Community Nutrition Support Officer Full-Time

The Volunteer’s Role

This is an exciting opportunity for you to contribute to a regional nutrition program led by CARE Canada!

As the Community Nutrition Support Officer, you will work closely with the SANI Mozambique team to develop context-specific behaviour change strategies related to nutrition norms to improve household nutrition practices. Your work will involve supporting staff to do community-based assessments, and developing behaviour change strategies with target groups to ensure that nutrition-focused education activities are designed with, and for, the community in which they will be implemented. This work will draw upon your experience using participatory appraisal tools and approaches, as well as conducting qualitative research to inform program interventions, preferably in rural, low-resource settings. You also have the skills and experience to work with staff to pull together a community-level nutrition and social behaviour change analysis.

CARE’s Southern African Nutrition Initiative (SANI) aims to improve the nutritional status of women of reproductive age and children under 5 while working with local health authorities and communities in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. Specifically, SANI is expected to contribute to the improved health of approximately 230,000 individuals directly, and over 345,000 individuals indirectly.

As a volunteer, you will:

• Review the baseline research report;
• Support the team in the creation and implementation of the nutrition strategy including the documentation of reports -Conduct qualitative interviews with SANI beneficiaries -Participate in various training, promotion activities such as nutrition counseling and culinary demonstration at the community level

Essential Academic Qualifications:

Degree in health or social sciences, or a related degree/experience relevant to the field of public health, with specific emphasis on health/nutrition communication, promotion and/or education. A degree in social work with nutrition experience is also desirable. Fluency in English required. Portuguese highly desirable. If a candidate does not have Portuguese, French or Spanish language skills required.

Essential Professional Background:

• Experience in developing social and behavior change communications (SBCC) strategies;
• Experience in community development;
• Experience designing behavioral interventions/SBCC messages and interventions towards health objectives;
• Use of epidemiological and other health-related data in SBCC program design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation;
• Nutrition/health related qualitative research.

Support Package

• Modest monthly living allowance (varies depending country);
• Accommodation while in placement;
• Return airfare and visa/work permit costs;
• Cost of required vaccinations, antimalarial medication and health insurance;
• Pre-departure training and in-country orientation;
• Travel and accommodation for reintegration debriefing weekend;
• Access to Employee Assistance Program while in placement and upon return;
• Travel and accommodation for the pre-departure training course and for in-country orientation (more details below).