Nutrition and Social Behavior Change and Communication (SBCC) Specialist

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.

Mercy Corps has been operating in Ethiopia since 2004. In partnership with civil society organizations, private sector, and the government, Mercy Corps Ethiopia has reached more than five million Ethiopians with interventions to save lives and build secure livelihoods. Our programs emphasize market-driven solutions, reinforce social bonds, and help communities build resilience to the impacts of climate change. Currently in Seven regional states – Afar, Gambella, Oromia, Somali, Amhara, Tigray and South Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region (SNNPR) – Mercy Corps Ethiopia is driven by the mission to contribute the emergence of a peaceful, resilient, and prosperous Ethiopia which is inclusive of youth and women. Our strategic directions focus in promoting inclusive and dynamic markets; promoting peace and social cohesion through strengthening formal/informal governance structures and citizen engagement; improved natural resource governance; and integrated humanitarian response.

Program / Department Summary

Integrated Smallholders Farmers Resilience and Livelihood Support (ISRLS) Project is a WFP funded project with the aim of building the resilience and improving livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Gambella region with the specific objectives of increasing agriculture production and productivity, market linkages, financial inclusion, and promotion of production and consumption of diversified crops to improve nutrition status of the population in target woredas. The implementation of this project will improve smallholder farmers productivity, enhance income and build resilience which contributes to country’s vision becoming middle income country by 2030.

General Position Summary

The Nutrition and SBCC specialist will focuses on improving the developmental nutrition and social behavior change and communication approaches to reach desired outcomes. The Nutrition and SBCC specialist’s primary responsibility is to work with ISRLS project team to provide reliable and timely technical input, contribute to development of relevant knowledge/structures to inform the underlying causes of malnutrition, provide leadership deliver sound, harmonized approach, efficient and high impact activities for improved nutrition outcome.

The Senior Nutrition and SBCC specialist will be based in Gambella field office.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS  

• The Nutrition and SBCC Specialist will implement, manage and monitor the ISRLS nutrition component in such a way that program activities results in greater progress, synergies for nutritional impact.
• Design, roll out and monitor Nutrition specific and nutrition sensitive activities.
• 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 target operational woredas.
• Using behavior change approaches, support the project team/field officers to address barriers to effective adoption of appropriate nutrition and change behaviors being promoted by the project.
• 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.
• Actively participate in the development of Social Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) materials, tools and approaches for Nutrition, crop production and productivity, alternative livelihood, natural resource management and gender
• Develop assessment tools for nutrition and SBCC
• Ensure ISRLS 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 Evaluation and Learning (MEAL) officers 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 officers
• 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 is positioned as a cross cutting issues across all ISRLS program components to meet its overall project goal.
• 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 nutrition messages.

REPRESENTATION AND COORDINATION

• Represent Mercy corps in nutrition cluster meetings and forums, as needed.
• 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.
• 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 project team in monitoring and follow-up of Nutrition and SBCC activity implementations providing timely feedback for real time decision making for improved ISRLS project performance.
• Foster close working relationship for project over project interaction that fosters easy sequencing and layering of project activities across the crop production and productivity, nutrition, gender and financial inclusion 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

• Ensure that programs are designed and implemented with a clear analysis and understanding of security.

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

Knowledge and Experience

• Advanced degree in nutrition Agriculture or related international development field and at least 5 years of relevant work experiance 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 agriculture and specific activities
• Experience in setting up, supervising and supporting established nutrition groups at woreda and kebele level.
• 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.
• Knowledge and experience working in the Gambella region-Ethiopia
• Experience with the development, implementation & compliance of donor funded programs.
• 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 officers in 9 operational woredas

Application Procedure

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply for the position advertised online or submit CV and application to Gambella field office.  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.  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.”