Nutrition Specialist

About Us;

RET Germany E.V. is an independent impartial, non-profit verein, headquartered in Berlin, Germany, since 2015; working with funding from the European governments and the European Commission, with field operations in Africa and Asia, (RETGermany.de)

RET is committed to working in emergencies, in protracted crises, and in fragile contexts to alleviate the deepest sufferings, build people’s resilience and enhance their self-reliance. We believe we are amongst the leading NGOs to provide tailor-made solutions and relevant programs to bridge the gaps and respond to the real needs and challenges of the communities. We assume a decisive catalytic role in sustainable development. We aim to provoke a significant change, enabling particularly vulnerable youth and young women to make control of their lives and fulfil their social and economic rights

We stand with people, with refugees, returnees, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), alongside the host communities adopting the fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence.

Primary Location

Abuja/Nigeria

Reporting Line

The Nutrition Specialist (SP) directly reports to the Country Representative/Country Program Manager (CR/CPM)

Duration

12 months with possibility of extension depending on performance and availability of funds

ROLE PURPOSE:

Under the general direction and guidance of the Country Program Manager/Country Representative, the Nutrition Specialist will ensure that the ‘Promotion of Livelihoods and Food Security of At-risk Youth and Vulnerable Young Women in the Border region of Niger and Nigeria’ project nutrition activities and all nutrition programming at RET in Nigeria is of excellent technical quality, attracts significant donor funding and contributes significantly to RET’s strategic objectives, national and global learning and advocacy. The Nutrition Specialist is expected to provide technical advice and support to programme staff and partners at the national and state levels to ensure programming objectives are successfully achieved. He/she will also contribute to the development and implementation of the country office’s multisector Strategy to build nutrition resilience efforts. The post holder will play a key role in the technical design of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive projects, working with relevant project and programme teams and partners to ensure the project/s. The role holder will ensure that key organizational approaches such as gender and protection, climate action, evidence and learning are well integrated throughout the project cycle. He/she will also be responsible for ensuring that lessons derived through the implementation of projects are well articulated, documented and disseminated both internally and externally, engage with policymakers, work to achieve advocacy objectives to realize greater change in collaboration stakeholders. The function is expected to backstop nutrition work at RET in Nigeria and at partner technical staff embedded in the various projects and programs. This is to ensure consistency in RET’s technical approach. Finally, the role is expected to lead high-level representation in key technical forums and meetings at the national level with nutrition-specific and sensitive sectors of Health, Education, Social Protection, Agriculture and WASH and will initiate strategic engagement with key donors and development partners that may include, but are not limited to, institutional donors (UN Agencies).

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Strategic Planning and Programme Development

• Be fully aware of and actively participate in the development and review of the country strategy and thematic programme plans. He/she will specifically lead the operationalization and implementation of the nutrition component of RET in Nigeria and ensure that nutrition-sensitive strategies and approaches are integrated into other thematic strategies.
• Analyse donor priorities and positions on issues related to nutrition; identify institutional and private sector funding opportunities; develop and maintain contacts with potential donors, partners and key technical agencies. Ensure that new partnerships in this technical area reflect the programme quality we expect of ourselves.
• Build on technical knowledge and understanding of the operation of nutrition policy and services in Nigeria across nutrition-specific and sensitive sectors within current and previous programming in order to develop proposals for new programming in close coordination with the programme staff.
• Support the business development team during project design to ensure all new projects and programs support the achievement of RET’s objectives
• Operationalize the localization agenda for nutrition programs and contribute to the realization of the goal towards shifting power to communities and local actors by promoting, recognizing, respecting and strengthening the leadership of local and national actors (LNAs) in our humanitarian and development work.
• Establish linkages and networks in new nutrition spaces at the national level (education, agriculture, social protection, etc.) and inter agency level, such as the state and federal agencies through thought representation.

Advocacy and Policy Development

• Be fully aware of and actively participate in the development, review, dissemination and implementation of national policies, strategies, other initiatives and developments relating to nutrition and related to Health, WASH and/or food security issues by the government and other stakeholders. Regularly assess and communicate the implications for RET’s programme in Nigeria and priorities of any changes in the operating environment relevant to this theme.
• Support and monitor the implementation of nutrition-related elements of the RET’s strategy in Nigeria at the state and federal level, including by ensuring that project staff have relevant advocacy skills and that roles and responsibilities for different activities are clarified.
• Support the representation of RET and advocate with UN agencies, donors, the Nigerian government, NGOs and others to ensure that RET is a partner of choice in terms of innovation and quality of implementation, with a focus food security and nutrition resilience. Specifically, ensure that evidence, learning and recommendations from RET’s programs are shared through:
  • Active participation in monthly nutrition technical forum meetings and linking relevant ministries
  • Participation and/or sharing of information through different channels and platforms at the national, regional and global levels, as well as at the county and community level.
  • Participation in national technical working groups and relevant fora, research in nutrition and regional food security and nutrition working group meetings
  • Ensuring pro-active engagement with the UN and UNICEF, including through coordination meetings at national and regional levels.
  • Advising project teams and partners to ensure adequate field visibility through technical attendance and technical meetings at state/local government level.
  • Build relationships and linkages with academia and research institutions to further nutrition in the country’s portfolio.

