Officier(e) Nutrition

The Officier(e) Nutrition ensures quality care for children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in accordance with national protocols. The role involves supervising health providers, supporting community awareness, managing nutritional inputs, and coordinating project activities in the Sud-Kivu province under UNICEF funding.

Responsibilities

• Supervise all UNTA and UNTI providers to ensure quality medical care for children with SAM.
• Evaluate health facility capacities for proper SAM case management.
• Ensure strict adherence to admission and discharge criteria according to national PCIMA protocol.
• Contribute to quality medico-nutritional care of complicated SAM cases following protocol.
• Support health agents in nutritional assessment and care of children, including <6 months re-lactation.
• Supervise nursing care quality in nutrition units, ensuring hygiene and asepsis.
• Adapt UNTI service organization based on admitted children.
• Ensure safety protocols during transfusions.
• Maintain accurate management tools and records.
• Provide continuous capacity building for health teams.
• Attend meetings related to UNTI/pediatrics and report to hierarchy.
• Collaborate with ECZ for referral systems for SAM children.
• Develop and implement community health education sessions.
• Ensure appropriate messaging for community mobilization.
• Support and supervise community health workers (ReCo) activities including home visits and screening.
• Train health agents on community screening activities.
• Implement PB-Mother approach in supported health areas.
• Engage community and administrative leaders about project activities.
• Participate in training ReCo on project health and nutrition topics.
• Support ReCo in community and health center activities.
• Participate in joint monthly supervisions with BCZS.
• Manage transport and meal reimbursements for referred cases.
• Support health teams in inventory and management of nutritional inputs and equipment.
• Define average monthly consumption of nutritional inputs and support ordering processes.
• Ensure proper storage conditions for nutritional inputs and medicines.
• Monitor consumption adequacy and report irrational use.
• Validate monthly orders of medicines and nutritional inputs.
• Ensure free provision of medicines and nutritional inputs to beneficiaries.
• Train health agents and community relays on PB Family approach.
• Maintain regular communication with community leaders.
• Participate in joint monthly supervisions at community level.
• Ensure total free care for SAM cases in supported structures.
• Monitor referral follow-up for complicated SAM cases.
• Control quality of nutritional care at UNTI.
• Ensure data consistency and analysis for screening and referral.
• Produce activity reports and share best practices and lessons learned.
• Strengthen providers' capacity in data collection and management.
• Collect and analyze monthly data and assist in report writing.
• Write supervision and monitoring mission reports.
• Update project database and share with MEAL and Nutrition Managers.
• Participate in internal and external project meetings.
• Perform other tasks as requested by supervisors.

Requirements

• Be a nutritionist A1/A0 or a nurse A1/A0 with at least 2 years professional experience in managing SAM cases.
• At least 2 years experience with emergency humanitarian organizations implementing nutritional activities.
• At least 3 years experience in primary health care with a focus on nutrition, preferably having worked in UNTA and UNTI units (an asset).
• Good experience in conducting quantitative and qualitative surveys.
• Experience as a Nutrition Officer or Health Zone Nutritionist is a plus.
• Good mastery of PCIMA version 2016.
• Experience in breastfeeding support.
• Good knowledge of the ANJE package and PB Mother approach.
• Strong organizational, communication and training skills.
• Good command of French (oral and written). Knowledge of English, Swahili or a local language is a plus.
• Ability to take relevant initiatives for the program.
• Willingness and ability to work in unstable environments.
• Ability to work under pressure and in difficult conditions.
• Strong stress resistance and ability to work at a high pace corresponding to emergencies.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, pedagogical abilities and capacity to transfer skills.
• High integrity.
• Commitment to IRC policies including client safeguarding and principles of diversity, equality and inclusion.

Skills

• Severe Acute Malnutrition
• Emergency nutritional activities
• Primary health care nutrition
• Quantitative Surveys
• Qualitative Surveys
• Nutrition Officer experience
• PCIMA 2016
• Breastfeeding Support
• ANJE package knowledge
• PB Mother approach
• Training Delivery
• Program initiative taking
• Working Under Pressure
• Stress Resistance
• Interpersonal Skills
• Pedagogical Skills
• Client Safeguarding
• Diversity and inclusion policies

Languages

French