Senior Nutrition Advisor – Maternity Cover

Save the Children UK has an exciting opportunity to join us as our Senior Nutrition Advisor in our Global Programmes Division to lead Save the Children’s Global Malnutrition Initiative.  You will oversee the strategic direction of our nutrition work, with an emphasis on child wasting / acute malnutrition and provide high level technical assistance to country offices,  driving quality in the design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of Save the Children’s UK’s nutrition programmes.

About Us

Save the Children UK (SCUK) believes every child deserves a future. In the UK and around the world, we work every day to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm.  When crisis strikes, and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to respond and the last to leave.  We ensure children’s unique needs are met and their voices are heard. We deliver lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to reach.

Background:

About the role:

The role of Senior Nutrition Adviser is an exciting position leading Save the Children UK’s Global Malnutrition Initiative, providing matrix leadership across the movement on complex assignments and projects, and contributing to overall divisional strategy and policies.

The Global Malnutrition Initiative (GMI)’s strategic objective is to galvanise increased action to prevent and treat child wasting better in fragile and conflict-affected settings.

The majority of this role focuses on leading the programmatic elements of the GMI’s work in close collaboration with country teams and research and advocacy leads.

Beyond the GMI work this role also contributes to our broader nutrition portfolio. We are tackling undernutrition in more than 15 countries with the highest burden of malnutrition, including Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar, Malawi, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Niger, Kenya, Somalia, DRC and Yemen.

 Job Purpose:

The Senior Nutrition Advisor is responsible for leading Save the Children’s Global Malnutrition Initiative, overseeing the strategic direction of our nutrition work, with an emphasis on child wasting / acute malnutrition and providing high level technical assistance to country offices,  driving quality in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and documentation of Save the Children’s UK’s nutrition programmes.

 In this role, your key accountabilities will be:

Technical and Strategic Leadership and coordination

• Lead the programme technical components of the Global Malnutrition Initiative (GMI), defining the strategic direction and overseeing the design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of GMI activities.
• Monitor progress and achievements against GMI objectives and organize regular meetings with SCUK leadership and relevant colleagues to provide updates and ensure continued engagement and support.
• Support fundraising objectives and ensure they are aligned with the GMI objectives, needs and are technically sound.
• Coordinate GMI activities across health, humanitarian and advocacy and ensure high level of engagement
• Work closely with the Senior Evidence and Learning Advisor and the advocacy team to develop and implement a strong research and learning strategy for GMI
• Facilitate the incorporation of GMI M&E and research findings and broader scientific evidence into the work of the Hunger Reduction and Livelihoods Team, country office programme strategies and programme design, and SCI global strategies.
• Co-lead the Save the Children wasting community of practice under the Nutrition Technical Working Group
• Participate in the senior leadership of the Hunger Reduction and Livelihoods Team contributing to high performance of the team
• Work with other senior advisors to set strategic direction for the Hunger Reduction and Livelihoods team and lead work-planning for the Nutrition sub-team.

High level technical assistance for quality nutrition programme development and delivery 

• Identify technical assistance needs in GMI countries and identify and coordinate appropriate support
• Provide in country and remote technical assistance to GMI countries and other complex nutrition programmes
• Provide leadership and oversight to ensure that our nutrition programs are applying state-of-the-art approaches based on best practice, to achieve increased provision and use of nutrition services and practices at scale at the country and global level.
• Lead development and application of evidence-based Nutrition programme standards, guidance, and tools that reflect global best practice, and promote widespread application and use of these standards and tools (CMAM, SBCC)
• Lead the design and implementation of complex and strategic nutrition related programmes, ensuring they are based upon a high-quality needs assessment

Resource Mobilization 

• Identify and pursue new opportunities and partnerships and develop long-term funding strategies for nutrition.
• Develop and sustain donor and partner relationships, including relationships with academic institutions, research and implementation partners, and technical personnel in bilateral and multilateral agencies, donors, among others.

External Networking & Representation 

• Produce programme policy reports demonstrating what works and raising our profile.
• Represent our work to, and work with, civil society organisations, networks, regional bodies and forums and donors
• Serve as internal and external expert on child wasting / acute malnutrition and maternal and child nutrition, representing SC at global fora including workshops, conferences and meetings.

HR Management, Mentoring and Capacity-Building 

• Support the recruitment and attraction of high quality nutrition technical advisors.
• Support country offices in effective resource planning and management, including identifying and addressing technical capacity gaps.
• Act as a mentor to technical staff in country offices and team.

 About you

To be successful, it is important that you have:

• Strong analytical and conceptual skills and the ability to think and plan strategically at a senior level
• Demonstrated understanding and experience of key issues in the field of nutrition and how they relate to programmes to improve the survival, health and development of children and to food security, social protection, and water and sanitation
• Substantial experience in the design, implementation and management of nutrition programmes in an international development context that have generated rigorous evidence

• Experience in leading or managing a major nutrition programme(s) focused on treatment and prevention of wasting.
• Strong record of fostering new and effective partnerships on an international level
• Successful track record with developing high-value proposals with strong M & E approaches, budgets, grant management, donor liaison and report writing

• Significant knowledge and experience overseeing approaches to secure optimal infant and young child feeding including behaviour change communication approaches and treatment of child wasting
• An internationally recognised third level qualification in nutrition, such as an MSc in Public Health, Nutrition or equivalent
• Proven ability to develop strong external networks including developing effective working relationships with senior stakeholders in government agencies, international organisations, donors, academics and opinion-leaders, including successful advocacy and influencing skills