Programme Quality

• Ensure quality in the design of programme interventions and that strategies proposed for implementation are in line with the decentralized functionality of nutrition at the federal, state and LGAs for increased sustainability and ownership.
• Monitor and provide timely, relevant and accurate input on the overall technical aspects of RET’s nutrition programme in Nigeria.
• Liaise with the Country Representative/Country Program Manager to ensure all nutrition and other programme staff receive the necessary and appropriate technical support.
• Assist in the development of tools for project staff and partners to improve the quality of nutrition work. Where necessary, provide or ensure the provision of technical training for project staff and partners as required (IMAM, IYCF, C4D, KAP, nutrition surveys, other monitoring and evaluation).
• Ensure alignment and carry on approaches and tools to future RET projects in the country to ensure sustainability. For example, the multisector nutrition approaches and accompanying tools and strategies developed by RET
• Where external consultants (local or international) are required to technically support, monitor and evaluate projects, lead the recruitment and subsequent management of contracted consultants as per the recruitment guidelines.
• Review relevant monitoring reports for donors to ensure that technical debates are well articulated, and reports are of acceptable quality before submission. Provide support where necessary to improve report-writing skills.
• Provide input on partner selection and provide technical coaching to partners in nutrition.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

• In collaboration with the M&E Manager, ensure the development of MEAL frameworks and key indicators for nutrition that help each project clearly demonstrate progress and impact, improve the quality of reporting, identify issues for advocacy and create new programs and projects in the future.
• Plan and participate in nutrition programme review meetings, ensure reports are reviewed and aligned with the intervention logic and log frame a.
• Participate in the design of baseline, mid-term and end-of-project evaluations for nutrition programs or nutrition components of multi-sectoral programs. Monitor the evaluation process and provide input and clarification as needed. Review evaluation findings and ensure that lessons and recommendations are implemented and used to improve current programming as well as inform the design of future programs.
• Regularly review and monitor programs for safeguarding issues. Take corrective action by modifying programme activities and/or reporting incidents.
• Plan and execute learning events aimed at knowledge harvesting, analysis and utilization for quality improvement applications in new business development. Ensure knowledge and promising innovations are shared widely.
• Ensure the active dissemination of programme findings and lessons learned through the production of high-quality materials and their effective dissemination to key stakeholders

Networking and External Engagement

• In alignment with Country Office strategy and leadership, engage in strategic positioning with donors, partners and government in-country, and ensure that RET is a partner of choice in Nutrition.
• Ensure that RET is influencing and learning from others through national technical coordination and networking bodies such as health and nutrition clusters and working groups.
• Strengthen civil society engagement in national dialogues and policy processes.
• Represent the program to Federal, state and Local government levels, donors, partner agencies, etc. as required.
• Ensure the quality, clarity and consistency of technical components of internal and external reports.
• Leverage and liaise with technical colleagues from across RET, including technical working groups and centres of excellence, ensuring that learning from the Country Office is shared with others and global lessons brought back.

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice) Accountability:

• Holds oneself accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling RET’s values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities, giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Nutrition professional with a master’s degree in nutrition or equivalent in Public Health.
• At least 5 years of experience implementing nutrition programs
• Excellent understanding of the nutrition sector within the Nigerian context, particularly nutrition in the lifecycle, MIYCN, Nutrition in Emergencies and broader nutrition (and Health) and the sensitive sectors of Agriculture, Social protection, Education etc.
• Clear understanding of and proactive approach to nutrition resilience, hunger and food security issues in Nigeria, particularly in the context of 23-25 or so counties declared as Arid and Semi-Arid (ASAL).
• Experience of the national context, strategies and policies to enable advocacy at national / regional level in order to hold duty bearers to account to realise children’s rights, including the right to health services and food.
• Skilled at networking, representation and partnership development in order promote learning, strengthen civil society and mobilise resources.
• Able to generate and use data and evidence to innovate, deliver, learn and share what works and what doesn’t work for children ·
• Experience of promoting quality and impact through at least one crosscutting area: gender equality and inclusion, adaptive and safer programming; child rights; disability; migration and displacement.
• Demonstrated program design, monitoring and evaluation skills, including designing pathways to sustainable impact at scale.
• Experience of supporting humanitarian preparedness, response and recovery
• Strong writing skills, including experience in writing proposals, capacity statements and position papers.

How to apply

Please submit your resume, including three (3) job references and cover letter in English until 25 February 2025 to r.anthony@retgermany.org

Please indicate in the subject of your message: “Nutrition Specialist – Nigeria”.

Due to the urgency to fill this post, RET reserves the right to review the CVs on a rolling basis and selected candidates may be interviewed prior to the closing dates listed, therefore early applications are encouraged. RET is not in a position to respond to every applicant individually due to the anticipated high number of applications. Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted for the first interview.