Project Officer – Nutrition

Job Posting Organization:
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Established nearly 60 years ago, CRS operates in more than 100 countries, focusing on saving, protecting, and transforming lives in need, regardless of race, religion, or nationality. The organization is dedicated to relief and development work through various programs, including emergency response, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding. In Ethiopia, CRS has been a leader in responding to both natural and man-made disasters, providing essential support to the most vulnerable communities. The organization has a strong commitment to disaster mitigation and recovery, particularly in drought and flood-prone areas, and has expanded its efforts to include emergency nutrition since 2023, addressing moderate and severe acute malnutrition through various interventions. The Joint Emergency Operation (JEOP) program, which CRS leads, targets food insecure households and integrates emergency nutrition to improve health outcomes for affected populations. CRS collaborates with several partners, including CARE, GOAL, World Vision, and others, to enhance its impact in the region.

Job Overview:
The Project Officer – Nutrition will be an integral member of the JEOP nutrition team, responsible for monitoring and reporting on all project activities. This role is crucial in ensuring that CRS's work effectively serves the poor and vulnerable populations. The officer will apply best practices and continuously strive to enhance the project's impact on beneficiaries. The position requires a thorough understanding of nutrition data management and the ability to provide technical expertise to ensure quality services at health facilities. The officer will engage with local health offices to identify training needs and support health workers in managing acute malnutrition cases. This role also involves extensive travel within the designated woredas to monitor project implementation and ensure that nutritional supplies are adequately stocked and managed. The officer will play a key role in data collection, analysis, and reporting, contributing to the overall success of the nutrition program.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Project Officer will support the coordination and implementation of all assigned project activities as outlined in the detailed implementation plan and technical narrative documents. Key responsibilities include collecting information on partner capacity and technical assistance needs, providing technical expertise for nutrition data management, ensuring the quality of services provided at health facilities, conducting on-the-job training for health workers, engaging with local health offices to identify training gaps, conducting routine monitoring visits, ensuring the availability of therapeutic food supplies, collaborating with consortium partners for data collection and analysis, maintaining electronic records of nutrition data, developing databases, producing maps and infographics, and supporting the Senior Project Officer in reporting on nutrition situations. The officer will also be responsible for developing new indicators to measure program effectiveness and ensuring timely submission of facility data to stakeholders.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a BSC Degree in Health, Nutrition, or a related field, along with at least 2 years of relevant experience. Experience in monitoring projects and collecting relevant data is preferred. Proficiency in using MS Windows and MS Office packages, particularly Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, is essential. The candidate should demonstrate strong observation, active listening, and analytical skills, with the ability to make sound judgments. Good relationship management skills are necessary for effective collaboration with local partners and community members. Attention to detail, accuracy, and timeliness in executing responsibilities are critical, as is a proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented approach.

Educational Background:
A BSC Degree in Health, Nutrition, or a related field is required for this position. This educational background provides the foundational knowledge necessary for understanding the complexities of nutrition and health interventions, particularly in emergency settings. Candidates should have a solid understanding of nutritional science, health systems, and community health practices, which are essential for effectively implementing the project’s objectives.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 2 years of relevant experience in health or nutrition project monitoring and data collection. Candidates with experience in emergency response or humanitarian settings will be preferred. Familiarity with nutrition management, particularly in the context of acute malnutrition, is highly desirable. The role also demands experience in working collaboratively with local health authorities and community organizations to enhance project outcomes.

Languages:
Proficiency in spoken and written English is mandatory, along with fluency in the local language, Tigrigna. This bilingual requirement is crucial for effective communication with local partners, health workers, and community members, ensuring that project activities are understood and implemented correctly. Knowledge of additional local languages may be considered an asset.

Additional Notes:
This position is a definite term employment role, lasting until February 28, 202

• The job grade is 7, and candidates selected for this role should be available to start on November 1, 202
• The role involves extensive travel (60-80%) within the cluster of woredas responsible for JEOP implementation sites. There are no supervisory responsibilities associated with this position. CRS offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, and a generous retirement savings plan for U.S.-based staff. For candidates employed outside the U.S., benefits packages are based on the country of employment. CRS is committed to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all individuals, particularly children and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff to adhere to its Code of Conduct.