UGA Nutrition Expert/Officer

Job Posting Organization:
Action Against Hunger is a leading global nonprofit organization dedicated to ending hunger. Established to innovate solutions and advocate for change, the organization reaches approximately 28 million people annually through its proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. With a workforce of around 8,990 dedicated staff members, Action Against Hunger operates in 55 countries, partnering with communities to tackle the root causes of hunger, which include climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. The organization strives to create a world free from hunger for everyone, for good. Action Against Hunger USA is part of the broader Action Against Hunger International network and currently manages operations in eight countries: Kenya, South Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia, and Haiti.

Job Overview:
The UGA Nutrition Expert/Officer plays a crucial role in ensuring that nutrition outcomes are effectively integrated into various agricultural and security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food security initiatives. This position focuses on promoting dietary diversity, enhancing household food security, and implementing nutrition-sensitive agriculture practices. The expert will be responsible for designing and supervising nutrition education sessions, conducting cooking demonstrations, and working closely with field teams, community-based facilitators (CBFs), women’s groups, caregivers, and local community structures. The goal is to promote dietary diversity and ensure that nutrition messaging is culturally appropriate and aligned with local food systems. The role also involves tracking household participation in nutrition-related activities and contributing to documentation of success stories and reports related to nutrition-sensitive agriculture.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The UGA Nutrition Expert/Officer will lead the integration of nutrition-sensitive agriculture into crop, livestock, and household resilience interventions. Key responsibilities include supporting the promotion of nutrient-dense crops, kitchen gardens, and diversified food production, as well as household-level food utilization. The expert will design and supervise nutrition education sessions and cooking demonstrations, working collaboratively with field teams, community-based facilitators, women’s groups, caregivers, and community structures to promote dietary diversity. Additionally, the officer will support the linkage of eligible caregivers and households with relevant health and nutrition services, ensuring that nutrition messaging is culturally appropriate and aligned with local food systems. The role also involves tracking household participation in nutrition training, cooking demonstrations, kitchen garden establishment, and dietary diversity-related outcomes, as well as contributing to success stories, behavior change documentation, and nutrition-sensitive agriculture reports.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a degree in Nutrition, Food Science, Agriculture, Public Health Nutrition, Home Economics, Community Development, or a related field. Additionally, a minimum of 5 years of experience in nutrition-sensitive agriculture, food security and nutrition programming, community nutrition, or behavior change communication is required. Experience working with women, caregivers, children under five, and vulnerable households is essential, and experience in refugee settlements or humanitarian-development programming is preferred. Strong skills in participatory training, community mobilization, and culturally appropriate nutrition messaging are also necessary for this role.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for the UGA Nutrition Expert/Officer position includes a degree in relevant fields such as Nutrition, Food Science, Agriculture, Public Health Nutrition, Home Economics, Community Development, or a closely related discipline. This educational foundation is crucial for understanding the complexities of nutrition-sensitive agriculture and food security programming.

Experience:
The position requires at least 5 years of relevant experience in nutrition-sensitive agriculture, food security and nutrition programming, community nutrition, or behavior change communication. Candidates should have a proven track record of working with women, caregivers, children under five, and vulnerable households. Experience in refugee settlements or humanitarian-development programming is highly preferred, as it demonstrates the ability to work effectively in challenging environments and with diverse populations.

Languages:
While the job description does not specify mandatory languages, proficiency in English is likely essential given the international nature of the organization. Additional local languages may be beneficial for effective communication within the community and with local stakeholders.

Additional Notes:
The job posting does not specify the contract duration, seniority level, or whether the position is full-time or part-time. However, given the nature of the role and the organization, it is likely a full-time position focused on community engagement and program implementation. The organization may also offer competitive compensation and benefits, although specific details are not provided in the job description.