Health and Nutrition Manager at International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Job Overview/Summary

Under the direct supervision of the Consortium Deputy Team Leader for Northwest, the Health and Nutrition Manager will provide leadership and supportive oversight for the implementation of ECHO-funded integrated primary health and nutrition care services in Anka LGA, Zamfara State, and Sabon Birni LGAs, Sokoto State. The incumbent will ensure the project's quality implementation, monitoring, and reporting, of the project while ensuring full donor compliance. In addition to overseeing IRC programming in Anka, they will also closely monitor the consortium partner LHI's implementation in Sabon Birni, in Sokoto state fostering capacity-sharing among project staff. This includes building the capacity of clinicians and CMAM providers, both at outpatient and inpatient therapeutic centers, sustain RUTF pipeline through the state MoU, to ensure the provision of quality healthcare at supported health facilities. The Health and Nutrition Manager will also be responsible for community entry, stakeholder engagement, and coordination with relevant actors to align efforts with project goals for successful outcomes. Technically guided by and in coordination with the IRC Health and Nutrition Technical Coordinator, they will serve as the IRC focal point for the project.

Major Responsibilities:

Program Management, Technical Quality, and Strategy 

Health and Nutrition program management:

• Provide overall managerial oversight for implementation of the ECHO health and Nutrition program activities in Northwest.
• Ensure health and nutrition projects implementation are of high quality and meets the IRC/MoH/International standards.
• Support health and Nutrition program officer and medical doctor to prepare project work plans with clear targets/achievement benchmarks based on project indicators.
• Provide technical support to health and Nutrition staff and provide them with necessary mentoring and training as needed to build their capacity and enabling them to perform their tasks, including project management skills.
• Participate in emergency assessments when necessary and develop plans for rapid and appropriate responses in consultation with WASH, protection, nutrition, WPE and others.
• Supervise the emergency response teams, including community and outreach activities in the targeted LGAs in Northwest.
• Coordinate with consortium implementation partners and other actors in the response and maintain good relations with them and harmonization of health and Nutrition indicator reporting,
• Participate in the development of nutrition sector budgets and following up on their effective implementation with focus on the targeted supplementary feeding program (TSFP) in Borno.
• Develop nutrition sector work plans for all the IRC nutrition grants assigned to s/he by the nutrition coordinator. Supervise and coordinate the implementation and monitoring of nutrition project activities in the two LGAs in Borno states in line with proposal targets and work plan timelines.
• Conduct nutritional surveillance in the program sites, including host community and internally displaced persons (IDPs)based on agreed methodologies including surveys, process monitoring, SMART, LQAS, SQUEAC and other rapid methods.
• Work with the field-based nutrition staff and community health Volunteers to establish, implement and monitor community-based management of acute malnutrition activities, coupled with patient follow up, referrals and education for their better management at community level.
• Coordinate with other IRC departments and implementing partners to develop training curricula and implementation plans for community Health Volunteers (CHV’s).
• Assist in response and management of any nutrition emergencies e.g. acute food shortages and participate in the development of disaster preparedness systems.
• Promote mother infant and young child feeding best practices in various health facilities.
• Oversee implementation and integration of comprehensive growth monitoring program/Mass MUAC screenings at community level and report accordingly.
• Participate actively in execution of operational research and Documentation of Best Nutrition practices in various health facilities/Outreach sites if need be.
• Participate actively in planned program Rapid Nutrition assessment, nutrition surveys and KAP Assessments.
• Participate in emergency coordination such as the Meningitis, Cholera or other disease Outbreak Control Coordination Team and carry out community-based public health interventions during communicable disease outbreaks.
• Monitor quality performance indicators across all projects and consortium partners ensuring adherence to technical standards, best practices, and donor guidelines.
• Coordinate all referrals of patients as per IRC referral guidelines and establish MoUs with secondary and tertiary institutions.
• Seek out and nurture quality partnerships with community structures, Ministries, departments, and agencies.
• Foster inter-program linkages, exchange information and experiences and contribute actively to protection and disaster risk reduction mainstreaming in the health program.
• Collaborate with other relevant sectors especially to mainstream protection, such as Women Protection & Empowerment, and Child Protection to ensure holistic service package is available in response to the needs.

