Job Description

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is an international non-profit, non-governmental organization operating in Nutrition, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Livestock, and Economic and Markets Development sectors. Mercy Corps currently has programs in the Regions of Somali, Oromia, Addis Ababa and SNNP, and works through the principles of Accountability, Participation and Peaceful Change.

 Position Title: Nutrition Officer

 Duty Station: Dire Dawa

 Open Position:  1

 Program / Department Summary

Food Security and Nutrition (FSN) is closely tied to livelihood opportunities, income, and market supply. The core underlying causes of malnutrition in the lowlands are both multi-dimensional and multi-sectoral and require nutrition specific and nutrition sensitive approaches. As a result, multiple integrated intervention approach is required to improve access, availability, and utilization of nutritious food.

General Position 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. 

Mercy Corps is seeking services of one (1) full-time Nutrition Officer to work on Nutrition activities on the USAID funded Resilience In Pastoral Areas Project (RIPA).

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Under the leadership of the Nutrition and WASH Coordinator, the Nutrition officer will be on the frontline to implement, manage and monitor the RIPA Nutrition and WASH activities at community level in a way that results in greater progress and synergies for nutrition and WASH impact.

• The Nutrition officer is responsible for establishing or strengthening community level nutrition groups like Mother to Mother support Groups; School Health Clubs and Male Champion groups

• The nutrition officer is in charge of supporting the functionality of these groups; Mother to Mother support Groups; School Health Clubs and Male Champion groups

• The Nutrition officer will technically support the Mother to Mother support Groups; School Health Clubs and Male Champion group facilitators to deliver quality services

• Collaborate with Agricultural extension workers and Development Agents in implementation of home gardening through perma gardening or keyhole gardening of fruits and vegetables.

• Work closely with the Nutrition Coordinator and Bureau of Agriculture in documentation and promoting scaling up of food storage, and preservation techniques at community level

• Promote construction of household upgradable latrines in targeted woredas.

• Promote Sanitation and hygiene practices (raw water treatment, safe water storage and handling hand washing and installation of hand washing facilities by the latrines)

Program Management

·       Work closely and support Mother-to-Mother support Groups, Male Champion Groups and School Health Clubs and supervise regular group counselling sessions and cooking demonstrations

·       Support community level supervision of RIPA’s biofortification initiatives

·       Support the roll out Community Led Total Sanitation and Hygiene (CLTSH) in targeted woredas

·       With support of the Nutrition and WASH Coordinator, the Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) activities at woreda and Kebele level in effectively delivering the “first 1000 day” approach

·       Facilitate community level dialogue sessions on personal, food/water hygiene and sanitation problems and social and gender norms that influence nutrition through Social Analysis and Action (SAA) approach

·       Actively participate in the development of tools behavior change communication (BCC) materials and approaches for Nutrition and WASH

Team Management

·       N/A

Finance & Compliance Management

·       N/A

Influence & Representation

·       In consultation with the Nutrition and WASH Coordinator, represent RIPA nutrition at Woreda level East and West Haraghe technical coordination meetings and forums, as needed e.g. Health, WASH and Nutrition clusters

GEDSI (GENDER, EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION)

Understand and aware GDI related priorities of the country office and contribute for the realization of priorities (continually work to understand and be aware of the gender diversity and inclusion priorities of the country office and contribute in the execution)

Promote gender equal and inclusive workplace culture in a day-to-day interaction with a team member, partners and program participants.

Security

●       Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.

●       Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Organizational 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.

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.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

Job Requirements

Knowledge and Experience

• Degree or diploma in nutrition, public health, nursing, midwifery, health promotion, or related international development field and at least 3-4  years of relevant work in nutrition and/or food security programs development

• Have extensive knowledge on the “first 1000 days” approach

• Extensive knowledge on WASH approaches for development settings

• Extensive knowledge on AMIYCN approaches for development settings

• Experience working with mother support peer groups

• Good writing skills

• Strong, team player, well demonstrated organizational and interpersonal skills.

• Experience working with multi-disciplinary technical specialists

• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple activities. 

• English fluency is essential, plus at least one other local language spoken in pastoral Ethiopia (Oromiya- East and West Haraghe and Somali region)

 Success Factors

Define the specific behavior and attitudes critical to success in the position at time of hire and as it develops over time in paragraph form (soft skills).

MC staff are expected to work in collaboration with other team members and stakeholders with better team spirit for better working environment. All MC’s team members are also expected to respect MC policies and procedures and need to work for the best interest of the community we are serving. 

How to Apply

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply for the position advertised.  All applications submitted to the Mercy Corps office or electronically 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: 13 August 2022/ 4:00 PM

 Please send non-returnable applications and credentials to one of the following addresses:                           

 et-recruitment@mercycorps.org

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

OR:Mercy Corps RecruiterAddis Ababa: P.O. Box 14319Arbaminch: P.O. Box 33 , Jijiga: P.O. Box 225Negelle Borena: P.O. Box 116Dire Dawa: P.O. Box 974