Nutrition Intervention Assistant at Mercy Corps Nigeria Full Time

Job Title: Nutrition Intervention Assistant

Requisition Number: NUTRI004003
Location: Yola, Adamawa
Employment Type: Full-time
Job Category: Programming

Program / Department Summary

• Mercy Corps Nigeria was established in 2012 to respond primarily to growing humanitarian needs in the Northeast. With a strong and growing team of over 200 staff, Mercy Corps is currently serving over 600,000 beneficiaries across the country with programming in Lagos in the South; Kaduna, Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau in the Middle Belt; Kano, Yobe and Borno in the North. Programs include girls’ education and financial inclusion, community peacebuilding, market-based livelihoods and a multi-sector humanitarian response that has a strong emphasis on WASH, Shelter, Cash and Protection.
• With the vision of a Nigeria in which all people are empowered, engaged, resilient and secure, Mercy Corps Nigeria focuses on the root causes of conflict, governance, humanitarian response, and market systems development.
• Working with a diverse funding base that includes the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), UK Department for International Development (DFID), United Nations (UN), European Commission (EC), and several foundations, Mercy Corps empowers people to recover from crisis, build better lives and transform their communities for good.
• In 2019, Mercy Corps was awarded a five-year, $30 million USAID-funded Rural Resilience Activity in Nigeria’s northeastern states.
• The purpose of the Rural Resilience Activity is to sustainably move people out of chronic vulnerability and poverty. The Rural Resilience activity will enable individuals and communities to engage in strong and sustainable market systems rather than continuing to rely on humanitarian assistance and faltering with each new shock.
• The Rural Resilience Activity is a five-year, $49 million USAID-funded Program in Nigeria’s northeast. The purpose of the Rural Resilience Activity is to sustainably move people out of chronic vulnerability and poverty. The Rural Resilience Activity will enable individuals and communities to engage in strong and sustainable market systems rather than continuing to rely on humanitarian assistance and faltering with each new shock. To achieve this purpose, the Activity will have four components and four cross-cutting elements:
  • Component 1: Provide up-to-date evidence for selecting market systems, livelihoods and employment opportunities that contribute to inclusive and resilient growth and improved nutrition.
  • Component 2: Stimulate market systems growth and diverse economic opportunities (Pull activities).
  • Component 3: Build capacity to take advantage of market systems opportunities (Push activities).
  • Component 4: Sequencing, layering, integrating (SLI), and collaborative learning to improve activity effectiveness, sustainability, and scale.
  • Component 5: Supporting Market Resilience to COVID-19 Shocks.

General Position Summary

• The Nutrition Intervention Assistant will be responsible for the technical support in the implementation of RRA nutrition component aimed at ensuring interventions results in the desired Activity targets.
• The Nutrition Intervention Assistant will be responsible for providing support for all activities related to Nutrition Sensitive and Specific models and market systems development under the Rural Resilience activity.
• S/he will support in implementation strategies and coordination with the Intervention leads and the leadership of RRA activities in Adamawa State.
• The position will provide support to all RRA staff, providing them with technical assistance where necessary, and ensuring that common strategies and approaches are applied consistently in all communities.
• S/he will coordinate closely with the Monitoring and Results Measurement team to ensure that systems are in place to track, analyze and report results.
• The selected candidate will keep abreast of the latest research and evolutions in the field of market/value chain development and integrate new ideas and approaches as appropriate, seeking additional technical assistance as needed and ensuring effective working relationships with collaborating agencies.

Essential Job Responsibilities

• The Nutrition Intervention Assistant will support the work of the Senior Nutrition Officers and coordinators who identify and manage agribusiness, association, and government partners.
• Support the development of partnerships with market actors, including but not limited to food processors, traders, financial services, and business development services providers, associations, and government institutions by supporting the competition, selection, and negotiation processes.
• Assist the Senior Nutrition Officers and coordinators with the development of scopes of work, budget analysis, reviewing backup documentation and administrative tasks.
• Coordinate across teams to develop monitoring and evaluation targets and submit reports on a weekly basis.
• Support the management of strong relationships under ongoing partnership by coordinating communications, participating in field visits, supporting the procurement of goods and services needed by RRA partners, and coordinating events.
• Monitor the implementation and execution of technical assistance and grants provided by RRA, and work with the Senior Intervention Officers, Coordinators and MRM to collect, review and analyze data.
• Contribute to regular reporting on activities. Perform any other duties assigned by the Senior Intervention Officers and Coordinators.

Intervention Management:

• Ensure the appropriate communication of clear intervention guidelines, expected outcomes, timeframe and workplan to all relevant parties.
• Assist the Compliance and Sub Award and EIF managers in the development of relevant grant agreements, MoUs, ToRs and any other administrative requirement for nutrition-related efforts.
• Conduct regular field visits to ensure proper implementation of activities.
• Remain aware of developments in the relevant sectors/markets/commodity chains.
• Work with the monitoring and results measurement team to design appropriate tools for monitoring the progress of interventions within the various market sectors. Also, liaise with the monitoring and results measurement team on the conduct of impact assessments for ongoing interventions.
• Identify priority areas for interventions that will change as opportunities pass or are realized and new ones emerge.

Stakeholder Management:

• Represent the RRA in selected fora, and markets, displaying courtesy, tact, consideration and discretion in all interactions with partners, other members of the Activity, and with the public.
• Understand how the political economy impacts rural markets, and how changes in the functioning of markets may impact the political economy.
• Maintain contacts with key stakeholders to increase synergies.
• Assist in establishing contacts with national and regional institutions, stakeholders and participants that would contribute to the successful implementation of market activities.
• Coordinate activities with consortium partners, sub-grantees, private sector partners, local government and other implementers, as well as with other Mercy Corps programs.
• Represent Mercy Corps externally at relevant conferences, workshops and other convenings.

Security:

• Work closely with the country team’s security focal point to develop and maintain systems that promote the safety and security of all team members.
• Ensure that programs are designed and implemented with a clear analysis and understanding of security.

Knowledge and Experience

• BA / B.Sc required.
• 2+ years working in designing and delivering development works, agribusiness and enterprise development.
• Ability to foster commitment and build capacity among project teams and partners around gender and youth development.
• Excellent organizational, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Experience working in consortium multiple organizational partnerships
• Experience with Monitoring and Evaluation systems and research
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Spoken and written proficiency in English.
• Ability to facilitate meetings, effective presenter, and open collaborator.

Success Factors:

• The ideal candidate will be results orientated, self-motivated and have demonstrated analytical skills. The ideal candidate will be familiar with market-based agricultural programs targeting youth and will demonstrate cultural knowledge and sensitivity, while also demonstrating skills and ability to provide incentives and capacities for market actors working with diverse groups and offer technical assistance across project partners.

Organisational Learning:

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient, and relevant to the communities they serve we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries:

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
• Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
• Supervisory Responsibility: None
• Reports Directly To: Senior Intervention Officer
• Works Directly with: Technical team, Communications team, MRM team and Program Management Unit.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:

• Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges.
• We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
• We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Application Closing Date
18th August, 2023.

Note

• Applicants should have their CVs and Cover Letters in one document addressing the position requirements.
• Female candidates who are qualified are strongly encouraged to apply.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

• Mercy Corps is an equal-opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have a sustained global impact.
• We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, colour, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics:

• Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity.
• We are committed to the core principles regarding the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary-General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members.
• As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and adhere to the Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.