Senior Program Officer – Nutrition Vacancy at Results for Development (R4D)

Results for Development (R4D) is a leading non-profit global development partner. We collaborate with change agents around the world — government officials, civil society leaders and social innovators — to create strong systems that support healthy, educated people. We help our partners move from knowing their goal to knowing how to reach it. We combine global expertise in health, education and nutrition with analytic rigor, practical support for decision-making and implementation and access to peer problem-solving networks. Together with our partners, we build self-sustaining systems that serve everyone and deliver lasting results. Then we share what we learn so others can achieve results for development, too.

About the organization:

Founded in 2008, Results for Development (R4D) has grown rapidly during its first decade, with a diverse set of programs in global health, education, and nutrition and funders that include bilateral donors, multi-lateral development institutions, and private foundations. We collaborate with change agents around the world — government officials, civil society leaders and social innovators — to create strong systems that support healthy, educated people. We help our partners move from knowing their goal to knowing how to reach it. We combine global expertise in health, education and nutrition with analytic rigor, practical support for decision-making and implementation and access to peer problem-solving networks. Together with our partners, we build self-sustaining systems that serve everyone and deliver lasting results.  The organization has offices in Washington, DC in the United States (140 staff), Ethiopia, Tanzania, and the UK. Outside of the U.S., we employ 21 staff in ten countries.

We have a unique and vibrant culture at R4D. Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the heart of our work environment and help advance our mission. Diversity—of ideas, identities, perspectives and backgrounds—is vital to who we are and what we do. We seek people who embrace these values and will help reinforce them. Our work culture is collaborative, creative, and entrepreneurial. We operate based on trust and respect. Teams across the organization frequently collaborate on programmatic work and support each other in building a better R4D.

Practice:

R4D’s Nutrition Practice works with global and country change agents to find solutions to complex challenges that impede progress towards achieving the global goals for nutrition. Our growing nutrition team works across a broad range of areas, including:

• Promoting increasing global investments in nutrition through sustainable financing approaches.
• Approaches to integrate essential nutrition services into health systems.
• Data for nutrition approaches, including promoting the use of data for nutrition decision-making.
• Support transformation of food systems through multi-sectoral approaches
• Structured learning approaches, to generate, share and translate knowledge into actions.

Our ongoing program of work in Ethiopia supports key government bodies and development partners. This includes:

1.     Collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health to develop capacity to track budget allocations and expenditures and to use this for improved planning, accountability and stakeholder coordination.

2.     Support for the development of the Seqota Declaration expansion and scale up phase roadmap and investment plan which will inform the Food & Nutrition investment case.

3.     Support to strengthen systems for the treatment of wasting into routine health systems. This includes assessing country needs to generate practical research and guidance on wasting treatment integration into health systems; and an assessment of market barriers that limit the availability and affordability of ready to use therapeutic foods, and scoping opportunities to address them.

 Opportunity:

To support this mission, R4D seeks a Senior Program Officer (SPO) to join our rapidly growing Nutrition Practice to support the growing Ethiopia portfolio. This position is based in Addis Ababa and is unique opportunity to work closely with the R4D Ethiopia Country Director and provide leadership to R4D’s Nutrition practice in Ethiopia. 

Responsibilities:

• The SPO will serve as a critical member of project management teams, advising on overall project strategy and design, contributing technical expertise, managing project teams, and overseeing the implementation of activities.
• Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
• Lead activities in Ethiopia related to the integration of wasting into routine health systems by advising on project strategy, providing technical guidance and being responsible for the timely execution of work plans and completion of project deliverables
• Build and manage relationships with partners in Ethiopia, internal and external experts consulted, and program managers involved in engagements
• Support R4D Ethiopia Country Director in new business development
• Provide thought leadership and technical expertise to the nutrition team and across the broader organization, including representing R4D in external settings and developing knowledge products

• We are seeking an experienced professional with expertise in nutrition and/or health systems and strong project and partner management skills.
• 7+ years of relevant professional experience on issues related to health or nutrition or related fields
• MD and/or Master’s degree or PhD in a relevant field preferred
• Experience in nutrition programming through one or more WHO building blocks: Leadership & Governance, Financing, Supplies & Supply Chains, Human Resources, Information Systems, Service Delivery
• Experience with wasting programs, or issues regarding Ready to Use Therapeutic Foods, is preferred but not required
• Demonstrated ability to manage partner relationships and project work streams including managing situations with potential for conflicts
• Experience in capacity building/training, facilitation and stakeholder management
• Experience in research, including desk research and stakeholder interviews
• Proven capacity to synthesize technical content into effective presentations to high-level audiences
• Ability to prioritize and manage work in a fast-paced environment across multiple projects and work streams with competing time/resource demands
• High level of organization, attention to detail, professionalism, and reliability
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Enthusiastic about joining a diverse and inclusive work environment
• Motivated to learn, grow, contribute and produce