RTI International Child Health and Nutrition Specialist, Kenya in Kenya
Job Description
RTI’s International Education Division is supporting education development around the world by strengthening education policy, management and practice in order to achieve measurable improvement in teaching and learning. From our well-established reputation in education system strengthening, to innovative work in early grade assessment and learning, RTI is improving education quality, relevance and efficiency through implementation of projects funded by USAID, DFID, Australian Aid and other donors and clients.
The International Education Division is seeking qualified candidates for a Child Health/Nutrition Specialist to support an anticipated Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme in Kenya. This programme will improve school readiness outcomes for children enrolled in ECD centres in three counties . The program will work within the existing system to support Community Health Workers (CHW’s) to support parents and caregivers in improving health and nutrition outcomes and to better identify and refer children in the 0-5 age group for additional health and nutrition services. Based in Nairobi, Kenya, this position will lead program activities to improve health and nutrition activities within ECD programming and Ministry of Health and Education structures.
Responsibilities:
- Provide technical assistance for the development and management of early childhood development health and nutrition interventions and identify strategies to accelerate/improve home visits, including early identification and referral systems.
- Support the deployment of monitoring tools to inform research to test the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of health and nutrition interventions in the ECD area.
- Support the design and deployment of Government of Kenya approved professional development materials, training guides and resources to improve knowledge and practices among CHW’s in under-nutrition identification and referral and improved nutrition and hygiene practices ;
- Collaborate with field teams to support the training and coaching of CHW’s to implement the child health and nutrition approaches. Support effective local capacity building.
- Conduct regular visits to maintain a clear understanding of field issues and ensure common understanding of project objectives and accomplishments.
- Conduct and organize field visits to health clinics and local programme sites to provide ongoing technical/managerial supportive supervision, evaluate program effectiveness, identify obstacles and institute corrective measures, if needed.
- Regularly support progress monitoring and reporting; and maintaining productive relationships with counterparts in ministries, funders, partners, and across RTI.
- Supervise the health and nutrition teams to implement this component of the programme.
- Support development of effective communication materials, advocacy activities and social mobilization programs.
Qualifications
Requirements:
- Master’s degree in public health, nutrition or a related field;
- At least 6 years of experience developing, implementing and monitoring child health and nutrition programs, including facilitating community-based trainings, in Kenya;
- Experience in development of training materials and capacity building of government or civil society organizations on child health and nutrition issues;
- Extensive knowledge of technical and substantive issues related to health and nutrition, including basic hygiene and sanitation practices, in the context of education and early childhood development;
- Familiarity with nutrition and child-health programs, policies, and goals globally and nationally;
- Knowledge of best practices of teaching hygiene and sanitation i.e. proper hand-washing, latrines, clean drinking water and food and reducing open-defecation;
- Track record of performance excellence and achieving established targets and objectives;
- Experience in planning and coordinating program field work;
- Experience with donor -funded projects preferred;
- Experience liaising with Ministry officials and actively participating in Ministry and/or donor-led technical working groups;
- Strong analytical and planning skills;
- Strong writing and data analysis abilities;
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and demanding timeframes;
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision;
- Excellent oral and written communication skills;
- Fluency in English and Kiswahili required.
To Apply: Interested applicants should submit a current CV with contact information to internationaledu@rti.org and indicate “Kenya Child Health and Nutrition Specialist” in the subject title.
About RTI
RTI International is one of the world’s leading research institutes, dedicated to improving the human condition by turning knowledge into practice. Our staff of more than 3,700 provides research and technical services to governments and businesses in more than 75 countries in the areas of health and pharmaceuticals, education and training, surveys and statistics, advanced technology, international development, economic and social policy, energy and the environment, and laboratory testing and chemical analysis.
Equal Opportunity Employer
We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
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