Health and Nutrition Officer- Dekasuftu

Location: Dekasuftu, Ethiopia

Organization: Partnership for Pastoralist Development Association (PAPDA)

Deadline: January 4, 2026

Job Description

Organization Background

Partnership for Pastoralists Development Association (PAPDA) is a legally registered humanitarian, non-profit, non-religious, non-political, and non-governmental local organization striving to empower the livelihood of pastoralist communities in Ethiopia. PAPDA was established in June 2006 and registered with the Ministry of Justice in May 2007, with registration No.3111. The organization was re-registered by the newly established Charities and Societies Agency in the Ministry of Justice with a certificate No 0355. The mission of the organization is to contribute towards the provision of efficient, effective, and sustainable basic socio-economic services that enhance the living standard of the pastoralist communities.

Project Overview

PAPDA seeks experienced health professionals for its EHF-funded project entitled “Integrated Life-Saving Response for Internally Displaced Populations in the Informal Settlements of Kersadula and Deka Suftu Woredas, Liben Zone, Somali Region, Ethiopia,” focusing on Health, Nutrition, WASH, Protection/GBV, ESNFI, and MPCA. The project aims to reduce immediate mortality, morbidity, and protection risks among internally displaced and highly vulnerable households through integrated Health, Nutrition, ES/NFI, and MPCA interventions in prioritized Informal IDP sites

Position Title: Health and Nutrition Officer
Duration of Assignment: 8 months
Number of positions: One
Reporting Line: Reports to Area Manager and other line positions as required
Duty station: Dekasuftu with frequent travel to Kersadulla woreda

A. Purpose of the Role

The Health and Nutrition Officer will be responsible for planning, coordinating, and leading all health and nutrition interventions under the project. This role includes operating and supervising two Mobile Health and Nutrition Teams (MHNTs) in each woreda and ensuring the effective delivery of primary health care, maternal and child health services, reproductive health and integration of MISP activities, vaccination support, and emergency referrals. The officer will oversee the management of acute malnutrition among children and pregnant and lactating women, including SAM, MAM, and PLW treatment services. He/She will lead find and treat (MUAC screening) campaigns, provide IYCF-E counselling, organize community cooking demonstrations, and manage all nutrition supplies to ensure uninterrupted service delivery.

Additionally, the position will strengthen disease surveillance systems, support timely outbreak detection and response, and enhance community engagement to promote health-seeking behavior and improve overall public health outcomes.

B. Key Responsibilities and Duties

Planning

· Prepare monthly and quarterly work plans for health and nutrition activities.

· Develop a movement plan for MHNT and share with the woreda health office

· Ensure alignment with organizational objectives, national health strategies, and donor requirements.

· Plan and schedule training, outreach, and service delivery activities.

· Coordinate with health facilities, community committees, and mobile health teams to optimize coverage.

· Collaborate with stakeholders (government, NGOs, and community structures) to integrate interventions effectively

· Participate in planning meetings at local, regional, or national levels.

· Identify gaps and prioritize interventions for maximum impact.

Health Service Delivery & MHNT Management

· Plan, deploy, and supervise 2 MHNTs across targeted woredas, ensuring full provision of PHC, MCH, and nutrition services.

· Ensure the effective delivery of essential health services, including nutrition services, outpatient consultations, antenatal and postnatal care, child health, family planning, comprehensive reproductive health services(Integration of MISP), awareness raising and other related activities

· Lead integration of MISP for reproductive health, including SGBV clinical care referral, HIV/STI prevention, and maternal/newborn care.

· Support and coordinate immunization outreach in collaboration with the GAVI-supported EPI project to strengthen vaccination coverage across target sites.

· Oversee outpatient consultations, including the diagnosis and treatment of common illnesses, ensuring that communities affected by the crisis receive timely, quality, and accessible primary healthcare services.

· Ensure functionality and quality of emergency referral pathways between MHNTs and health facilities.

· Supervise, mentor, and support MHNT members, HEWs, and facility staff.

· Monitor the quality of clinical services and oversee mobile health and nutrition service delivery.

Nutrition Program Management

· Lead Find and Treat mass MUAC screening campaigns for children under five and PLWs.

· Oversee nutrition services, ensuring effective treatment of SAM cases in OTP and complicated SAM cases in Stabilization Centers.

· Manage support for MAM children enrolled in the TSFP and coordinate nutrition assistance for malnourished pregnant and lactating women receiving CSB+ and essential micronutrient supplements.