Key Deliverables

• Regular communication to provide updates on projects using various forms of communication relevant for the message and audience; these include the security situation, monthly field visit reports and reports on workshops/trainings conducted to the consortium leadership.
• Updates on outcomes of reviews needs assessments and capacity building plans.
• Draft success stories on key project impacts in the assigned LGAs.
• Notify the Consortium leaderships on changes in security context in the assigned LGA as and when they occur to inform implementation, security and safety of staff and other related partners.
• Support the implementation of an appropriate visibility strategy.
• Report challenges and/or solutions and gaps if any.
• Facilitate the data flow of all reporting.

Program Development / Grant Management

• Contribute to design, planning, and drafting new proposals for northwest.
• Contribute to donors’ reporting whenever necessary.
• In collaboration with the Deputy team leader, develop and expenditure plan, review budget vs. actual expenditure for health grants monthly and take necessary actions.
• Ensuring budgets are used appropriately and efficiently and spending is in line with the IRC financial procedures and donor requirements.
• Ensure data collection, data compilation, timely preparation and submission of all internal reports including weekly and other associated monthly, quarterly, donor and special reports.

Staff Performance Management, Learning & Development:

Required for all positions with supervisory responsibility, if special considerations are needed (e.g. remote management), make this additive to the base language here.

• Hire, supervise, and build the capacity of team members in relevant technical and management competencies.
• Develop and implement remote management capacity building approaches to build the strengths of the team in Nigeria. 
• Coach, train, supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting annual performance objectives, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented semi-annual performance reviews.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Approve and manage all time, attendance and leave requests to ensure adequate departmental coverage; ensure monthly, accurate timesheet submission and carry out probationary reviews.
• Hold high-quality meetings with each direct report on a regular and predictable basis, at least monthly.
• Provide a measurable development plan including on-the-job learning with the aim of strengthening technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team and providing guidance on career paths. 
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices. Support appropriate interventions in response to identified staff care needs of both national and international staff.
• Look for opportunities to support staff in their career growth, where appropriate. As part of succession plan and nationalization goals, identify, train and develop capability and capacity of national staff to successfully transition role and responsibilities, by the end of assignment.
• Adhere to and act in accordance with the IRC Global HR Policies and Procedures and communicate through word and example a high standard of compliance with all applicable policies and regulations.

Research, Learning and Analysis

Monitoring Nutrition program implementation:

• Monitor project implementation and provide on-spot support to field teams and propose modifications as necessary.
• Ensure regular health program data analysis and review, take follow up action on project implementation and prepare relevant action reports.
• Supervise and provide technical oversight in the interpretation of data for improved programming and implementation.
• Monitor and promote integrated programming in a way that increases the overall impact of Health and Nutrition program at the community level.

Coordination & Representation

• Represent the program to Local government representatives, , partner agencies, etc. as required;
• In coordination with the Health and Nutrition coordinators actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders with government actors, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors.
• Attend all relevant meetings in relation to Health and Nutrition program as may be required and feed in the IRC priorities during meetings.
• Facilitate field visits for internal and external stakeholders, when required.

 Key Working Relationships

Position Reports to:  Deputy Team Lead  

Indirect/Technical Reporting:  Consortium Team leads, MIP with Health and Nutrition Coordinator    

Position directly Supervises:  Stabilization center Doctor, Health and Nutrition capacity building officer, health assistants/ OTP Nurses.

Key Internal Contacts:  Country Program:  SPC, Deputy Director Program, Finance Manager, Supply chain Manager, Senior Area Manager, DDFM

Key External Contacts:   INGO Partner 

Qualifications

Education: 

• Health professional (BSC/ND/HND- Nursing, Medical Doctor, Dietician/Nutritionist) with strong public health background.
• A mature person of high professional discipline and moral integrity, able to work independently and under stress as the situation may dictate.

Work Experience:

• At least 3 years’ experience in implementing health and nutrition projects.
• Able to lead a team and have experience in staff management.
• Experience in outbreak response interventions
• Experience in designing and implementing nutrition surveys and other methodologies.
• Ability to work with displaced communities with diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
• Experience in donor report writing and proposal development.
• Have experience in general management including financial and budget management, HR and logistics management.

Demonstrated Technical Skills: Background in situation analysis, health assessments M&E and program implementation.

Demonstrated Managerial/Leadership Competencies:

• Skills and experience of remote management
• Flexible, diplomatic and have the ability and willingness live and work under pressure of workloads.