Nutrition Expert Officer

Job Posting Organization:
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a humanitarian organization that was established in 195

• It operates in multiple countries around the world, focusing on providing assistance to refugees and displaced persons. DRC's mission is to protect the rights of refugees and displaced people and to help them rebuild their lives. The organization employs thousands of staff globally and is committed to ensuring that its programs are effective and responsive to the needs of the communities it serves. DRC works in various sectors, including protection, livelihoods, and security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food security, and is known for its strong emphasis on community involvement and sustainable development practices.

Job Overview:
The Nutrition Expert Officer position is a critical role within the Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation Project, specifically aimed at improving nutrition outcomes in refugee settlements. The officer will be responsible for leading the planning, implementation, and monitoring of nutrition-sensitive interventions that are designed to enhance dietary diversity and nutrition among refugee and host community households. This role requires a strong focus on gender-sensitive community-based nutrition programming, which integrates nutrition into climate-smart agriculture and food security initiatives. The officer will collaborate closely with agriculture and livelihoods teams, district authorities, and community leaders to ensure that nutrition is effectively integrated into all project activities, thereby contributing to improved food and nutrition security in alignment with project targets and safeguards. The successful candidate will be expected to engage actively with community members, particularly women and vulnerable groups, to promote inclusive participation in nutrition activities and to facilitate behavior change through education and support.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Nutrition Expert Officer will have a diverse set of responsibilities, including but not limited to: leading the implementation of community-based nutrition interventions that are gender-sensitive; providing nutrition education and behavior change communication to target groups such as women, caregivers, and children; supporting households in improving dietary diversity through the integration of nutrition-sensitive agriculture practices; coordinating with agriculture and livelihoods teams to align nutrition objectives with crop and livestock value chain activities; mobilizing communities to ensure inclusive participation in nutrition activities; training community-based facilitators and lead farmers on nutrition-sensitive programming; collaborating with district health and agriculture structures to align interventions with local systems; ensuring that all nutrition activities comply with environmental and social safeguards; and establishing demonstration sites for nutrition-sensitive agriculture practices.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a Bachelor’s degree in nutrition, public health, food and nutrition sciences, agriculture, community development, or a related field. They should have demonstrated experience in implementing gender-sensitive nutrition programs, particularly in refugee or displacement-affected contexts in Uganda. A strong understanding of community-based nutrition approaches, dietary diversity, maternal and child nutrition, and behavior change communication methodologies is essential. Additionally, candidates should have experience integrating nutrition into agricultural and food security programs, as well as proven skills in community mobilization and working with women’s groups and community facilitators. Familiarity with donor requirements and experience in training field staff using participatory approaches are also required.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as nutrition, public health, food and nutrition sciences, agriculture, or community development. Postgraduate training in public health nutrition, maternal and child nutrition, or nutrition-sensitive agriculture is considered an advantage. Relevant professional certifications or short courses in community-based nutrition or gender-responsive programming are also beneficial.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 5 years of experience in community-based nutrition, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, food security, or public health nutrition, particularly in rural or humanitarian settings. Candidates should have a proven track record of implementing nutrition programs and working effectively in community settings, especially with vulnerable populations such as refugees and women.

Languages:
Fluency in written and spoken English is mandatory for this position. Knowledge of local languages spoken in refugee settlements, such as Swahili, Luo/Acholi, Kinyabwisha, Arabic, Lingala, French, or Madi, is considered an asset and may enhance communication with community members.

Additional Notes:
This position is based in refugee settlements in Uganda, with the specific district depending on the assignment. The salary and conditions will be in accordance with the Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for national employees. Applicants are required to submit a cover letter and an updated CV in English, with a maximum length of four pages. Applications sent via email will not be considered. The closing date for applications is 09th January 202

• DRC emphasizes a merit-based recruitment process and does not solicit money for any part of its recruitment process. Candidates are encouraged to disregard any solicitation for payment during the application process.