Role Purpose:
Save the Children is seeking a Health and Nutrition Technical Lead for the anticipated 5 year USAID Food for Peace (FFP) Development Food Security Activities (DFSA). S/he will take overall responsibility of Save the Children’s deliverables in the project. The position holder will provide overall leadership and technical direction for the project, ensuring achievement of project deliverables. The project focuses on sustainably reducing persistent acute malnutrition rates in two target counties in Northern Kenya. The project will be implemented in two phases whose objectives are to research, test approaches, and collaboratively design a context-sensitive, multi-sectoral activity that sustainably reduces acute malnutrition; and to implement and adapt, in conjunction with Kenyan system s, a multi-sectoral systems-driven activity to reduce acute malnutrition; and strengthen relevant systems and institutions to manage and scale nutrition activities. This position is contingent upon donor approval and funding.
Key Areas of Accountability
Technical assistance and capacity building
Provide programmatic and strategic leadership, setting priorities in designing and managing the implementation of the project’s activities in collaboration with the other technical advisors and the implementation team
Provide overall technical guidance and leadership for implementation of health and nutrition activities
Provide technical leadership for health system strengthening and capacity building approach of health and nutrition activities
Provide leadership for Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement measures in health and nutrition
Contribute to health and nutrition formative research and pilot research design and implementation
Work with the project System Strengthening and Institutionalization Lead and contribute to the development and execution of health and nutrition systems strengthening and capacity building efforts
Review and analyze data for performance monitoring and utilize the data to take corrective actions.
Representation and advocacy
Represent the project in relevant internal and external fora including donor meetings (as appropriate).
Represent Save the Children in the project internal fora and management (as appropriate).
Work closely with the Head of Health and Nutrition, Head of Advocacy and Campaigns, PDQ and operations teams to develop policy research and advocacy strategy in health and nutrition in line with the Country Strategic Plan and global strategy of Save the Children.
Work with consortium members to further Save the Children’s mission for children.
People management, mentoring and development
To have overall management responsibility for the Save the Children team in the project. Lead and motivate the team to ensure effective project implementation.
Ensure the recruitment, training, and promotion of staff as appropriate; ensure availability of and support appropriate professional development opportunities for staff in the project.
Incorporate staff development strategies and Performance Management Systems into team building process.
Assessment, monitoring, evaluation and documentation
Facilitate the annual work planning process in close collaboration with the prime, government teams and the project staff.
Ensure technical and administrative compliance with donor requirements.
Prepare narrative and financial reports for donor(s) and Save the Children as required, ensuring these are of a high quality and submitted for review in a timely manner. This will involve compilation of information from a range of project staff and government partners.
Monitor health and nutrition program outputs and results and work closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Research team to ensure that results are documented and reported accurately and in a timely manner.
Work closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Research team and take a lead in ensuring that all health and nutrition components have robust monitoring plans, baselines, reviews and evaluations in line with the project design and donor guidelines.
Work with the project Research and Design Lead to contribute to the health and nutrition researches and pilots.
Facilitate appropriate dissemination of research findings and good practices documentations in the project internally and externally to donors, governments, consortium partners and other key actors strategic for immediate and sustainable development of children in Kenya.
Knowledge management
Serve as a technical knowledge, skills and experience hub for the sector in the project in documenting and sharing best practices and innovations for replication and advocacy together with quality programme team
Work with technical resources among Save the Children members to facilitate sharing and learning in health and nutrition good practices and leverage their support for strengthening health and nutrition related studies, assessments, innovations, advocacy and capacity building in favour of children in Kenya
Nationality: Kenya Nationals only.
Contract Duration: 5 Years
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Degree in Nutrition/ Medicine/ Clinical Medicine/Nursing with a post graduate degree in public health/global health; and experience in project planning and management techniques.
Knowledge of current global and regional public health debates in health and nutrition.
Recommended a minimum of seven years of relevant technical experience including at senior level. Experience working within the devolved Kenyan health system is a must.
Up-to-date knowledge and skills on nutrition, including IMAM, MIYCN, BFHI/BFCI, supportive supervision and quality improvement systems.
Proven experience and skills in research and advocacy and influencing institutional, private and/or corporate donors and writing up high quality donor reports
Experience of working with local/national governments and capacity building of systems, partners and staff.
Ability to extensively travel for project monitoring and provide on-site technical support to field teams.
Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching.
Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international and matrix management environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mindsets.
Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy in.
Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner.
Fluency in English, both verbal and written, required
Commitment to Save the Children values.
Please apply in English saving your CV and covering letter as a single document, including your salary expectations for this role. To see a full a job description, please visit our website at
We need to keep children safe so our selection process reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse. Employment is subject to our Child protection standards including background checks and adherence to our Child Safeguarding Policy.
Save the Children is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to employ and assign the best qualified talent.
Disclaimer:Save the Children International does not charge any kind of fee at whichever stage of the recruitment process and does not act through recruitment agents
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
