Job Description / Responsibility

Based in the Country Office, the National Nutrition Advocacy Coordinator will lead IRC’s policy, advocacy, and communications work to create systemic change in nutrition policy in country.

Globally, about 52 million children currently suffer from acute malnutrition, with the global food crisis and climate change threatening to increase cases imminently. Closing the treatment gap is a significant opportunity to reduce child mortality in the country.

We have an opportunity to improve child mortality and wellbeing by scaling wasting treatment to close the 80% coverage gap. IRC seeks to support the policy, planning, and implementation of scaling treatment.

The National Nutrition Advocacy Coordinator will jumpstart the implementation of this initiative at the national level by laying the groundwork for an emerging partnership on scaling treatment.

Map and analyze the national nutrition policy landscape:

Conduct a political economy/landscape analysis of national and subnational level nutrition policies, stakeholders, influencers and decision-makers with a focus on wasting treatment.

Develop and begin implementing a targeted strategy to advance practice and policy shifts to scale wasting treatment including through simplified approaches at the national and subnational level:

Frame key context-specific asks based on the landscape analysis

Identify targets and key stakeholders for advancing policy recommendations.

Identify working groups and other key fora that IRC joins or should be joining.

Identify and assemble the information, tools, and products to support advocacy

Foster knowledge management systems and engage in internal learning and coordination within the IRC regarding evidence and tools for scaling nutrition treatment:

Document and share useful tools, presentations, analyses, good practices and lessons learned and exchange learnings with other Nutrition Policy Technical Advisors in different Country Offices.

Gather, analyze and synthesize data documenting the process and barriers to national-level scaling of wasting treatment, with a focus on the policy environment.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Senior Programs Coordinator of the Nigeria Country Office and the Regional Advocacy Communications Coordinator – West Africa

Position Directly Supervises: N/A

Indirect Reporting: TBC

Other Internal and/or External Contacts:

Airbel Nutrition GRIP

Health Unit Policy, Advocacy, and Communications Team

Nutrition Technical Advisors (particularly the TA for West Africa)

Nutrition Coordinator in the CO

Ministry of Health, National Nutrition Cluster, and relevant national nutrition working groups

Educational Requirements

Master's Degree in Nutrition, Public Health, Public Policy, or another closely related field is strongly desirable.

Experience Requirements

At least 7 years of experience in global health or humanitarian policy, advocacy, or research uptake is required.

At least three (3) years of health or nutrition policy, advocacy, research uptake, or communications are required.

Demonstrable technical understanding of nutrition and/or public health

Deep knowledge of the national context and stakeholders

Prior experience working directly with stakeholders in the Ministry of Health and with national partners and civil society organizations.

Advocacy experience in achieving national policy change is strongly desired.

Additional Job Requirements

Expertise in communications: proven ability to develop materials and presentations for external audiences.

Excellent written and oral communications skills; ability to communicate with many and diverse audiences; you listen intently and actively to all audiences; your communications are direct, simple, and respectful.

Strong negotiation, influencing and networking skills.

Fluency in English is required, knowledge of local languages is an asset.