Nutrition Specialist at International Center for Traopical Agriculture (CIAT)

CIAT (International Center for Tropical Agriculture) works in collaboration with hundreds of partners to help developing countries make farming more competitive, profitable, and resilient through smarter, more sustainable natural resource management.

The Alliance, on behalf of HarvestPlus is seeking a Nutrition Specialist for a World Bank Multisectoral Child Nutrition and Health Project (PMNS) project in DRC. HarvestPlus will be providing technical assistance services to the government of DRC. These technical assistance services are focused on integrating biofortified crops – nutritionally enriched varieties of cassava, orange sweet potatoes, and maize (all Vitamin A) and high iron beansinto government led agricultural programs. Technical assistance spans the whole value chain.

The Nutrition Specialist will be responsible for leading engagement with the Government of DRC on the implementation and establishment of activities related to the Nutrition component of the technical assistance services. This will include nutrition strategy development with respect to biofortified crops, including training and capacity development for community nutrition promoters, development and promotion of public health messages with PROANUT, development of social delivery models for cassava and orange sweet potato, recipe development for consumers, nutritional content promotion with food processors and other nutrition functions as needed. These activities are geared to educate and sensitize the population to production, promotion and consumption of Biofortified crops in the 3 implementation provinces. This will lead to an effective introduction and acceptance by consumers/customers of bio-fortified crops throughout the project areas and district, as well as incentivizing demand for these crops from farmers.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Management of nutrition related activities:


2. Lead engagement with Ministry of Health on development of strategies to integrate biofortified crops into Ministry activities


3. Ensure that project related nutrition interventions are responsive to target communities and partners and aligned with HarvestPlus core values, strategic plan and guiding principles


4. Develop with Ministry counter parts nutrition awareness and education strategies focused on the consumption of biofortified crops among the population


5. In collaboration with Ministry partners organize training workshops and provide training and advice based on scope of the activity


6. As the person responsible for all technical nutrition training and guidance, develop and adapt existing training materials in local language context for use in field


7. Ensure that all reports related to the nutrition implementation are provided to the project manager in a timely, and responsive manner


8. Ensure that monitoring of project indicators related to nutrition output is timely and of excellent quality to support reporting.


9. Promote the project with stakeholders and the public in DRC through sound and innovative communications working with the communications assistant.


10. Support partners and community units with technical assistance to implement a sustainable, Social and Behavior Change (SBC) campaign using key principles of MIYCN aimed at key decision makers, health care workers, community health volunteers and community social groups.


11. Contribute to project quality through implementation of project requirements and use of program M&E systems.


12. Mainstreaming gender into nutrition related project interventions, through support and promotion and involvement of other community stakeholders throughout all areas of the project related to nutrition.

Requirements:

1. Masters’ degree in nutrition or relevant biological or social science degree. Specific training related to community based nutrition activities is required


2. At least 7 years’ experience preferably in a UN, donor or multilateral agency nutritional programs


3. Fluent in French (written and spoken) is mandatory, local languages, and English


4. Experience in social and behavior change communication


5. Demonstrated ability to collaborate, understand and motivate partner staff for effective implementation of field activities.


6. Demonstrated awareness and responsiveness to local context, gender and social issues in integrated programs.


7. Strong experience with communication of technologies and development tools to local context.


8. Experience with Microsoft Office Software, nutritional modelling.


9. Willingness to travel frequently and work under field conditions.


10. Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, but also participate as a team member in accomplishment of duties.


11. Strong ability to co-ordinate, prioritize and organize workload; take initiative and work under pressure.


12. Excellent written and verbal communications.


13. Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment.

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