Health and Nutrition Advisor

Health and Nutrition Advisor

The Opportunity

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In Nepal and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and future we share. Save the Children expects that anyone associated with it abides by its Safeguarding and other Zero Tolerance Policies.

The Health & Nutrition Advisor is the technical lead for Save the Children Nepal’s work in Health and Nutrition, in areas related to newborn health, child health, maternal health, nutrition, adolescent health, sexual and reproductive health, family planning, school health and nutrition, health system strengthening. The Advisor plays a lead role in setting the strategic direction for the health sector, designing new programs and projects, and identifying and pursing strategic partnerships. S/he is responsible for ensuring programme quality and programme learning for a range of projects and advises field-based technical staff. S/he plays a senior representational and advocacy role with the Government of Nepal, donors, and key national and international stakeholders, and works on a regular basis with SC members and internal stakeholders to maximize programme delivery. The Advisor ensures that programme learning, research and evaluation findings are channelled towards advocacy, continuous improvements, and new programme design. The ideal candidate is technically experienced and proactive and will take a leading role in cementing Save the Children Nepal’s role as a leading Health and Nutrition actor while growing its portfolio and strategic opportunities for engagement.

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

Key Responsibilities:

PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN (35% LOE)

• Identify and pursue opportunities for synergistic, inter-sectoral programs to address the holistic needs of children, especially the most deprived.
• Work with Save the Children technical and awards staff to develop funding strategies and proposals to expand the Health and Nutrition portfolio in line with strategic priorities and technical best practice from a range of sources. This will involve continuously developing concepts and innovations and packaging them for a range of donors, both for proactive and reactive fundraising efforts.
• Ensure that cross thematic objectives (gender equity, disability and social inclusion, climate change, child participation) are included in programme design and monitoring.
• Introduce innovative ideas and approaches to support health system strengthening, quality improvement, and universal health coverage in Nepal.
  In consultation with Programme Operations Department (POD) colleagues, ensure that
• Health and Nutrition activities contribute to sponsorship strategy and meet agency significant benefit standards.
• With Programme Operations Department (POD) colleagues, continuously assess staffing patterns and competencies to ensure that right staff are in place to support realistic programme design, sector needs, and development.
• Contribute to the development or revision of Health and Nutrition related guidelines or guidance documents.

STRATEGIC DIRECTION (20%*)

• Take lead role in formulating CO’s vision for long term programming in Health in Nepal, including the development of its Country Strategic Plan (CSP) for Health sector.
• Participate actively in the Country Annual Planning and Country Annual Reporting, providing oversight and compiling the reports for the health sector.
• Identify needs and opportunities for potential programs, through situation analyses/feasibility studies, networking, and leveraging research and evaluation findings from both internal and external sources.
• Maintain oversight of programme portfolio (at country and field level) and ensure alignment with CSP.
• Provide thought leadership and links with SCI’s global thematic initiatives

*Significant level of effort anticipated in 2024 due to SCI’s strategic planning cycle.

REPRESENTATION AND NETWORKING (15% LOE)

• Maintain working relationships with relevant Ministries and Departments and their Health and Nutrition programs; connect Save the Children’s flagship programs with government and other non-government interventions.
• Ensure that the country office has effective representation on national, regional and international networks/committees/working groups related to Health and Nutrition to enhane coordination and that we participate in conferences/meetings that will enhance our reputation and programming.
• Maintain excellent relationships with donors for positioning and influencing.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with academia, private sector and other non-traditional partners.
• Represent CO on the Regional and Global meetings on health, both internal and external.
• In collaboration with the Partnerships Director take the lead in identifying strategic national and local partners in the Health and Nutrition sector.

QUALITY ASSURANCE & MEAL (15% LOE)

• Ensure the incorporation of quality assurance at multiple levels (strategy, design, implementation, proposal, monitoring processes, evaluation and learning, reporting) for Health and Nutrition.
• Generate best practice guidance on integrating health sensitive and specific interventions and champions the use of evidence to strengthen Health and Nutrition programming for children, seeking opportunities to share learning to influence the CO and the wider SCI movement as well as other relevant organisations.
• With the MEAL team, ensure Quality Benchmarks are appropriate and applied to all Health and Nutrition programming. Including supporting in drafting and monitoring Quality Benchmarks.
• Support field teams to identify and carry out operational research related to Health and Nutrition, including designing relevant research ToRs and reviewing research and evaluation reports.
• Ensure that Save the Children’s regional and global experience is reflected in our Health and Nutrition programmes in Nepal.

POLICY AND ADVOCACY (10% LOE)

• Lead in defining Save the Children’s advocacy agenda in the Health and Nutrition sector, as informed by SC’s experience in Nepal and globally. Lead in networking and articulating Save the Children’s position, policy and strategy in national forums and meetings. Engage in key debates related to national health sector policies and programs, in coordination with technical colleagues and other relevant staff.
• Lead in translating national messaging to provincial and palika-level policy and action plans. Work with project and programme teams to develop provincial and palika-level policy and action plans.
• Engage in policy development with central authorities; with POD, support field-based technical staff to engage with local authorities as per the CSP, advocacy plans, and relevant policy concerns. Develop policy briefs and position papers based on field inputs and experiences.
• With the ACCM team, ensure appropriate strategic partnerships for joint advocacy initiatives on health issues at the national level.

CAPACITY BUILDING (5% LOE)

• Conduct regular thematic coordination meetings with Programme Operations Department (POD) technical staff in the field and in Kathmandu, including annual Programme Learning Groups (PLGs).
• In coordination with POD, provide on-going and one-off technical support and advice to programs and partners as needed.
• Coordinate with POD to identify internal and external capacity building opportunities and resources to provide high quality technical assistance to Health and Nutrition projects, supporting SCI and partner staff to build knowledge and technical competence.
• Ensure that core Health and Nutrition sector training modules and new tools and approaches are rolled out effectively and with fidelity to Health and Nutrition staff and partners.

OTHER

• Other tasks as requested by the Director, Programme Development and Quality
• Support the Save the Children Humanitarian responses where appropriate, ensuring timely and quality responses in line with international standards and technical best practice.

Qualifications and experience:

• Master’s degree in public health, nutrition or related field with demonstrable commensurate experience.
• 7+ years of working experience in relevant field, including 5 years in a technical advisory role.
• Strong leadership abilities, leading and inspiring others.
• Very proactive and propositional, collaborative mindset and flexible.
• Excellent inter-personal communication skills, able to work with a range of different people in-person and remotely.
• Proposal design and writing experience is a must.
• Excellent skills on process facilitation and coordination with high standard.
• Good presentation skills.
• Good supportive supervision skills, developing self and others.
• Excellent English communication skills, specifically written.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver results, engage in effective and collaborative problem solving and decision making, and foster programme innovations and adaptations.

Desirable

• SBC experience at community-level
• Experience with using technology in health/e-health
• Experience in inclusion of GEDSI in health and nutrition

Required No.(s): 1 (Nepalese Citizen Only)
Contract length: Fixed Term
Location: Country Office, Kathmandu

The Organisation

We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
• All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

Application Information

Please apply using a cover letter and up-to-date CV as a single document. Please also include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations.

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our global anti-harassment policy.

Save the Children does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.

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