Ireland Nutrition Advisor

Job Title: Nutrition Advisor (Maternity cover)

Reports to: Head of Health Support Unit or their delegate

Job Location: Dublin or London with up to 30% overseas travel

Contract Details: 6 month fixed term contract with a possibility of extension dependent on funding

Pay Band Dublin : €41,281 - €48,151 London: £36,149

Job Background: Concern Worldwide is a non-governmental, international, humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and the elimination of extreme poverty in the world's poorest countries.

Concern Worldwide works to develop and scale up effective, evidence-based interventions to promote optimum health and nutrition, particularly among the extremely poor and vulnerable. The organisation actively supports integrated programmes in 25 countries in the Health (including nutrition), Food Income and Markets (including food security), Education and HIV sectors. Concern currently supports health and nutrition programmes in emergency, transition and development contexts in more than 15 countries.

Concern has been a key player in the development and scale-up of Community-based Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition (CMAM), beginning with the first large scale pilots of Community Therapeutic Care with Valid International in 2002. We currently support CMAM in 10 countries, largely in partnership with Ministries of Health.

As laid out in our organisational strategic plan (2006 – 2011), over the next five years, Concern will focus increasing on the holistic prevention of undernutrition. This will involve strategic realignment of Concern’s agriculture, livelihoods and health programmes. We will do this alongside continued efforts to integrate CMAM and other key health services into national and local health systems. Expansion of sound evidence and promotion of learning in the effective delivery of direct nutrition interventions and nutrition-sensitive development is a key priority, as is using key learning to advocate for necessary policy change.

Concern is headquartered in Dublin with other principal offices in London, New York, Belfast, Glasgow and in each of the countries of operation.

The Nutrition Advisor will sit within the Health Support Unit (HSU), which is currently comprised of eight technical advisors and an overall Head of the Health Unit. These advisors are distributed across our Dublin, London and New York offices. The HSU sits within the Strategy Advocacy and Learning (SAL) directorate which comprises global advisors for Food, Income and Markets (FIM), Education, Equality, Programme Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Advocacy, among others.

The position offers the chance to work with a dynamic multi-disciplinary team to develop and strengthen programmes to effectively tackle undernutrition using an integrated, evidence-based, community-focused approach. It will also entail contributions to the development of internal policies, strategies, guidelines and learning documents as relevant.

Based on the chosen candidate’s preference, the post may be based in our Dublin or London office, provided the candidate has the relevant work permit.

Job Purpose:

To contribute to high quality nutrition programming and comprehensive learning and positive policy change across the range of contexts in which Concern works

Main duties & Responsibilities:

1. Provide technical and strategic support for design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of country and multi-country nutrition programmes in line with Concern’s global health and nutrition-related strategies and global best practice
2. Support capacity building initiatives for Concern and partners’ staff including distance mentoring and information sharing, formal trainings and informal training/coaching during field visits. Engage in recruitment of new staff as needed.
3. In coordination with country and international programme staff, synthesise, document and disseminate lessons learned from Concern nutrition programming and operations research in the form of internal and external papers and presentations. Where possible, support the design of programmes, advocacy work and operational research to contribute to the evidence base of effective nutrition programming.
4. Provide technical input into international and country-level advocacy strategies and campaigns
5. Support and develop relationships with other agencies and represent Concern in national, regional and international fora as relevant.
6. Collaborate on multi-sectoral/inter-departmental initiatives (e.g. assessment and monitoring tools, learning papers, global reports, and proposals), as appropriate.
7. Participate in Rapid Emergency Response as necessary

Person specification:

Essential:

• Post-graduate qualification in nutrition, public health or agriculture/ food security with a nutrition focus or equivalent (or 7 years relevant experience) • At least four years experience in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of nutrition programmes in varied development, transition and emergency contexts • Willing to travel overseas for at least 30% of working time • Competent in quantitative, qualitative and participatory methods for programme design, monitoring and evaluation
• Communicates and writes well in English • Works well as part of a team • Works well on one’s own initiative and take direction when given • Able to work to tight deadlines as needed • Adaptable to evolving work priorities and schedules

Desirable:

• Experience working in integrated programming across the key areas of nutrition, health, food security • Written and spoken French • At least one year experience in Community-based Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) • Solid understanding of hunger-related advocacy issues at national and international level • Experience in operational/ action research design and principles • Good networking ability • Familiar with HIV mainstreaming, rights-based approach, equality, partnership approaches, and standards for humanitarian interventions

To apply: All applications should be submitted through our website at www.concern.net/jobs by closing date closing date of 22nd of August 2011.

Applications will be reviewed and interviews conducted on a rolling basis.

All candidates who are short-listed for an interview will be notified via email after the application deadline

Candidates must be legally entitled to work in Ireland or the UK at the time of application.