Self Help Africa is an International non-profit organization implementing food security and livelihood programmes in rural Zambia. The organization’s mission is to support sustainable livelihoods and develop enterprising solutions for smallholder farmers. Self Help Africa Zambia Country Programme would like to recruit a Nutrition and Gender Advisor who will provide overall leadership, management, strategic direction and technical assistance on nutrition and gender to ensure that the Self Help Africa’s current and future projects/programmes are designed and implemented with the highest quality, and in accordance with the organization’s strategy (2023-2027) thus maximizing sustainable impact for smallholder farmers and other relevant stakeholders.

This position is part of SHA’s drive to build technical excellence, improve programme quality across the organisation and become a leader in innovative development practice. Promoting nutrition sensitive agriculture/enterprise and mainstreaming gender will involve ensuring that all of SHA programmes and projects progressively integrate explicit nutrition and gender objectives and indicators into all aspects of project/programme cycle management.

This position will facilitate learning by mentoring SHA programme and partner staff and build capacity based on best practice from learning within the organisation and experiences from other relevant development actors.

Key Responsibilities:   

Technical Resource:

• This position will be the resource person for Nutrition and Gender within SHA country programming. The role will involve working with the team throughout project cycle management – from supporting the development of concept notes ensuring a strong nutrition and gender element, proposal development, programme delivery, supporting M &E and evaluation of projects/programmes.
• Advise, mentor, train and support programme/partner staff to effectively integrate nutrition sensitive agriculture/enterprise and mainstream gender into programmes and projects including setting objectives and measuring results.
• Advise the Senior Management of SHA of new technologies and approaches developed by national and international research institutions, Universities, NGOs and private companies that could be utilised in SHA’s projects/programmes and identify opportunities for collaboration with research institutions.
• Undertake regular monitoring and periodical evaluation of project/programme activities and support, follow up and report on all monitoring indicator data in collaboration with the M & E team and other projects staff.
• Support the organisation in Policy development at country and international level as relevant.

Network

• This role will ensure SHA engagement in relevant networks to strengthen SHA’s visibility within nutrition and gender, remain current/up to date within this sector and where possible capitalise on relevant opportunities that arise in terms of funding, and dissemination of SHA’s work. Networking with relevant stakeholders will include the various ministries, UN agencies such as UNICEF, WFP and WHO and NGOs involved in nutrition and gender sectors

DETAIL OF KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Support the Head of Programmes in planning and designing programmes; ensuring that nutrition and gender are specifically addressed with effective implementation strategies in line with SHA Country programme strategy
• Support SHA staff and partners in developing nutrition and gender components of projects/programmes through establishing knowledge gaps and conducting capacity building/training and conducting project/programme monitoring visits
• Support the SHA programme team/technical staff/partner staff in the implementation of project interventions to ensure that the all interventions are gender transformative and nutrition sensitive. All nutrition interventions will have a component on knowledge and behaviour change in WaSH (water, sanitation, and hygiene promotion).
• Develop and carryout reviews of SHA nutrition and gender policies/guidelines and strategies that provide strategic direction keeping abreast of resources already available in country or regionally /international.
• Together with the SHA Monitoring and Evaluation Officer be responsible for designing, collecting, processing, analysing nutrition, gender and WaSH data within SHA programmes.
• Identify and support the development of tools for programme and partner staff, such as IEC material, to use for gender and nutrition throughout SHA programmes/projects.
• Contribute and share knowledge, information, best practices and lessons learnt on gender and nutrition to ensure high quality programming throughout SHA programmes/projects for internal and external use
• Liaise regularly with Nutrition Advisor and Gender and Inclusion Advisor at Head Office for support and sharing of experiences. Share learning with other SHA country programmes.
• Identify and participate in nutrition and gender research as required.
• Facilitate and assist the timely submission of regular reports (monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual) or special reports as deemed necessary.
• Organize and facilitate workshops/trainings to share information/learning.
• Strengthen strategic partnerships with civil society organizations and the private sector to influence Nutrition and Gender responsive policies
• Keep updated on technical aspects of nutrition and gender with specific focus on vulnerable groups.
• Active networking and advocacy profiling of SHA country programme with external stakeholders implementing similar programmes at local, national and/or international level.

Required relevant Qualifications and Experience:

Essential

• Minimum of bachelor’s degree in nutrition, Public Health or related discipline
• At least five years’ experience in the design and implementation of nutrition projects/programmes
• Extensive knowledge and experience of sector thinking on nutrition with a wide range of partners from civil society, public and private sectors
• A good understanding of project cycle management approaches and tools including knowledge of M&E principles.
• Experience in facilitation of learning process and networking
• Experience in data analysis, research and report writing.
• Experience in developing and delivering training.
• Excellent level of spoken and written English
• Very good working knowledge of MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and general IT skills
• Commitment to working with a value-based organisation.
• Self-motivated with good interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to work under pressure alone and as part of a team.
• Experience in team management and coordination.
• Willingness to travel in country and overseas to support nutrition and gender activities in other SHA country programmes.

Desirable

• Experience in gender and social inclusion in previous work environment
• Demonstrated experience in integrating/mainstreaming gender in development and humanitarian projects focused on food, nutrition, livelihoods, and enterprise sectors.
• Ability to communicate effectively in more than one national language.

For more details on the roles and responsibilities and application process log on to: www.selfhelpafrica.org.

Closing date for applications is Sunday 23rd April 2023