Plan Food Assistance and Nutrition Unit Manager

Plan has a growing portfolio of food assistance and nutrition programmes. We are now setting up a Food Assistance and Nutrition Unit (FANU) with the aim of improving the quality of such programmes and establishing Plan as a significant agency in these fields. The Unit will help country programmes improve programme design and implementation and organise Plan’s existing knowledge and capacity to systematically develop Plan’s programming and reputation. The Unit will have a global remit and report to the Director for Disaster Risk Management (DRM), based at International Headquarters (IH) in Woking, UK however this role could potentially be located in any Plan office and will have some accountability to the Country Director.

The post holder is responsible for setting up the Unit and establishing a strong reputation within Plan and externally. The post holder will be responsible for managing the existing budget and for seeking additional funds for the unit either through cost recovery or by soliciting contributions and grants from Plan’s National Offices.

The FANU Manager will require technical skills in food assistance or nutrition, with a deep understanding of their technical field in theory, policy and practice.

The post holder will be expected to use their technical knowledge and experience to sharpen analysis of needs in any emerging crisis and to help with concepts for the outline of programme design so that Plan’s interventions are appropriate to the circumstances. They will support aspects of detailed programme design, particularly the monitoring indicators and processes. Once a programme is being implemented, FANU will continue to advice and support. FANU will take a leading role in drawing lessons from Plan’s experience and use these to develop knowledge, guidance and policy for future programmes. The FANU experts will engage with donors, governments and policy makers to influence them and to build Plan’s profile as a capable and professional organisation.

Dimensions of Role:

•The Manager will take responsibility for the FANU budget and line manages the FANU Specialist and any other staff or interns who may join the unit. •Reporting to the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) team regularly on the development of FANU portfolio of Food Assistance and Nutrition projects and opportunities for expansion. •Represents Plan at global WFP, FAO, African Union and Global Food Security and Nutrition Clusters, sharing responsibilities with the other technical specialists. •Regular travel including secondment at short notice to support Food Assistance and Nutrition disaster risk management work where required by Plan’s DRM team

Main Responsibilities Plan’s FANU is operating effectively and within budget

•Develop a plan for developing FANU and share responsibilities for implementation •Line management of staff, consultants, volunteers and interns managed in line with Plan’s policies and practice and for high performance •Establishment of an effectively functioning unit within the local context •Excellent coordination and reporting of the FANU to DRM IH for effective coordination with other parts of the DRM team

Leadership; Strategy and Management

•Provide technical oversight to the development and negotiation of major food assistance and nutrition programmes throughout Plan to recognised international standards •Provide senior leadership within the FANU & DRM in global technical oversight of food resourced programmes by supervising and providing leadership to Country Office (CO), developing mechanisms that result to compliance to food aid regulations, developing new programmes in the regions and COs, and developing mechanisms for rapid food response in emergencies. •Provide leadership to FANU/Plan food specialists in CO’s ensuring systematic assistance to countries with food resourced programmes and countries with potential for food aid programming. •Provide leadership to the development and implementation of tools designed to improve quality food assistance and nutrition programming. •Assist CO’s to develop a sound and replicable design, monitoring and evaluation of food aid programmes that contributes to enhanced livelihood security of communities. •Representing Plan/FANU in internal and external forums as required, including presenting and attending conferences. •Contribute to Plan’s reputation with key donors and stakeholders, including USAID, CIDA, AusAid, WFP, USDA, FAM and EU etc in coordination with National Office’s •Provide technical leadership to Plan’s engagement with the World Food Program. Attend senior level WFP technical meetings

Technical/Programming

•Provide strategic programming and systems support for development and relief food programmes, including assistance/advise with proposal design writing and budgeting. •Ensure that proper food handling and accountability systems are in place in every country where there is food programming. •Collaborate and coordinate with relief entities in the regions in the design and implementation of the food aspects of relief programmes, including early warning, preparedness mitigation and the actual response. •Liaise with regional DRM managers to maintain a database of Plan’s food assistance and nutrition programmes worldwide. This should include levels of need by country and donor response. •Ensure food emergency assessments are carried out and integrated food assistance and nutrition projects designed and implemented. •Establish quality standards for food assistance and nutrition programmes that improve Plan’s impact on children. Food Assistance to cover food aid, livelihoods and cash programming. •Develop standardised participatory monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for food assistance and nutrition •Develop partnerships with other potential food assistance partners and reserve mobilisation strategies with potential food aid nutrition potential donors and partners Global Food Security advocacy initiatives are based on evidence of Plan’s food assistance experience

•Coordinate and disseminate evidence-based research, learning and documentation on the impact on various forms of food assistance on children. •Develop a strategy with key messages for the coming five years to ensure change in policy and practice for increased impact on children •Prepare food assistance/nutrition, children position papers and policy briefs

Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours Required to Achieve Role’s Objectives:

Knowledge

•Masters degree or equivalent in Development; Social Sciences or a related field •Direct experience with and thorough working knowledge of food aid legislation and regulations of major donors including but not restricted to the United States, Canada, ECHO, the EU and Australia. •Formal training in Food aid, Logistics, Food Programming and related systems preferred •Extensive experience in a high level management position •A proven ability in donor relations and networking required •Experience in working in both relief and development preferred •Proven experience in representing organisations at WFP, FAO, African Union, Civil Society initiatives and Food Security and/or Nutrition clusters etc •Proven experience of setting up a department or team from scratch would be desirable. •Resource acquisition experience preferred. •Knowledge of international humanitarian standards and codes of conduct Skills

•Proven effective management skills leading teams across several locations and operating in a cross cultural structure •Excellent proven food security and/or nutrition analytical skills •Excellent written and spoken English with French an advantage •Excellent representational and coordination skills •Excellent project design, participatory monitoring and evaluation skills •Ability to work in emergency settings Behaviours

•Striving for high performance •Strategic thinking and innovation •Influence and communication •Building effective teams and partnerships •Developing people •Self awareness and resilience Languages

Excellent written and spoken English required. French would be advantageous.

Location and Travel

The position is based in Plan Burkina Faso however other Plan Country Offices may also be considered. It requires extensive travel to Country and Regional Offices, International Headquarters and for donor and cluster meetings which may account for up to 40% of working time. Program Unit visits may be to emergency settings which are remote, provide rudimentary facilities or be physically and emotionally challenging in other ways

Type of Role: Three year fixed term contract

Reports to: Director of Disaster Risk Management

Salary: $50-65,000 per annum plus full expat benefits

Closing Date: Friday 12th April 2013

How to apply:

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