JOB DETAILS:
Assignment Location: Remote / Preference to East African candidates and candidates in countries where Medical Teams is registered

The Nutrition Advisor contributes to the calling of Medical Teams International by providing leadership, technical support, and capacity building to Medical Teams’ nutrition portfolios. The Advisor plays a lead role in setting the strategic direction for the nutrition sector, designing new programs and projects, and identifying and pursuing strategic partnerships. This position collaborates with the team of Health Advisors to ensure technical quality in the design, development, and implementation of health and nutrition programs in protracted humanitarian response projects, large-scale natural disasters, and complex emergencies.

Because of the amount of time allocated to this position (20 hours/week) and the potential breadth and scope of the activities, prioritization of tasks will be planned in coordination with the full-time Health Advisors in consultation with the Director, Technical Team, so the Technical Team effectively meets the organization's quality assurance needs.

Medical Teams International Calling:
Daring to love like Jesus, we boldly break barriers to health and restore wholeness in a hurting world.

Medical Teams International holds strict child and vulnerable adult safeguarding principles and a zero-tolerance policy for misconduct related to sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse in the workplace and other places where the organization’s activities are rendered. Parallel to technical competence, recruitment & selection, hiring decisions will give due emphasis to assessing candidates’ eligibility thorough background checks, police clearance, and professional reference check processes.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities
Leadership and Strategy
Collaborate in the development of organization strategies, models, and standards for Medical Teams nutrition programming.
Ensure programs and projects align with Medical Teams’ strategy and core service package, and are based on best practice, evidence, and international standards.

Advise headquarters and country office program staff who develop needs assessments, program proposals, nutrition resources and replicate successful programs.
Review and advise on the technical quality of proposals, including providing input on budgets required for project delivery, and technical activities, ensuring alignment to Medical Teams’ global and country specific nutrition indicators.

Lead Country Office Nutrition Focal Points in developing and implementing strategic plans for strengthening country office capacity and staff abilities to design and execute high quality nutrition programs.

Ensure technical reviews of project design, start-up, and implementation.
Design, develop, review, and disseminate program-specific tools, resources, and curricula with country office medical, nutrition and program teams to contextualize and adapt global and country-specific materials.
Support senior nutrition country office recruitment.

Program Management and Program Quality
Collaborate with Country Office leadership to determine the operational needs of the nutrition program within the scope of current grants and contracts.
Collaborate on the development of a global nutrition information system to provide program analysis and will feed into standardized national and international health information systems.

Support the County Nutrition Focal Points’ collaboration with national health authorities and relevant international health agencies to develop curricula and mentoring activities to meet the training and support needs of country office medical teams.
Plan with country office program, nutrition, and monitoring and evaluation teams to design and implement reporting systems to monitor and evaluate the objectives, indicators, and outcomes of nutrition projects.

Review and contribute to transitional nutrition strategies in emergency response project plans and interventions.
Review and analyze monthly field trend reports and recommend adjustments to projects and programs, as appropriate.
Advise headquarters and country office teams, partners, and national health authorities on preparedness and contingency planning.

Provide technical guidance to country office teams to define future program directions in terms of beneficiary needs and new or expanded sites.
Advise and support headquarters, country offices, and logistics teams to procure nutrition commodities, supplies and equipment, to ensure adequate supply in adherence to national protocols, donor requirements, and project budgets.

Provide technical advice to the Country Nutrition Focal Point and country logistics teams to analyze pharmacy reports and monitor medicine and medical supply consumption for items used by nutrition programs.
Representation
Provide mentorship and coaching for Country Nutrition Focal Points, including how to use data and experience to advocate for changes needed by partners in country.
Support Country Nutrition Focal Points liaise with government authorities and the respective Ministry of Health on health and nutrition-related matters to ensure programmatic accountability.
Ensure nutrition reporting to stakeholders is accurate and timely while maintaining confidentiality of sensitive information.
Contribute to creating a positive and professional work environment through the application of Medical Teams’ Code of Conduct, ethics, values, and policies.

International Travel
Subject to approval from the Director, Technical Team, travel to participate in face-to-face events for the purpose of planning, coordination or external representation of Medical Teams.
Some field visits will be required to review, advise and support nutrition programming and staff. Timing and frequency to be agreed in advance to accommodate part-time nature of the role.

