About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible.

In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future. We help people overcome poverty and conflict. Working with communities, we leverage local logic to help people transform their lives. To grow more food, earn higher incomes and ultimately advocate for their needs. We see global challenges as an invitation to pioneer innovative, sustainable solutions. During our 34-year history, our work has improved more than 170 million lives in more than 115 countries around the world. Mercy Corps Ethiopia invites motivated and qualified candidates to apply for the following vacant position.

Position Title:  SENIOR NUTRITION AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR CHANGE AND COMMUNICATION (SBCC) ADVISOR

Duty Station: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia  

Open Position: one

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps has been present in Ethiopia since 2004, and acts on behalf of people who have become disenfranchised and poor. We stand with Ethiopia to find and access opportunities, and to be part of lasting and meaningful transformation in the country. Mercy Corps seeks to be influential with government and development actors towards a more resilient country where poverty is tackled through the eyes of those who understand it best. This translates into ensuring that the population is financially stable, healthy & nourished, educated & unformed, and that natural resources are accessible, shared and utilized sustainably. 

Mercy Corps is implementing a multi-year, multi-million dollar USAID funded initiative focused on: stimulating increased production, productivity and marketing through more competitive livestock and livestock products markets; increasing communities’ resilience; diversifying livelihood economic opportunities and options through essential skills transfer; improving food security and nutrition, and contributing to the wider knowledge on pastoral development. The program operates in multiple pastoral regions, Somali, Afar and Oromiya in Ethiopia.

General Position Summary

The Senior Nutrition and SBCC Advisor, is a key member of the Nutrition/WASH/SBCC sector. The Nutrition/WASH/SBCC sector focuses on improving the developmental nutrition and WASH outcomes of women and children and uses innovative social behavior change and communication approaches to reach desired outcomes. The Team is comprised of technical expertise in the areas of Nutrition, WASH and SBCC at national and regional levels. 

The Senior Nutrition and SBCC Advisors’ primary responsibility is to work with RIPA Nutrition Team Leader to provide reliable and timely technical input, contribute to development of relevant knowledge/structures to inform the underlying causes of malnutrition. The Senior Nutrition and SBCC Advisor will provide leadership to the RIPA field nutrition and WASH teams to deliver sound, harmonized approach, efficient and high impact activities for improved nutrition and WASH outcomes. He/she will also work closely in capacity building the RIPA local partners implementing nutrition activities.

The Senior Nutrition and SBCC Advisor will be based in Addis Ababa office with frequent travel to RIPA operational areas in Somali, Afar and Oromia region.

 ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS  

• Under the leadership of the Nutrition team leader, the Senior Nutrition and SBCC Advisor will implement, manage and monitor the RIPA nutrition and WASH component in such a way that program activities results in greater progress, synergies for nutritional and WASH impact.
• Design, roll out and monitor Nutrition specific and nutrition sensitive activities targeted at under five children and women. 
• Capacitate the team on the first 1000 days approach and oversee the implementation of the Essential Nutrition Actions (ENA)
• Collect and compile evidence-based information’s to influence evidence based innovative programming approaches to chronic malnutrition, maternal, infant and young child nutrition, and micronutrient deficiency in pastoral settings including Pastoralist transitioning out of pastoralism (TOPS).
• Using behavior change approaches, support the Nutrition Team lead to address barriers to effective adoption of appropriate nutrition and WASH behaviors being promoted by RIPA project for pastoral and agro pastoral households.
• Contribute to the development of technical resource materials for nutrition and WASH, including guidelines, manuals and curricula. Provide training to field staff, government health workers, developments agents etc, as necessary.
• Support Nutrition team Lead in designing Nutrition and WASH strategies and activities that address systemic level challenges that undermine long-term development goals for Nutrition and WASH.
• Actively participate in the development of Social Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) materials, tools and approaches for Nutrition/WASH, Livestock/crop production and productivity, alternative livelihood, natural resource management and gender
• Support the Nutrition Team Leader in the development of assessment tools for WASH, nutrition and SBCC
• Ensure RIPA project conforms to, and utilizes evidence-based program global gold standards/ tools (e.g. maternal, infant and young child nutrition (MIYCN), and essential hygiene actions to implement high impact activities.
• Work closely with the Nutrition team leader and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEAL) teams to monitor performance against set indicators and document best practices.
• In collaboration with the Nutrition team leader develop comprehensive nutrition program implementation documents, work plans, recruitment plans, procurement plans, etc
• Supervise and provide technical guidance and mentorship/coaching to the field nutrition technical team.
• Support the preparation of relevant sections of the ad-hoc program reports, quarterly, interim and annual programmatic reports. Contribute to other reports of project progress and performance as required.
• Closely work with other RIPA project components for higher level integrations that ensure nutrition and WASH are positioned as a cross cutting issues across all RIPA program components to meet its overall project goal
• Technically support the nutrition implementing partners and sub-grantees in their nutrition, WASH and SBCC implementations to contribute for higher impact of the program.
• Work closely with RIPA team to put system in place for practical and sustainable Community conversations/ Social Analysis and Action dialogues at community and schools level as mediums for spreading appropriate WASH and Nutrition messages
• Regularly review and approve the concepts notes uploaded by field teams in Program Activity online system
• Closely support the Regional teams on WASH, Nutrition and SBCC activities being implemented by RIPA partners both remotely and through frequent travels as required.

