MNCH and Nutrition Project Coordinator

Mahibere Hiwot for Social Development (MSD) is a non-profit, indigenous civil society organization established in 1999 with the aim of improving the health, wellbeing, and socio-economic status of communities across Ethiopia. Since its inception, MSD has evolved into a leading development and humanitarian organization implementing evidence-based programs that address the diverse needs of vulnerable populations.

MSD’s programmatic focus spans multiple sectors, including Health and Nutrition (TB, HIV/AIDS, SRH, MNCH), Education (access to quality education, TVET, and skills development), Social Mobilization and Livelihood (economic strengthening and prevention of HTPs, GBV, and FGM), Migration and Trafficking (safe migration and rehabilitation of returnees and victims), Child Care and Development (child protection, early childhood care, and infant feeding), and Human Rights and Good Governance (democratization, peace building, and dialogue).

In addition, MSD engages in Humanitarian and Emergency Response (supporting disaster-affected and displaced communities) and Environment and Climate Change (promoting environmental sustainability and biodiversity conservation). Through these integrated interventions, MSD works closely with government institutions, community structures, and development partners to foster inclusive growth, equity, and resilience at all levels of society.

In collaboration with Jhpiego, the lead implementing partner, MSD is rolling out the Reaching Impact Saturation and Epidemic Control (RISE) Project—a one-year, multi-regional initiative aimed at strengthening maternal, newborn, and child health and nutrition (MNCHN), improving infection prevention and control (IPC) practices, and enhancing health security across Ethiopia. The project adopts a geographic clustering model to ensure efficient and context-responsive implementation across pastoralist, agrarian, and semi-urban woredas.

MSD is looking for qualified and competent applicants for the following position:

Position: Project Coordinator

Reports to: Program Director

Term of Employment: Contract

Sex: Female/Male

Staff required: 01

Duty Station: Lalibela Cluster Office

Salary: As per the organization scale

Position summary

The MNCH and Nutrition Project Coordinator is responsible for the technical oversight and implementation of maternal, newborn, and child health and nutrition programs, ensuring quality and integration with other health services within the intervention areas. Key duties include providing technical guidance to staff, coordinating capacity-building efforts, ensuring seamless integration of nutrition into MNCH services, strengthening community-level health systems and public health emergency management (PHEM), managing program implementation, and liaising with stakeholders like local authorities and health facilities. The project coordinator is responsible for planning, organizing, and providing overall leadership and coordination for the implementation of the project he is assigned for. The Project coordinator will work closely with cluster-based technical teams located in Lalibela town, contributing to the implementation of planned activities under a unified team-management approach.

Roles and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Program Director/Area Office Manager, the Project Coordinator is responsible for planning, organizing, and providing overall leadership and coordination for the implementation of the project office she/he is assigned for. In consultation with the program Director/Area Office Manager and with the project office staff, she/he develops annual implementation plans and budget; allocates appropriate resources to accomplish the plan; secures qualified staff and ensures that an appropriate monitoring system is in place to track progress and deviations of program/project implementation.

Key responsibilities:

Project Coordination and Implementation:

• Coordinate the implementation of high-impact MNCH and nutrition interventions across the project Woredas.
  • Oversee overall project activities, ensuring they align with the project objectives and the organization’s goals
  • Ensures that program operations in the project office are carried out in accordance with MSD’s policies and procedures;
  • Periodically conduct filed visits and provide feedback to the program/project staff in terms of progress as well as recommendations for improved performance;
  • Provide technical guidance and direct supervision to Woreda MNCH and Facilitation Officers and stakeholders.
  • Offer technical support for activities such as antenatal care (ANC), skill delivery, emergency obstetric care, and child health management at health facility level.
  • Submits annual plans as per established schedules to all program stakeholders;
  • Ensures that all staff have updated monthly and quarterly implementation plans;
  • Builds capacity of project staff and its partners in technical issues pertinent to the sector;
  • Maintains ongoing communication with stakeholder regarding program/project progress and challenges.

Financial and HR Management:

• Ensures efficient and cost effective operations of all functions of the Project Office;
  • Ensures that Project Office’s assets are properly managed and safeguarded;
  • Ensures that organization’s policies, procedures and guidelines are properly implemented and followed up by all staff;
  • Prepares program budget in accordance to the schedule, formats, annual dates and deadlines agreed with donors;
  • Approves administrative and financial requests within the approved budget and power delegated to her/him by the supervisor and policies and regulations of the organization;
  • Ensures that government policies and directives and agreed NGO code of conduct are duly respected in project preparation and reporting.

Program Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting:

• Monitor project performance and track progress toward target.
  • Conduct regular filed visits to evaluate project effectiveness and ensure quality.
  • Mobilizes the local communities through awareness creation to participate in the identification, implementation and evaluation of projects;
  • Ensures continuous data management and project quality according to MSD monitoring and evaluation guideline;
  • Plans and conducts quarterly and annual program review meeting to assess progress, adjust plans, and draw/disseminate lessons learned;
  • Prepares and submits to the Program Director/Area Office monthly, quarterly, biannual and annual financial and activity reports of the Project Office.

Staff Management:

• Supervises, leads, guides, orients, trains and coaches staff reporting to her/him;
  • Provides regular support to Officers, Community Mobilizers, and Facilitators and Volunteers;
  • Completes all performance management activities including: performance planning, monitoring, and annual performance appraisals;
  • Provides ongoing feedback to staff, recognizing and praising successes and pointing out failures that needing corrective measures.

Networking, Learning and Reporting:

• Represents MSD in the project area in all its dealings with third parties;
  • Keeps up to date with developments in the program, including best practice examples and ensures ongoing personal development and learning;
  • Makes formal presentations to the counterparts about program progress, challenges, lessons learned and needed adjustments;
  • Produces quarterly and annual performance reports and submits to the MSD Head Office.

Qualifications and Requirements

• A higher education degree (BSc, MPH, etc) in Public Health or Nutrtion-related field.
• Professional Experience in project implementation, minimum of 5 years of experience, particularly in MNCH and Nutrtion.
• Strong knowledge of MNCH, nutrition principles, and primary health care management.
• Ability to manage and coordinate multiple tasks and resources.
• Demonstrated experience supporting Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) functions at woreda, facility, and community levels, including preparedness, response, and recovery.
• Proven ability to mobilize and strengthen community structures to support MNCH, nutrition, immunization, and outreach services.
• Experience facilitating linkages between health posts and health centers and collaborating with woreda-level and multidisciplinary technical teams.
• Willingness and physical ability to conduct intensive fieldwork, including travel by vehicle and walking in difficult terrain to reach remote communities.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and reporting skills, with the ability to work effectively in a multi-stakeholder environment.

A person who has no history of sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment (SEAH) can provide evidence from his/her previous employment.