· Coordinate last-mile distribution of RUTF, RUSF, SC supplies, and TSFP commodities to health facilities.

· Supervise the support provided to Stabilization Centers (equipment, supplies, caregiver food support).

· Conduct and oversee IYCF-E counselling, community cooking demonstrations, and caregiver engagement activities.

Capacity Building

· Organize and facilitate capacity-building activities for health workers and the community, including conducting IMCI training, MISP training, and public health emergency management training.

· Provided coaching and mentorship to Health Extension Workers (HEWs), Mobile Health and Nutrition Team (MHNT) members, and other health facility staff to strengthen their skills and performance.

· Build the capacity of community surveillance committees, enhancing local preparedness and disease surveillance activities.

Disease Surveillance, Outbreak Prevention & Response

· Strengthen IDSR, reporting, and alert verification mechanisms.

· Ensure investigation of health alerts within 24 hours and contribute to early detection and response

· Coordinate vaccination campaigns targeting children for measles and other EPI services.

· Lead SBCC and risk communication activities.

Coordination and Representation

· Work closely with Woreda Health Offices, DRM, RHB, WHO, UNICEF, Nutrition Cluster, Health Cluster and other relevant stakeholders

· Participate in health cluster, nutrition cluster, outbreak coordination, and emergency response forums.

· Represent PAPDA in inter-agency coordination at the woreda and zonal levels.

Monitoring, Reporting, Data Management and documentation

· Ensure proper use of registers, tally sheets, OTP/TSFP tools, SC registers, vaccination records, and community screening forms.

· preparing and submitting regular updates and period progress reports to ensure effective monitoring and reporting of project activities.

· Document success stories and lessons learned to capture best practices and inform future interventions.

· Ensure real-time reporting of surveillance data and integration into regional HMIS systems.

· Support data entry and data collection to Google sheet and, Kobo related to the project.

Supply Chain & Logistics

· Identify needs and request medical, nutrition, and RH supplies timely.

· Ensure safe handling, storage, and distribution of IEHK kits, essential medicines, RUTF/TSFP commodities, and SC materials.

· Conduct regular stock monitoring and prevent stock-outs in MHNTs and facilities.

Safeguarding, Protection & AAP

· Ensure GBV risk mitigation and safe referral pathways during service delivery.

· Promote safeguarding, PSEA, and child protection standards in all activities.

· Ensure accessibility of services to women, girls, older persons, and persons with disabilities.

· Promote accountability through community feedback mechanisms, help desks, and hotlines.

C. Expected Deliverables and Outputs

Fully operational MHNTs providing PHC, MCH, and nutrition services
Two weekly, Monthly and quarterly health & nutrition reports submitted on time.
Functional surveillance and response mechanisms.
Accurate records of essential primary health care services, screening, admissions, referrals, and IYCF activities.
Completion of all capacity-building training sessions.
High-quality implementation aligned with Health & Nutrition Cluster standards.

D. Required Qualifications and Skills

Masters or Bachelor degree in Public Health or Clinical Nursing
Minimum 5 years of relevant experience for Master’s degree holders and 7 years for BSc holders in Emergency and humanitarian health and nutrition programming.
Proven experience in mobile health and nutrition service delivery, including the implementation of CMAM programs (OTP, SC, TSFP) and IYCF-E interventions, MISP and reproductive health programming in emergency settings, as well as in outbreak detection and the implementation of IDSR protocols.
Experience in supervising and mentoring health teams to ensure effective service delivery and quality care.
Strong knowledge of humanitarian health and nutrition programming, TOT certificate on MISP, IMCI, and Public health Emergency management.
Strong organizational, management, and communication skills to collaborate with partners at the regional, zonal, and woreda levels
Strong leadership, problem-solving, and team management skills; proficient in Microsoft Office and data management tools.
Proven ability to use adult learning techniques to facilitate training, supportive supervision and technical assistance
Demonstrated ability to be a team player, to lead teams, and to organize multiple activities simultaneously; ability to communicate and negotiate competing demands on time and work effectively with teams.
Computer skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in both English and local languages.
Prior work experience in Somali Region or pastoralist contexts is a strong advantage.
Ability to work under pressure in hard-to-reach areas.

E. Work Conditions and Requirements

Full-time position based in project woredas
Flexibility to work outside regular hours

F. Cross-cutting issues

The Health and Nutrition officer must adhere to organizational policies, including the code of conduct, child protection policies, and health and safety regulations. Compliance with ethical standards is mandatory. A training certificate on humanitarian principles and standards is preferable.