 REPRESENTATION AND COORDINATION

• In consultation with the Nutrition team leader represent RIPA nutrition in technical coordination meetings and forums, as needed (Nutrition sensitive agriculture technical working groups, ECSC SUN technical working groups, home garden network steering committee etc) Nutrition/WASH clusters as appropriately.)
• Liaise with local government officials, local NGOs and civil society organizations, local religious leaders and other notables to ensure support for and acceptance of Mercy Corps’ programs. 
• Maintain close working relationships with donors, other humanitarian and development organizations, and local partners, including representing Mercy Corps at local coordination meetings as assigned.
• Play a liaising roles with the governments at federal and regional levels for the issues related to nutrition, WASH, SBCC and health in general
• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Closely work with the Field Level Technical Nutrition and WASH Coordinators in monitoring and follow-up of Nutrition, WASH and SBCC activity implementations providing timely feedback for real time decision making for improved RIPA project performance.
• Foster close working relationship for project over project interaction that fosters easy sequencing and layering of project activities across the Livestock/crop production and productivity, nutrition, gender and WASH components
• Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Support orientation of field team members with a focus on MSD
• Play a program leadership role for employment, financial inclusion or energy-specific programming.

 SECURITY

• Work closely with the country team’s security focal point to develop and maintain systems that promote the safety and security of all team members.
• Ensure that programs are designed and implemented with a clear analysis and understanding of security.

RGANIZATIONAL LEARNING 

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

ACCOUNTABILITY TO BENEFICIARIES

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects

Job Requirements

• Advanced degree in Nutrition, Public health or related international development field and at least 5 years of relevant work in nutrition and/or food security programs development
• Extensive knowledge of programmatic approaches and models used in development nutrition and SBCC
• Experience in both nutrition sensitive and specific activities
• Experience implementing the first 1000 days
• Experience in setting up, supervising and supporting mother support groups, male champion groups and school health clubs
• Extensive Knowledge on WASH approaches for development settings
• Solid research background and good writing skills
• Strong well-demonstrated organizational and interpersonal skills
• Experience working with multi-disciplinary technical specialists
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple activities.
• English fluency is essential and at least one other local language spoken in pastoral Ethiopia
• Knowledge and experience working in Ethiopia pastoral areas
• Experience with the development, implementation & compliance of donor funded programs including USAID agreements and strong understanding of USAID rules, regulations and compliance issues
• Established ability to manage and communicate effectively with team members of varied work styles.
• Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving
• Experience working with host governments, national and international NGOs.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
• Internationally recognized qualification in project or program management or a commitment to obtain the qualification in the early months of work
• Willingness to extensive support and support field teams in Afar, Oromia and Somali regions

 Success Factors

A successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability to lead and communicate effectively with team members of varied work styles and cultures, follow procedures and meet deadlines with flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving. S/he will have a proven ability to learn quickly, multi-task, prioritize, take initiative, and be accountable for results, understand the larger picture while remaining focused on the details, problem solving, work within a complex and sensitive setting and to follow laws and security protocols. The most successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

 Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The Senior Nutrition and SBCC Advisor is based in the capital city – Addis Ababa. This position requires 35% travel by road and air to field offices in often insecure environments.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

How to Apply

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply for the position advertised. All applications submitted to the Mercy Corps office include a CV, three references, and all relevant official documents. Applications will not be returned and will not be retained for future recruitment efforts. In order to ensure fairness to all applicant’s personal inquiries are not permitted.

 Only candidates that are short listed will be acknowledged and called for interviews.

 “Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer promoting gender, equity and   diversity. Qualified female and young candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We are committed to empower women and youth.”        

DEADLINE FOR ALL APPLICATIONS: 04 June 2021/4:00 PM

Please send non-returnable applications and credentials to one of the following address:  et-recruitment@mercycorps.org  OR: Mercy Corps Recruiter Addis Ababa: P.O. Box 14319 Arbaminch: P.O. Box 33 , Jijiga: P.O. Box 225    Negelle Borena: P.O. Box 116 Dire Dewa: P.O. Box 974

Note: Please make sure that you mention the position title in the subject line of your email application.