Program Officer II, Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition (MCHN) in Washington, DC

FHI 360 is a nonprofit human development organization dedicated to improving lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions. Our staff includes experts in Health, Education, Nutrition, Environment, Economic Development, Civil Society, Gender, Youth, Research and Technology– creating a unique mix of capabilities to address today's interrelated development challenges. FHI 360 serves more than 60 countries, all 50 U.S. states and all U.S. territories. We seek qualified candidates for the position of Program Officer II, Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition (MCHN) in Washington, DC.

Position Description:

Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance III (FANTA) improves nutrition and food security policy, strategy and programming, and provides technical support to USAID and its partners, including host country governments, international organizations and PVO implementing partners. Focus areas for technical assistance include maternal and child health and nutrition, HIV and other infectious diseases, community-based nutrition programs and interventions, food security and livelihood strengthening, and emergency and reconstruction. FANTA develops and adapts approaches to support the design and quality implementation of field programs, while building on field experience to improve and expand the evidence base, methods, and global standards for nutrition and food security programming. The project, funded by USAID, is a five-year cooperative agreement.

The MCHN Program Officer provides program management support to FANTA’s activities focused on maternal and child health and nutrition. The Program Officer assists FANTA’s technical managers in planning and managing technical assistance activities through tasks such as preparing scopes of work (SOWs), reviewing and editing written products, and preparing documentation for contracts with consultants and partners. The Program Officer’s responsibilities will include a combination of administrative, communications, and technical tasks including backstopping teams of FANTA staff and consultants; strengthening systems within the cluster to ensure high quality and efficient operation; liaising with the project’s communications, finance, and administrative staff; managing partnerships with sub-recipients; and supporting technical managers in developing and tracking budgets. The position involves exposure to substantial technical content in nutrition and food security, but expertise in these technical areas is not required for the position. The MCHN Program Officer is based in Washington DC, with occasional travel to the field anticipated.

The Program Officer II, Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition (MCHN) will:

Under the supervision of the MCHN Advisor and in support of the DC and field-based technical teams:

Provide technical support to HQ and field-based activities:

• Support HQ backstopping for FANTA DC and field-based MCHN activities
• Provide support to the design, planning, and assessment, of MCHN activities
• Help research, prepare and review, written technical, advocacy and policy documents related to MCHN, including proofreading, reviewing for consistency, and editing
• Contribute to program reviews, assessments, and strategy development by conducting literature searches, compiling documents and information on specific topics, and providing input/feedback.
• Support development of training materials, tools, and technical manuals and guides
• Support planning and implementation of PROFILES workshops, advocacy workshops and similar workshops or trainings
• Prepare responses to requests for information about FANTA activities or specific technical issues from USAID/Washington, USAID missions, or other stakeholders.
• Assist in the production and dissemination of documents on lessons learned and promising practices related to MCHN
• Support FANTA’s collaboration with the CORE Group and TOPS, participating in specific working group activities, as needed (e.g. coordinating technical advisory group meetings, serving as rapporteur, organizing co-sponsored events)

Provide administrative and communications support:

• Support the preparation of Scopes of Work (SOWs) and contracts for FANTA technical assistance activities, consultancies, purchase orders, and sub-agreements. In some cases this may entail drafting specific sections or providing input to SOWs, and in other cases may entail drafting new SOWs based on existing SOWs and country-specific and activity-specific information and tracking the development and review of SOWs as they move through the contracting system.
• Track deliverables submitted by consultants or other partners
• Prepare and track global and country-specific work plans and budgets
• Provide input to FANTA annual reporting, including tracking documents produced, workshops held, trainings held, and presentations made
• Compile and maintain FANTA and other project products on specific technical topics for use by project staff, USAID, and other stakeholders related to MCHN
• Provide back-up management of consultants, and in-country technical activities when technical staff are on travel or out of the office
• Provide support to technical advisors in developing budgets
• Perform other job-related activities, as assigned.

Minimal Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree in nutrition, public health, or a related field required.

Five years of relevant program management experience Some knowledge of international nutrition, maternal and child nutrition, food security, and/or health programs preferred. Experience managing complex tasks within fixed timeframes. Experience working with field-based activities. Experience with USAID-funded activities is preferred. Experience with preparation of written deliverables and products. Experience working in nutrition, food security, or health sectors is preferred. Experience in program management or the provision of technical assistance to programs at the national and local levels. Experience working with national governments and health systems.

Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail. Ability to manage a variety of tasks simultaneously and establish priorities. Ability to write concisely and clearly in English. Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively as part of a team. Ability to initiate and implement activities with minimal oversight. English fluency is essential. Proficiency in French, Portuguese or Spanish is desirable.

Interested candidates may register online through FHI 360's Career Center at www.fhi360.org/careercenter or through the Employment section at www.fhi360.org. Please submit CV/resume and cover letter including salary requirements. Please specify source in your application.

AA/EOE/M/F/V/D