Nutrition Advisor, Integrated Health Service Delivery Activity

Nutrition Advisor, Integrated Health Service Delivery Activity

Palladium Group

Nigeria

This Proposal Opportunity:

The purpose of the activity is to strengthen service delivery and integrated primary health care at primary and secondary health facilities in the country through healthcare service and health data quality improvement at health facilities improving access to care at community levels as a continuum of integrated primary health care.

This activity will provide relevant training for health care workers and is expected to build awareness and equip current and future facility-based and public health practitioners with the necessary multi-sectoral skills and capacities to address old and emerging infectious diseases, maternal, newborn and child health diseases. This activity will also strengthen the interoperability between paper-based and electronic health information management systems and improve surveillance and public health functions of primary and secondary health care facilities.

The Nutrition Advisor is a full-time position and will be responsible for leading the design and implementation of the activity’s nutrition program to improve maternal, newborn and child health outcomes. The Nutrition Advisor will be responsible for providing leadership in nutrition capacity building, clinical mentoring and supportive supervision in the technical area of nutrition for an upcoming USAID award in Nigeria. They will provide technical assistance at the country-level and state nutrition advisors to support nutrition-related activities including integrated primary health care activities and support to strengthen community-based services to enhance access, referrals and linkages to the formal PHC system.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide technical guidance on nutrition-specific interventions through Primary Healthcare and community-based platforms.
• Guidance must be sound, evidence-based and responsive to the needs of the Nigerian Government and USAID.
• Provide technical leadership and build local capacity using proven training approaches on promotion of exclusive breastfeeding through the revised WHO guidelines for Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative and Community Initiatives, as well as
• Comprehensive Infant and Young Child Feeding practices.
• Provide curriculum review, revision, and master training oversight and follow-up clinical mentoring to promote maternal nutrition (nutrition in pregnancy, nutrition while breastfeeding, management of diarrhea), and nutrition through the lifecycle with emphasis on complementary feeding (6-23 months) and dietary diversity.
• Provide guidance on how to incorporate high impact nutrition services into antenatal, intra and post-partum care, as well as integrated management of childhood illness and integrated community case management protocols.
• Provide guidance to facilities (PHC) and community-based structures to enhance community-based nutrition counseling and case detection and referral of MAM/CMAM cases for appropriate treatment and counseling.
• Liaise with M&E and SPHCDA staff to encourage case management, follow-up, and surveillance of nutritional status.
• Contribute to annual work planning, training plans and quarterly reports and other required technical reports.
• Contribute to timely, accurate and appropriate reporting of program activities and results.
• Ensure quality program implementation consistent with MOH Nigerian Guidelines, global best practices and USAID Nigerian Strategic Directions.
• Evaluate program progress against deliverables on a quarterly basis
• With other technical area leads, collaborate on program design, implementation, quality assurance and monitoring of work plan.
• Coordinate with the other NGO partners to develop and implement feasible facility and community-based approaches.

Key Competencies Required:

• Master’s degree or higher in Human Nutrition, Public Health or related field
• Minimum 7 years of experience working in Nutrition in Africa, preferably in Nigeria.
• Demonstrated expertise in working directly with host-country senior government officials and policy makers in nutrition and MNCH.
• Experience working with host-country partners, organizations, and institutions
• Strong skills in design, implementation and monitoring of program components; e.g. services, training, supportive supervision, clinical mentoring, patient counseling, advocacy and coordination.
• Experience with technical leadership for programs funded by USAID and/or other donor programs in developing countries, with significant Nigeria experience.
• Strong verbal, listening, writing, and intrapersonal skills essential for effective coordination among several institutions and staff involved in a broad range of activities.
• Fluent in English, (written and oral communication)
• Willingness to travel throughout Nigeria as necessary.

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