HelpAge International Regional Nutrition & Health Programme Manager Job in Nairobi or Addis Ababa

Regional Nutrition & Health Programme Manager
 

Based in Nairobi or Addis Ababa
 

HelpAge International (HelpAge) is an international NGO with a vision of a world where older people fulfill their potential to lead active, dignified, healthy and secure lives. 

It is also a global network with over 100 affiliates working to support older people and promote their rights.

HelpAge’s programmes are managed by a secretariat in London and six Regional Offices including one for East, West and Central Africa based in Nairobi.
 

 

A growing part of HelpAge’s work is in humanitarian crisis situations, where older people are amongst the most vulnerable. 

HelpAge is the only international NGO dedicated to ensuring older people receive humanitarian assistance and protection. 

HelpAge’s strategic aim for its humanitarian work in East Africa is to ensure that older people are considered and their needs addressed in planning and activities of African governments and humanitarian organizations in emergency preparedness, response and recovery programmes.
 

We are now in the process of developing a particular focus on older people’s health & nutrition in the humanitarian context. 

Despite the commitment of humanitarian actors to impartiality, older people are routinely excluded from health & nutrition programmes. 

They are left out in the assessments and their specific needs are not addressed in supplementary and therapeutic progammes and treatment. 

HelpAge is committed to ensuring older people receive the humanitarian health & nutrition assistance they need by:

• implementing health & nutrition programmes in partnership with host governments (MoH) and other agencies


• ensuring other agencies are aware and informed of the health & nutritional needs of older people


• Strengthening the capacity of other agencies to assess and address older people’s health & nutrition needs in emergencies, and,


• Actively participating in coordination fora to raise the profile of older people’s nutrition and health needs.

The purpose of this role therefore is to further HelpAge’s organisational goal of ensuring that older people’s needs are included in the health and nutrition assessments, management and other support they need in humanitarian crises by initiating, supporting and managing a nutrition & health programme in humanitarian of contexts in the East Africa region. 

This role will also include direct delivery of services, advice and support to other nutrition actors (including governments, NGOs, UN, and coordination bodies such as the humanitarian clusters), advocacy and capacity building.

The incumbent will have a post graduate degree in nutrition, public health, nursing or related field, technical and managerial experience in programme design, implementation and monitoring of nutrition and health programmes in humanitarian contexts, with at least 5 years in the field and solid understanding of links between emergency and development programs. 

A strong understanding of key technical issues in nutrition, including dietary requirements for adults, CMAM, nutritional assessments, treatment and prevention of malnutrition as well as ability to travel sometimes at a short notice for extended periods often with difficult living conditions are essential to this role.