Nutrition Advisor

Position Summary:

The Nutrition and Environmental Health (NEH) Division in the Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition (MCHN) Office seeks a Nutrition Advisor (Advisor) to provide technical support and expertise in public health nutrition. This role involves providing guidance and oversight on a range of nutrition topics in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), specifically in designing, overseeing, monitoring and evaluating integrated nutrition programs, linking dietary initiatives (including food fortification and complementary foods) with other nutrition-specific interventions, such as maternal nutrition, breastfeeding, infant and young child feeding, management of severe acute malnutrition, micronutrient supplementation, and adolescent and women’s nutrition.

As a member of NEH, the Advisor works with counterparts across various USAID operating units, Missions, USAID Bureaus, U.S. Government Agencies, and external partners to implement nutrition and health programs under the USAID Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Strategy (2014-2025), USAID’s Preventing Child and Maternal Deaths Framework (2023 – 2030); the U.S. Government Global Nutrition Coordination Plan (2021- 2026), and the Global Food Security Strategy (2022 – 2026). The overarching goals for public health nutrition leadership provided by the Advisor are to contribute to preventing child and maternal deaths through the strategic and programmatic implementation of evidence-based nutrition interventions.

Full salary range for this position is $94,900 to $147,940 per year, with the starting salary determined based on candidate’s knowledge, skills, experience, as well as budget availability.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide technical guidance and recommendations on maternal and child nutrition-related topics across a multi-sectoral nutrition program portfolio with particular expertise in the areas of human nutrition, including nutrition and diets during pregnancy and lactation; breastfeeding; infant and young child nutrition; adolescent girls and women’s’ nutrition; and anemia and micronutrient deficiencies.
• Provide technical support to the Bureau for Global Health in overall strategy development for the design and implementation of nutrition-specific interventions as complementary to dietary initiatives, and in promoting the advancement and application of human nutrition in programs and projects, the dissemination and implementation of the USAID Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Strategy, the U.S. Government Global Nutrition Coordination Plan, the Global Food Security Strategy, and the USAID Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition Roadmap.
• Provide technical support to and actively participate in international fora and initiatives convened by UN agencies, bilateral donors, foundations, academic institutions, and other international entities.
• Track and disseminate the latest evidence for relevant global activities aimed to improve population nutrition status, such as ensuring dietary diversity (including food fortification and complementary foods), breastfeeding promotion, infant and young child feeding, micronutrient supplementation, and others.
• Provide support on the design and activity management of centralized mechanisms for maternal and child health and nutrition and food security that provide technical services for the field and/or advance global research and learning questions.
• In collaboration with the cross-bureau multi-sectoral nutrition team, provide strategic planning guidance to USAID Missions on program design and implementation of activities related to the integration of nutrition into maternal and child health services, primary health care platforms, multi-sectoral nutrition programs, and other development programs.
• Lead the development of new or updated technical guidance for Missions and implementing partners on a range of nutrition topics to operationalize USAID’s Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Strategy.
• Coordinate with the Bureau for Resilience, Environment, and Food Security; the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance; Regional Bureaus; and USAID Missions to achieve effective program integration of nutrition with maternal and child health, water and sanitation, infectious disease programs and neglected tropical diseases, family planning, and food security through field support and core programs.
• Provide technical leadership and participate in Agency-wide and U.S. Government interagency technical working groups as a member of the Nutrition Team to implement and monitor the USAID Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Strategy, the U.S. Government Global Nutrition Coordination Plan, and the Global Food Security Strategy.
• Provide technical inputs to evaluate existing and potential activities related to nutrition research both within the NEH and across various other units of USAID.
• Plan, facilitate and deliver important technical presentations at international and domestic meetings, workshops and conferences as required.
• Keep abreast of literature and the latest developments in nutrition science and programming, and deepening knowledge of the latest developments related to USG nutrition policies.
• Participate in professional continuing education, skills training and professional meetings to enhance relevant technical skills and career development.
• Travel internationally and domestically 30% of the time.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualification Requirements:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s degree with 6 years of relevant experience, bachelor’s degree with 8 years of relevant experience, Associate’s degree and 10 years of relevant experience, or High School graduate and 12 years of relevant experience.

Other Qualifications:

• At least 5 years of professional experience in health and nutrition programs with a focus on micronutrient assessment and interventions that includes experience in resource-challenged settings.
• Advanced knowledge and mastery of a range of nutrition principles, practices, and procedures within LMICs required, including maternal and child health and nutrition, nutrition-specific approaches, programs and research.
• Time living and/or working in a LMIC.
• Highly developed skills in oral and written communication in English, demonstrating the ability to communicate complex policy, strategy, and program issues in a clear, concise, and well-organized manner.
• Strong ability to integrate and apply findings and recommendations with donor agency/mission organizations, procedures, and operations systems (e.g., development approaches, defining objectives, budgeting and financial management, program implementation, and monitoring results).
• Team player eager to pitch in and support colleagues and flexible to adapt to a dynamic work environment.
• Strong interpersonal and cross‐cultural skills and the ability to work within a team setting and manage multiple tasks.
• Computer literacy with common applications, such as Word, Excel, and Google Suite.
• Fluency in a foreign language, especially French, is preferred.
• Ability to travel internationally and domestically up to 30% of the time.
• US citizenship or permanent residency with the ability to obtain and maintain facility access.