The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
The Nutrition Officer will support the health program in the implementation and supervision of the nutrition component, ensuring that the related activities of the program are delivered properly, providing quality care to all beneficiaries.
Major Responsibilities:
Technical support
- Monitor nutrition activities and staff (such as Infant and YYCF activities, malnutrition screening, breastfeeding counseling, IYCF counseling) through regular field visits.
- Provide support to IRC supported PHCCs staff in training on malnutrition screening, growth monitoring, and anthropometric measurements, while also overseeing and ensuring the effective implementation of these activities.
- Provide support to the dietitians at the PHCC and assist with the coordination of monthly meetings.
- Provide IYCF technical support to concerned staff
- Ensure that concerned staff understand and implement recommendations and guidelines when assessing the mother-child pair and advise the best feeding options and follow-up as appropriate.
- Facilitate the Focus group discussions with caregivers, mother/father, and pregnant and lactating women to identify specific barriers, opportunities and communications related to IYCF practices and knowledge.
- Contribute to the development of tools to assess the knowledge of beneficiaries before and after services as per need
- Contribute to the development of awareness sessions content and messages for adolescents, children, and caregivers according to the needs
- Contribute to the development of education materials on breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices
Capacity building and Training
- Oversee the education and awareness sessions conducted by the outreach workers.
- Conduct orientations and training to build the capacity of IRC and partners staff and volunteers, for key messages on IYCF, danger signs, screening, referral and follow-up of clients
- Offer technical guidance and support to ECD facilitators on topics such as IYCF, responsive feeding, malnutrition screening, and milestone cards.
Referral and Coordination
- Oversee the referral of children and mothers for intensive nutritional/medical care as required.
- Monitor referrals of identified malnutrition cases from the community or PHCCs to appropriate treatment or supplementary centers.
Reporting
- Ensure that the outreach workers and staff are maintaining records of mothers and children attending education sessions, receiving skilled assessment and support
- Submit monthly reporting of activities to the Nutrition Senior Officer
- Document case studies regularly and share with team members
Minimum Qualifications:
- Experience in training, and/or coaching others.
- Experience in the MoPH and nutrition sector strategies and SOPs.
- Previous experience in nutrition interventions including IYCF, malnutrition screening, and ECD.
Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:
- Knowledge of optimal IYCF and ECD practices, able to support pregnant and lactating women, as well as caregivers of children under 5 and a willingness to learn
- Proven capacity of teamwork
- Fluency in local working language.
- Excellent communication skills and a willingness to be respectful, kind, sensitive and empathize with all clients
- Capacity to keep accurate records of activities and report in a timely manner
- Demonstrable ability at report writing
- Ability to make a work plan and direct work independently
Education:
- University degree in nutrition, public health or any related field.
Language Skills:
- Excellent command of written and spoken English and Arabic are required.
Preferred experience & skills:
- Knowledge of trauma-based care desirable.
Working Environment:
- Standard office working environment with frequent trips to the field
Standard of Professional Conduct:The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.
Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.