District Nutrition Advisor at Catholic Relief Services (CRS): (Deadline 13 June 2023)

District Nutrition Advisor at Catholic Relief Services (CRS): (Deadline 13 June 2023)

Job Title: District Nutrition Advisor

Department:  Programming

Band: 7

Reports To: Orora Wihaze Senior Nutrition Specialist

Country/Location: Based in Nyamasheke and Coordinates both Nyamasheke and Nyamagabe Districts. 

About CRS

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has been working in Rwanda since 1961. CRS Rwanda’s key programing areas include agriculture, early childhood development, economic strengthening, justice and peace building. To achieve this, CRS collaborates with the government of Rwanda, donors, the Catholic church, private sector, and civil society organizations.

Project Summary:

The Feed the Future Rwanda Orora Wihaze Activity (Orora Wihaze) is a USAID-funded 5-year project. Orora Wihaze, translated to “Raise Animals for Self-Sufficiency” in English, works with local partners and various private sector actors in Rwanda to strengthen the animal-sourced foods (ASF) market system. The goal of Orora Wihaze is to sustainably increase the availability of, access to, and consumption of ASF through the development of a profitable market. The Activity will achieve this goal by addressing two objectives: (i) strengthening inclusive private sector led ASF value chains, specifically small ruminants (goat and sheep), fish, pigs and chicken, and (ii) increasing the demand for ASF consumption by women and children.

The USAID/Feed the Future Orora Wihaze Activity led by Land O’Lakes Venture 37 CRS manages Objective 2 of the project, which is to increase demand for ASF consumption for women of reproductive age and children ages 6 to 23 months, as well as the gender and social inclusion components across both supply and demand objectives.

Job Summary:

As a District Nutrition Advisor, you will be based in Nyamasheke Districts and coordinate objective 2 interventions in both Nyamagabe and Nyamasheke district with occasional travel Kigali. You will ensure that the project consistently applies ASF consumption best practices and works towards improving the impact of its benefits to those we serve. You will serve as a frontline facilitator of the Orora Wihaze Activity and ensure the seamless, timely delivery of field implementation, and identify and support partnership development with market actors in line with Market System Development (MSD) approaches.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Support the coordination and implementation of field-base project activities related to the project’s SBC strategy for ASF consumption as outlined in the detailed implementation plan in line with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good practices.
• Work in close collaboration with District officials, health facilities, and community health workers to achieve project objectives in increasing access to and consumption of ASF for women of reproductive age and children ages 6 to 23 months.
• Ensure complementarity of Orora Wihaze activities with other key nutrition interventions in the assigned project zone.
• Represent Orora Wihaze at District events such as DPEM Committee meetings and JADF open days.
• Ensure applying SBC strategy as a demand creation mechanism that will influence consumers, producers, and retailers as well increase the availability, affordability, and consumption of ASF in the district by targeted Women and children.
• Lead and follow up on existing partnerships and exploring opportunities for scaling across the district and beyond.
• Provide technical support to project partners in ASF business to comply with regulatory requirement and environment protection in line with Government of Rwanda.
• Collaborate with District Portfolio Managers to coordinate Objective 1 interventions in the district Nyamasheke District to ensure delivery of a consolidated approach to achieving the project goal of increasing access to, availability and consumption of ASF.
• Monitor progress against project indicators by regularly collecting data from the project’s consumption target groups and stakeholders.
• Monitor and report any challenges and/or gaps identified to inform adjustments to plans and implementation schedules. Liaise closely the Kigali-based Orora Wihaze office to continuously provide feedback and learning for the project, and pro-actively problem solve as needed.
• Support accountability through coordinating project evaluation activities and assisting partners in their efforts to collect and analyze project data per specified mechanisms and tools.
• Prepare reports per established reporting schedule.
• Collect information on staff capacity needs and technical assistance needs of partner organizations and monitor capacity building and technical support activities to ensure effective impact.
• Complete project documentation for assigned activities. Assist with identifying information for case studies and reports on promising practices.
• Contribute to cross-sectoral public-private partnerships (PPPs) to pilot innovative nutrition and ASF and social and behavior change campaigns to improve national-level strategies.
• Liaise with private firms and/or CSOs to scale effective evidence-based nutrition messaging, including safe handling of ASF, through mechanisms such as social marketing, public extension and advertising.

Basic Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s Degree in one of the following fields: Public health/nutrition or Food Science.
• Minimum of 2 to 5 years of progressive responsibility and work experience supporting district-level nutrition activities of similar scope and complexity to that of Orora Wihaze Activities.
• Experience and ability working with a wide range of key health and nutrition specific stakeholders at the district level, including private sector representatives, district-level government entities and civil society organizations.
• Experience supporting collaborative, participatory ASF production, consumption, and market development efforts a plus.
• Ability to implement project activities with a high degree of autonomy.
• Strong experience with planning, monitoring and evaluation, and report writing.
• Flexibility to work both in a team and independently.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suites, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.

Required Languages 

Oral and written fluency in English and Kinyarwanda. Professional proficiency in French a plus.

Travel

District Nutrition Advisors will be based in the will be based in Nyamasheke Districts and coordinate objective 2 interventions in both Nyamagabe and Nyamasheke district with occasional (20%) travel to Kigali.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to ride a motorcycle with a valid motorcycle driving license (category A)
• Observation, active listening and analysis skills with ability to make sound judgment
• Attention to details, accuracy and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities
• Proactive, results-oriented and service-oriented

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience implementing USAID funded project.
• Experience in participatory action planning and community engagement.
• Experience monitoring projects and collecting relevant data preferred.
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint). 

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Builds Trust and Maintains Trust
• Collaborates with Others
• Open to Learn
• Leads Change
• Develops and Recognized Others
• Strategic Mindset
• Personal Accountability
• Acts with Integrity

Supervisory Responsibilities: None 

Key Working Relationships:

Internal: Orora Wihaze Social Behavior Change Advisor and Gender and Social Inclusion Advisor.

External: Orora Wihaze Intervention Portfolio Manager (IPM), District Portfolio Managers; Orora Wihaze M&E team, District officials (particularly the Director of Health and Director of Cooperatives, JADF); Private Actors and CSOs relevant to the project.

***Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

Disclaimer:  This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.

CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. 

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer

How to apply

Interested and qualified candidates should complete the attached application form, Self -Declaration Clause and submit them together with one page Cover letter plus updated CV (maximum three pages) all in/as one document – via email only to: [email protected] no later than Tuesday  June 13^th, 2023, at 5:00pm.

Please, include below statement in your cover letter:

“By applying to this job, I understand and acknowledge that CRS requires its staff to treat all people with dignity and respect and to actively prevent harassment, abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking. Further, I understand that if I am a successful candidate, I will be subject to a comprehensive background check, and my personal/professional references will be asked to evaluate my behaviors related to the above safeguarding-related topics.”

Also include your full names and title “District Nutrition Advisor @ Band 7” in the subject line. Due to anticipated high interest in this post and the expected number of applicants, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Kigali May 29^th, 2023.

Jude Marie Banatte 

Country Representative

CRS/Rwanda Program