencies (EiE), displaying leadership and commitment to address the unmet needs of children and their communities with an integration approach.
• Establish specific goals, objectives, strategies and implementation plans for the nutrition sector(s) based on results-based planning terminology and methodology (RBM). Prepare required documentations for programme review and approval.
• Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and partners to discuss strategies and methodologies, and to determine national priorities/competencies to ensure the achievement of concrete and sustainable results.
• Provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes to ensure integration, coherence and harmonization of programmes/projects with other Plan international sectors and achievement of results as planned and allocated.
• Plan and/or collaborate with internal and external partners to establish monitoring benchmarks, performance indicators, and Plan international indicators and measurements, to assess and strengthen performance accountability, coherence and delivery of concrete and sustainable results for the assigned sector in nutrition programmes.
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual reviews with government and other counterparts to assess progress and to determine required action and interventions to achieve results.
• Prepare and assess monitoring and evaluation reports to identify gaps, strengths and/or weaknesses in programme management. Identify lessons learned and use knowledge gained for development planning and timely intervention to achieve goals.
• Actively monitor programmes and projects through field visits, surveys and/or exchange of information with partners and stakeholders to assess progress. Identify bottlenecks and potential problems, and take timely decisions to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for timely resolution.
• Monitor and verify the optimum and appropriate use of sectoral programme resources (financial, administrative and other assets) confirming compliance with organizational rules, regulations, procedures, donor commitments, and standards of accountability. Ensure timely reporting and liquidation of resources.
• Prepare regular and mandated programme/project reports for management, donors and partners to keep them informed of programme progress.
• Provide technical guidance and operational support to government counterparts, Plan International nutrition and food security staff, and Plan International partners understanding of Plan International policies, strategies, processes, best practices, and approaches on food security & nutrition and related issues to support programme development planning, management, implementation, and delivery of results.
• Participate in discussions with national partners, clients and stakeholders to promote food security & nutrition and development issues especially in the areas of emergency preparedness and maternal, new-born and child survival and development.
• Draft strategic programme materials for management use, information and/or consideration.
• Participate in emergency preparedness initiatives for programme development, contingency planning and/or to respond to emergencies in country or where designated.
• Ensure preparation and submission of monthly situational report (sit-rep) to the ERM and 5W report to the NGO sector lead.
• Responsible for the supervision and capacity development of Nutrition and Food Security Project Managers/Coordinators.

Networking and Partnership Building:

• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with existing and potential donors, nutrition sector participants, government counterparts and national stakeholders through active sharing of information and knowledge.
• Facilitate programme implementation and build the capacity of stakeholders to achieve programme goals on maternal and child rights as well as social justice and equity.
• Prepare communication and information materials for CO programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnerships/alliances and support fundraising for nutrition programmes (maternal, new born and child survival and development).
• Participate and/or represent Plan International in inter-agency discussions, ensuring that Plan International’s position, interests and priorities are fully considered and integrated.

Technical Expertise, Skills and Knowledge
Essential:

• A University Degree in one of the following fields is required: Nutrition, Public Health, Nutritional Epidemiology, Global / International Health and Nutrition, Health / Nutrition Research, Policy and/or Management, Health Sciences, or another Health-related science field (master or higher preferred)
• A minimum of 5 years (of which at least 3 in the field) of progressively responsible professional experience in in one or more of the following areas is required: nutrition, public health, nutrition planning and management, or maternal, infant and child health/nutrition care.
• Experience in food security/health/nutrition programme/project development and management.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergencies is considered an asset.
• Experience in grant management and proposal writing preferred
• Proven ability to solve problems independently without direct supervision.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Strong organizational and work prioritization skills and attention to detail
• Good facilitation skills and ability to deliver induction briefing/training.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, the ability to communicate clearly and effectively at all levels, and to maintain this under pressure.
• Ability to work with limited supervision from line manager.
• Excellent written and spoken English