Other Duties:
Ensure accountability is integrated into country strategies, program design, monitoring and evaluations, recruitment, staff onboarding, training and performance management, partnership agreements, and highlighted in reporting.
Support safeguarding of program participants and employees through promoting an environment of awareness and upholding the code of conduct provisions of Medical Teams Protection from Sexual Exploitation & Abuse, Child & Vulnerable Adult protection, and harassment-free workplace policies. Incumbents will remain alert and responsive to any child and adult safeguarding risks, acquire relevant knowledge and skills which will enable you to promote strong safeguarding practices, understand the child and adult safeguarding policy and procedures, and conduct yourself in a manner consistent with the Safeguarding code of conduct and behavior expectations.
Utilize volunteers whenever possible.
Additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications
Education, Licenses, & Certifications
A Master’s or other post-graduate degree in Public Health Nutrition or equivalent.
Valid Passport.

Experience:
Required:
Minimum 6 years’ work experience in nutrition in sub-Saharan Africa, of which at least three years have been in nutrition management/coordination positions with Non-Governmental Organizations in humanitarian and/or post-conflict settings.
Proven experience providing technical guidance and support to enhance emergency response capacity and capabilities, with a focus on improving health and nutrition outcomes for affected populations.
Experience in collaborating with stakeholders to develop and implement evidence-based strategies, ensuring the delivery of high-quality nutrition services in line with humanitarian standards and guidelines.
Experience in development of nutrition projects, training materials, conducting training (face to face and online) and providing technical assistance.
Preferred:
Experience in Cash for Nutrition programming
Prior coordination experience with the Global Nutrition Cluster
Experience designing/managing SMART surveys
Experience in Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) monitoring and reporting
Experience with BHA/USAID funded projects

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
Knowledge:
An authority in the field of nutrition programming in humanitarian settings. Must be able to provide technical advice on the treatment of wasting, evidence-based programs to address malnutrition, nutrition assessments, and M&E.
Proven expertise in working with donors, project design, proposal development, and monitoring and evaluation, with the ability to turn concepts and strategy into measurable action.
Knowledge of and experience establishing standards, sharing best practices, and building partnerships with relevant internal and external stakeholders and institutions.
Comprehensive knowledge of principles, humanitarian systems, standards and current approaches to nutrition programming in emergency contexts.
Familiarity with the health and nutrition working group and cluster coordination mechanisms in humanitarian settings.
Comprehensive knowledge in program sustainability and capacity building, public-private partnerships and project monitoring and evaluation.
Skills:
Strong interpersonal verbal and written communication skills.
Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Working proficiency in French is desirable.
Excellent organizational, planning and analytical skills; detail oriented.
Excellent decision-making skills.

Abilities:
Commitment to Medical Teams International Calling Statement and Core Values.
Strong capacity to understand various contexts across the portfolio, and overall programmatic needs, and to coordinate the relevant technical assistance from within and outside the Technical Team.
Able to think strategically, ability to build consensus, influence, and problem-solve.
Ability to transfer knowledge to diverse audiences through training, mentoring, and other formal and informal methods
Ability to facilitate teamwork
Ability to work collaboratively with others.
Self-motivated and able to work without close supervision, including prioritizing work and multi-tasking to meet deadlines.
Ability to exercise sound judgement and make decisions independently.
Extremely flexible and able to cope with stressful situations
Able to frequently participate in early morning and late-night conference calls to accommodate global time zones.

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions
Physical Requirements:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Frequent use of a personal computer, database and digital platforms, and other office productivity machinery, such as a copy machine and computer printer.
Frequently uses hands, fingers, and arms to reach, handle, touch or feel equipment, medical instruments, materials, computer.
Frequent communication and exchange of information among colleagues and persons of concern which requires the ability to speak, hear, convey and express oneself.
Frequent close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
Occasionally ascends/descends stairs, steps, or ladder
Occasionally move about inside an office to access file cabinets, office machinery, meet with colleagues, etc.
The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
Seldom to occasionally positions self to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
If in travel status, occasional to frequent traversing over rough or steep terrain in either a motor vehicle or on foot.

Work Environment:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderately quiet.
The employee may be required to travel to remote areas of the world where there are potential health hazards and risks, limited hygiene facilities, extreme weather, and very basic living conditions.

Benefits
The following information outlines typical benefits available for, regular employees scheduled 30 hours or more per week. Actual benefits may be prorated for other than full-time work.
Excellent Health Benefits
Flexible work schedule options
Generous paid time off package
Retirement plan
Paid parental leave