Location: Jijiga, Ethiopia
Deadline: 18 Aug 2023
Job Description
About Mercy Corps:
Mercy Corps is an international non-profit, non-governmental organization operating in Nutrition, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Livestock, and Economic and Markets Development sectors. Mercy Corps currently has programs in the Regions of Somali, Oromia, Addis Ababa and SNNP, and works through the principles of Accountability, Participation and Peaceful Change.
DEPARTMENT/ PROGRAM SUMMARY:
Mercy Corps has been present in Ethiopia since 2004 and acts on behalf of people who have become disenfranchised and poor. We stand with Ethiopia to find and access opportunities, and to be part of lasting and meaningful transformation in the country. Mercy Corps seeks to be influential with government and development actors towards a more resilient country where poverty is tackled through the eyes of those who understand it best. This translates into ensuring that the population is financially stable, healthy & nourished, educated & unformed, and that natural resources are accessible, shared and utilized sustainably.
Mercy Corps is implementing a multi-year, multi-million-dollar USAID funded initiative called Resilience In Pastoral Areas (RIPA) project focused on stimulating increased production, productivity and marketing through more competitive livestock and livestock products markets; increasing communities’ resilience; diversifying livelihood economic opportunities and options through essential skills transfer; improving food security and nutrition and contributing to the wider knowledge on pastoral development. The program operates in multiple pastoral regions across Ethiopia namely Somali, Afar and Oromiya regions.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
- Under the leadership of the Addis Ababa Nutrition Lead and Senior Nutrition and SBCC Advisor, the Nutrition and WASH Coordinator will implement, manage, and monitor the RIPA Nutrition and WASH components at regional and woreda levels in such a way that program activities result in greater progress, synergies for nutritional and WASH impact.
- Support implementation of Adolescent Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition (AMIYCN) activities at regional level
- Prior experience implementing nutrition through Mother-to-Mother Support groups
- Have extensive knowledge on the “first 1000 day” approach.
- Extensive knowledge of Ethiopia government initiatives for pastoral community on Health/Nutrition/WASH policies.
- Collaborate with Agricultural extension workers in implementation of home gardening for fruits and vegetables including food storage and preservation.
- Closely work with MOH on nutrition surveillance and triggers to protect development nutrition gains of RIPA project.
- Strengthen health extension workers/ women development army to disseminate essential promotion packages or household sanitation and hygiene and AMIYCN services.
- Ensures all water/sanitation infrastructure and hygiene activities in the targeted cluster are implemented in accordance with the Mercy Corps, donor and government guidelines and policies.
- Promote Sanitation and hygiene practices (raw water treatment, safe water storage and handling hand washing and installation of hand washing facilities by the latrines)
- Facilitate village level dialogue on personal, food/water hygiene and sanitation problems and social and gender norms that influence nutrition through Social Analysis and Action (SAA) approach.
- Assists team in linking nutrition, WASH activities with other relevant processes – economic development team, peace-building and natural resource management, and health – and supports a coherent approach across activities.
- Using behavior change approaches, support the Nutrition Team lead to address barriers to effective adoption of appropriate WASH and Nutrition behaviors that are being promoted by RIPA project.
- Contribute to the development of technical resource materials for WASH and Nutrition, including guidelines, manuals, and curricula as necessary.
- Provide training to field staff, government health workers, water technicians etc, as necessary.
- Actively participate in the development of tools behavior change communication (BCC) materials and approaches for Nutrition and WASH
- Work closely with the Nutrition team leader/Senior Nutrition and SBCC and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEAL) teams to monitor performance against set indicators and document best practices.
- Develop regional and woreda level Nutrition and WASH implementation documents: work plans, recruitment plans, procurement plans, etc
- Support the preparation of relevant sections of the ad-hoc program reports, quarterly, interim, and annual programmatic reports. Contribute to other reports of project progress and performance as required.
- Technically support the Nutrition/SBCC/WASH implementing partners and sub-grantees in their WASH and SBCC implementations to contribute for higher impact of the program.
- Regularly design and upload Nutrition and WASH activities concept notes
REPRESENTATION AND COORDINATION
- In consultation with the Nutrition team leader or Senior Nutrition and SBCC represent RIPA nutrition in regional level technical coordination meetings and forums, as needed eg Health, WASH and Nutrition clusters
- Liaise with local government officials, local NGOs and civil society organizations, local religious leaders, and other notables to ensure support for and acceptance of Mercy Corps’ programs.
- Maintain close working relationships with other humanitarian and development organizations, and local partners, including representing Mercy Corps at local coordination meetings.
- Play a liaising role with the governments at regional levels for the issues related to Nutrition and WASH activities within the RIPA project.
ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING
- As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.
ACCOUNTABILITY TO BENEFICIARIES
- Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: The Nutrition and WASH Coordinator will directly supervise Regional based Nutrition/WASH specialists and Nutrition and WASH Officers
ACCOUNTABILITY
REPORTS DIRECTLY TO:
Administratively: Cluster Program Coordinator
Technically: Nutrition Team lead/Senior Nutrition and SBCC Advisor
WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: All the RIPA team in Components 1 -3, Finance, Logistics, Human Resources, and the Administration
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
- Advanced degree in nutrition, public health, or related international development field and at least 5 years of relevant work in nutrition and/or food security programs development
- Extensive knowledge of programmatic approaches and models used in development nutrition and BCC
- Extensive knowledge on WASH approaches for development settings
- Extensive knowledge on MIYCN approaches for development settings.
- Demonstrated understanding and familiarity with development communications issues and solutions and Health communication tools.
- Solid research background and good writing skills.
- Strong, well demonstrated organizational and interpersonal skills.
- Demonstrated technical and successful expertise in a relevant mix of designing, managing, and evaluating BCC programs through social marketing, as well as small group and interpersonal communication.
- Experience working with multi-disciplinary technical Coordinator s.
- Ability to prioritize and manage multiple activities.
- English fluency is essential, plus at least one other local language spoken in pastoral Ethiopia (Somali, Oromiya and Afar regions).
Success Factors
A successful candidate will have the ability to live and work closely with a diverse team of individuals in a highly intense and fluid work and security environment with a capacity to spark innovative approaches to programming and inspire groups to collaborate closely to implement high-quality programs. S/he will have proven ability to learn quickly, take initiative, and be accountable for results, with an ability and willingness to remain mobile for short-term and/or long-term as necessary within the region, based on programmatic needs. An ability to work independently and as part of a team, with curiosity about and sensitivity to new cultures, a desire and ability to learn and grow, both personally and professionally, and a great sense of humor.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position holder will be based in Jigjiga, and it requires up to 50% travel to target woredas in Somali Region.
Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times, and in all in-country venues.
Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment.