Health and Nutrition Technical Advisor

Relief International

Position: Health and Nutrition Technical Advisor

Location: Sana’a – Yemen

Reports to: Deputy Country Director Programs

Duration: 12 months

About RI

Relief International (RI) is a leading non-profit organization working in 16 countries to relieve poverty, ensure well-being and advance dignity. We specialize in fragile settings, responding to natural disasters, humanitarian crises and chronic poverty.Relief International combines humanitarian and development approaches to provide immediate services while laying the groundwork for long-term impact. Our signature approach — which we call the RI Way—emphasizes local participation, an integration of services, strategic partnerships and a focus on civic skills. In this way, we empower communities to find, design and implement the solutions that work best for them.RI includes the four corporate members of the RI Alliance: RI-US, RI-UK, MRCA/RI-France and RI-Europe. Under our alliance agreement, we operate as a single, shared management structure.

About our Regional Programs

RI in the Middle East has programs in six countries – Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Yemen, with a focus on the 4 main RI sectors: Health, WASH, Education and Economic Opportunity.Relief International currently employs 3900 staff (direct and indirect) in the region and has a range of emergency response and development programs valued at 70 million USD on an annual basis.

Position OverView

RI maintains an expansive portfolio of health and nutrition services across Yemen and reaches over 250,000 patients per year through 43 supported static health facilities, 4 Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (EmONC) centers, and 4 hospitals. RI supports 39 outpatient therapeutic programs for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and moderate acute malnutrition (MAM). The Health and Nutrition Technical advisor is responsible for the strategic direction, leadership, and quality implementation of all health and nutrition programs in Yemen. This includes the delivery of comprehensive primary health care, sexual and reproductive health, malnutrition treatment, mental health, and community health services across a wide range of geographic locations. This position will monitor and assure technical quality, coach and mentor program staff, oversee budgets and grants management, and ensure effective working relationships with external actors. He/she will be the quality assurance responsible of the health program by ensuring that the priorities of the country and the health technical unit are taken into account in all phases of the project management. To this end, he/she will provide regular technical support for the integration and use of new tools, in particular those for the assessment of infection and prevention control and the improvement of the quality of care in health facilities.

The position is based in Sana’a with regular travel to program sites across the country. RI manages health and nutrition programs in Amanat al Asimah (Sana’a city) governorates, Amran, Hajjah, Dhamar, Shabwah and Marib

Position Responsibilities and Duties

Program Quality

  • Regulary review, update and maintain a health and nutrition strategy for the RI in Yemen, ensuring that program growth is aligned with the country’s overall Strategic Plan. Ensure the interventions of all health-related sub-sectors are complimentary and mutually reinforcing.
  • Promote effective integration of health and nutrition services at the point of care. Ensure service delivery modalities are responsive to patient needs and location-specific constraints.
  • Ensure all health and nutrition projects are implemented in accordance with the RI technical guidelines and global best practices.
  • Provide technical leadership to increase access, use, quality, and integration of MNCAH and nutrition services
  • Raise community awareness and engagement in the identification and adoption of healthy eating practices using diversified, nutrient dense, nutritionally adequate foods, including engagement of local leaders and influential groups to promote positive nutrition-sensitive behaviors
  • Promote effective integration of health and nutrition services at the point of care. Ensure service delivery modalities are responsive to patient needs and location-specific constraints.
  • Provide technical support to program teams consistent with international and national standards and ensure that program design and implementation creates no harm in the communities, promotes human rights and has positive impact.
  • Propose and implement capacity building activities aimed at enhancing skills of national Teams, local health providers and/or partners in delivery of primary care, maternal and child health, reproductive health, etc.
  • Ensure protection and GBV related services mainstreamed in all health and nutrition responses and follow up with the field team to make sure RI’s programs are providing gender sensitive humanitarian services and RI program participants are safe and protected in collaboration with the Protection Technical Advsior

Program Development and Management

  • Oversee the project design process for new or adapted health and nutrition programming, including the development of budgets, proposal narratives, logframes, and other supporting documents. Ensure compliance with RI technical standards through engagement with technical advisors.
  • Guide teams to ensure that the health and nutrition departments produce and utilize functional project management tools, including work plans, procurement plans, and accurate financial forecasts.
  • Coordinate closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) department to develop effective monitoring and measurement tools and collect relevant data. Maintain a strong information management system and use findings to inform and improve program delivery. Carry out regular data review exercises.
  • Review the short- and long-range plans for delivery of project services, and provide guidance to the RI staff, health facility staff and/or local partners to improve planning, management and delivery of quality services or various program components.
  • Supervise cross project functional roles: referral system, pharmaceuticals management and mental health (in cooperation with Protection TA).
  • Support medical audits to assess status of health and nutrition services, quality of supply and facilities, and on-site health information systems, in accordance with RI and international standards and policies.
  • Ensure that all internal and external reports are submitted on time and to a high standard.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning

  • Regularly review MEAL data and apply indicator findings to improve program quality. Ensure all programs are data-driven
  • Regularly monitor and report on unmet needs and service delivery gaps across Yemen; make informed recommendations to senior management on the capacity of RI to address identified needs.
  • Support the development of M&E systems and lead analysis of health and nutrition data trends to course correct and adapt programming, with a focus on quality health interventions
  • Provide a summary of recommended areas of improvement, areas of success, and lead the commencement of an action plan with RI staff, local partners and/or health facility staff to evolve and make positive systems improvements where needed.
  • Include the participation of beneficiaries and communities, particularly those most vulnerable or at-risk, in all stages of the project cycle wherever possible and appropriate.
  • Revise program reports and other types of reports (ex. assessment, KAP etc.) and ensure they are timely and meet quality methodological, institutional and donor requirements.
  • Develop and support effective monitoring and evaluation system by collection, analysis of data about protection issues in order to improve the program interventions.
  • Assist the program health teams to document and share lessons learned and best practices, including inputs on health program reports and technical publications.

Donor Relations / Funding

  • Ensure that high quality, integrated, and needs-based proposals are developed and according to RI Yemen priorities identified in its country strategy.
  • Provide technical input, writing and budgetary input for new program design, as needed.
  • Take lead in assessments to inform new programming of impact of RI current programs.

Administration: Finances, Human Resources, and Logistics

  • Support project teams to develop job descriptions and recruit qualified staff
  • Work closely with the Supply Chain and Operations Manager and RI Yemen operational units to ensure effective planning of support required for smooth project implementation.
  • Provide technical support to the supply chain department with regard to specialist medical commodities and consumables.
  • Work closely with the compliance department to ensure the implementation of health programs is in incompliance with RI policy and donors regulations

Representation/coordination with external actors

  • Represent RI at sector working groups, coordination meetings as well during other stakeholder meetings (if relevant), and maintain a positive, continuous and visible presence for RI.
  • Ensure RI’s mandate is shared and explained to relevant stakeholders.
  • Pro-actively liaise and build rapport with local officials, community representatives, UN agencies, and any other relevant stakeholders

Safeguarding

  • Uphold and promote RI’s commitment to ensuring the safeguarding and safety of the vulnerable communities we serve.
  • Consistent with RI’s safeguarding and protection policies, ensure all people who come into contact with Relief International are as safe as possible.

Equity and Diversity commitment

  • Demonstrate sensitivity and understanding of systemic diversity and cultural differences.
  • Ensure that gender equity is addressed in our staffing and programming

Qualifications & requirements

This position demands a dynamic individual with a demonstrated ability to achieve results in a demanding and fast paced environment.

  • Medical or Public Health professional with strong technical expertise in the delivery of healthcare services in volatile low-resource settings. Experience of managing integrated MNCAH and nutrition services at facility and community level, and public or private sectors, with at least five (5) years doing so in countries with fragile settings such as Yemen
  • General knowledge of all and advanced knowledge of at least two of the following sub-sectors required: primary health, acute malnutrition (both CMAM and TFC), reproductive health, mental health, health promotion, iCCM.
  • Proven technical knowledge in MNCAH and nutrition, including familiarity with project indicators, quantitative and qualitative data to monitor overall project performance.
  • Minimum of 5 years of experience coordinating the implementation and management of humanitarian health and nutrition programs in complex environments , health systems strengthening including substantial experience in a leadership position for a large and diverse program
  • Experience with behavior change communications strategies and activities to improve MNCAH and nutrition outcomes
  • Significant experience in the management of a multi-donor grant portfolio required. Skilled in proposal development, creation and timely execution of workplans, and high-quality donor reporting. Knowledge of BHA (former OFDA), ECHO, FCDO (former DFID), USAID regulations in the health sector an advantage.
  • Strong financial management skills, including budget development, financial forecasting, and management of spending plans.
  • Knowledge of health data management standards and quality assurance is essential. Ability to oversee both routine consultation data and complex indicator measurement, and to analyze and apply findings to inform program implementation and priorities. Training in basic epidemiology and statistics strongly preferred.

Competencies

  • Able to transfer technical knowledge and skills and experience of coaching and capacity building of teams
  • Demonstrated experience in project design, proposal development and fund raising
  • Excellence in writing and presentation; strong interpersonal communication and ability to facilitate collaboration.
  • Solid background and knowledge of UN agencies and other international emergency response systems, standards and modalities of work in Health and Nutrition sectors;
  • Experience in technical management of programs, coaching or capacity building of teams and M&E activities;
  • Strong skills in remote setting management;
  • Excellent English writing skills, and Arabic preferred;

RI Values

We uphold the Humanitarian Principles: humanity, neutrality, impartiality and operational independence. We affirmatively engage the most vulnerable communities.

We value:

  • Inclusiveness
  • Transparency and accountability
  • Agility and innovation
  • Collaboration
  • Sustainability

How to apply

Closing date. Please apply immediately we will be reviewing applicants on a rolling basis, therefore may withdraw the position for the job board closing date.

Due to limited resources, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Note to external agencies, we will not be accepting CVs from third parties.

Relief International is committed to protecting our staff and the communities we work with from abuse and harm including sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and sexual harassment.

All staff are expected to abide by our Code of Conduct.

Recruitment to all roles in Relief International include a criminal records self-declaration, references and other pre-employment checks, which may include police and qualifications checks.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Relief International is committed to diversity and gender equality, we strongly encourage applicants from the global south and female candidates to apply.