Job Title:  National Nutrition Coordinator/ Program Manager I

Department: Gikuriro Kuri Bose (GKB)

Band: 9

Reports To: Chief of Party II, Gikuriro Kuri Bose

Country/Location: Rwanda (Kigali)

About CRS

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.

CRS has been present in Rwanda since 1960, and currently implements projects in nutrition, agriculture, youth entrepreneurship and peacebuilding. The Country Program has around 80 staff and implements its projects through local and international partners, with strong coordination/collaboration with Government of Rwanda (GoR) structures.

Job Summary:

The Inclusive Nutrition and Early Childhood Development (INECD) activity – locally known as the USAID Gikuriro Kuri Bose program –promotes nurturing and responsive care practices, especially in the areas of health, functioning, nutrition, and early childhood development (ECD) for caregivers and children. Specifically, the activity aims to improve health and nutrition outcomes among women of reproductive age and adolescents and improve infant and young child feeding practices. It also aims to address child development gaps and significant unmet physical rehabilitation and assistive technology (rehab/AT) and social inclusion needs for infants and children. The activity focuses on community-level service delivery, community-health facility linkages and district level capacity development, as well as addresses issues of inclusion and participation, including access to programs and services for children and adults with disabilities, in line with Government of Rwanda priorities.

This position is a secondment to the National Child Development Agency (NCDA). As a National Coordinator for Nutrition Interventions, you will provide technical oversight of the development and implementation of sustainable INECD Early Childhood Development interventions in collaboration with NCDA, ensuring effective systems and processes are in place that support high-quality programming advancing Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) work in serving the poor and vulnerable. Your management skills and knowledge will ensure that the CP delivers high-quality INECD programming and continuously works towards improving the impact of its programming. Furthermore, you will provide technical leadership and have responsibility for all activities associated with implementation of integrated activities that promote the full development of the child especially in the first 1,000 days of life.

The main role of the National Coordinator for Nutrition Interventions will be to provide leadership and technical expertise to strengthen the management, coordination, and accountability of all nutrition interventions under NCDA. He /she will oversee and lead operationalization of the Nutrition Command Post established as a centralized coordination mechanism to oversee, monitor, and support the implementation of national nutrition programs in collaboration with NCDA and other partners.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the overall coordination of the Nutrition Command Post’s activities at national and sub-national levels.
• Lead and coordinate all NCDA nutrition interventions, ensuring alignment with national strategies and improving nutrition outcomes across all levels.
• Facilitate the planning, implementation, monitoring and consolidating of reports from sector Nutrition Command Post interventions.
• Enhance coordination among stakeholders to ensure an integrated approach to tackling malnutrition.
• Drive data-driven decision-making for effective and efficient implementation of nutrition programs.
• Facilitate regular coordination meetings with stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, and development partners.
• Align Command Post operations with national nutrition policies, strategies, and goals.
• Establish and maintain a robust data collection and reporting system for nutrition interventions.
• Compile and share periodic reports with stakeholders, highlighting achievements, challenges, and recommendations
• Support the development of sector plans to eliminate malnutrition and data collection tools.
• Review and approve district report on Command Post and provide feedback. 
• Support capacity building of Nutrition Command Post focal persons and other frontline workers.
• Ensure partner coordination and involvement during the program implementation.
• Support advocacy to decision-makers for program strengthening, fund mobilization from the government, donors and partners
• Lead development of annual work plans for the Nutrition Command Post, including clear timelines and milestones.
• Produce reports from coordination meetings and field visits and analysis of the reports tracking key nutrition data points from the districts.
• Produce quarterly progress reports summarizing key achievements, challenges, and recommendations.
• Lead the process to establish a functional M&E system for tracking nutrition program outcomes.
• Produce an end-of-year comprehensive report highlighting the impact of the Command Post's interventions.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition, Public Health, Social Work or Sociology.
• At least 10 years of professional experience in implementing or coordinating nutrition programs.
• Strong understanding of district-level governance and public health systems.
• Proven experience in capacity building, stakeholder engagement, and program design.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and report-writing skills.
• Demonstrated experience working with children experiencing deprivation, exclusion and vulnerability and their families.

Required Languages - Oral and written fluency in English and Kinyarwanda. French is a plus.

Travel - The position is Kigali based, seconded to NCDA. Must be willing and able to travel up to 40%.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment.
• Strong relationship management skills and the ability to work effectively with culturally diverse groups.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with ability to write reports
• Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented

Preferred Qualifications

• Project management experience in inclusive nutrition and ECD is highly desirable.
• Experience engaging with partner organizations.
• Experience contributing to the development of technical proposals.
• Skills on critical documentation and research are desirable.
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information management systems.

Agency-REDI Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Builds & Maintains Trust
• Collaborates with Others
• Open to Learn
• Leads Change
• Develops & Recognizes Others
• Strategic Mindset
• Personnel Accountability
• Acts with Integrity

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Functional supervision of Partner MEAL Officers

Key Working Relationships:

• Internal: GKB MEAL Advisor, CLA Advisor, Data Specialist, Deputy Chief of Party, Chief of Party; Cluster Manager and Coordinators, GKB Technical Advisors, Regional Technical Advisor for MEAL
• External: International and local partners, government offices and affiliated agencies.
• Attention to details, accuracy and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities

Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.

CRS' talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.CRSis committed to providing equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, or any other socio-economic status.

How to apply

Interested and qualified candidates should complete the attached application form, Self -Declaration Clause and submit them together with one page Cover letter plus updated CV (maximum three pages) all in/as one document - via email only to: RW_HR@crs.org not later than Wednesday January 22^nd, 2025, at 5:00pm.

Please, include below statement in your cover letter:

“By applying to this job, I understand and acknowledge that CRS requires its staff to treat all people with dignity and respect and to actively prevent harassment, abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking. Further, I understand that if I am a successful candidate, I will be subject to a comprehensive background check, and my personal/professional references will be asked to evaluate my behaviors related to the above safeguarding-related topics.”

Also include your full names and title “National Nutrition Coordinator @ Band 9”Note that screening will be done on rollout basis and only short-listed applicant’s will be notified.

Kigali January 09^th, 2025.

Hans Fly

Country Representative