SENIOR PROJECT OFFICER - NUTRITION (SADC INTEGRATED NUTRITION PROGRAMME)
Closing Date Thu, 04/30/2026 - 12:00
Key Responsibilities and Functions:
Regional Coordination and Governance
• Coordinate and facilitate regional nutrition coordination meetings. Specifically the following:
• Convening and servicing of the SADC Food and Nutrition Security (FNS) Technical Steering Committee.
• Implement the food fortification roadmap action plan for the region.
• Facilitate agenda development, documentation, and follow-up actions.
• Organise and support regional emergency response coordination meetings, including creating functional linkages with all key sectors e.g disaster risk management (DRM), food security, WASH, Social protection, Education, Industry, Finance, media whilst ensuring consideration for youth and gender cross cutting themes.
• Coordinate the SADC harmonisation process for nutrition-related standards like the Commercially Produced Complementary Food standards as well as SADC food fortification standards., in collaboration with the SADC Cooperation in Standards network and relevant partners.
• Strengthening the adolescent and maternal nutrition programme in the region.
• Supporting the adoption of the Code for Marketing of Breastmilk substitutes by Member States.
Capacity Building and Technical Support to Member States
• Design, coordinate, and deliver capacity-building webinars, bilateral engagements, and technical assistance to Member States on priority nutrition areas, including transition from iron folate to multiple micronutrient supplementation, public financing for nutrition.
• Supporting Member States to enact food fortification regulations to address micronutrient deficiencies.
• Coordinate Implementation of the Code on Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, Maternal Nutrition Action Framework, Prevention of overweight and obesity
• Support capacity building for development of national action plans on wasting/acute malnutrition and broader nutrition strategies.
• Enhancing the capacities of laboratories to test for nutrients and biomarkers
• Strengthen nutrition surveillance in all Member States.
Knowledge Products, Policy Development and Advocacy
• Prepare and submit technical progress reports and other reports in line with organisational requirements.
• Lead and coordinate development of regional nutrition related knowledge products.
• Facilitate regional consultations and technical processes for development of SADC nutrition policies, including the SADC Food and Nutrition Security strategy (2025–2036).
• Support documentation and visibility of nutrition in flagship SADC reports, Ministers meeting annotations, including the SADC Regional Vulnerability Assessment synthesis and Early Warning System reports.
• develop and disseminate regional guidance and standards.
• Support Member States to adapt and domesticate regional and global guidance, policies and strategies into national policies and implementation frameworks.
• Facilitate country visits and undertake missions to strengthen adoption of regional nutrition guidance.
Programme Management, Partnerships and Compliance
• Support programme planning, budgeting, and monitoring aligned to approved workplans and budgets.
• Ensure compliance with SADC policies, fiduciary, reporting, and safeguarding requirements.
• Strengthen collaboration with UN agencies, Member States, development partners, academia, and technical institutions.
• Contribute to advocacy aimed at increasing Member State investment and domestic financing for nutrition.
• Coordinate the implementation of the SADC Integrated Nutrition Programme in a timely manner in alignment with SADC policies and practice.
• Provide input for the development of technical reports and other project outputs.
• Provide technical support in the development of plans, terms of reference and strategies for all project components.
• Track and monitor the progress of each programme component and adjust as necessary to ensure the successful implementation of the programme.
• Perform such other duties as may be assigned
Requirements
EDUCATION
• At least a master’s degree in Public Health Nutrition, Development Studies, Food Systems, or a related field.
• Bachelor’s degree in nutrition sciences will be an added advantage (as an undergraduate degree)
EXPERIENCE
• At least 10-15 years’ experience in nutrition, including child nutrition and development programming.
• Proven track record in advocacy and partnerships building, working with inter-governmental organisations.
• Experience with policy reform and programme implementation in developing countries.
• Strong communication skills and demonstrated experience in regional coordination, policy support, and capacity building.
• Strong technical knowledge of maternal and child nutrition, food fortification, food systems, wasting, and multisectoral nutrition approaches.
• Experience working with intergovernmental organizations, UN agencies or development partners is strongly desirable
COMPETENCIES
• Negotiation, networking and relationship building skills.
• Organisational skills (planning, budgeting, time management, work prioritisation)
• Research, analytical and problem-solving skills
• Good writing skills including project proposal writing
• Demonstrate ability to work independently
• Demonstrated ability to present and win support for ideas in an international or multi-cultural environment,
• Demonstrated ability to represent SADC in key and strategic meetings and fora on Nutrition
• Maintain confidentiality and respectful of sensitive situations,
• Organisational awareness with an understanding of how to engage the organisation to get things done,
• Professionalism and adherence to good work ethics,
• Resilience and personal drive, self-motivation,
• Results and performance driven,
• Team player, and communication skills
Apply : https://sadc.mcidirecthire.com/External/Job?Ref=TEkBhDYErs0qhHgueWeCgt_yRI-cnPLR1MRk1RR6Cpou3ktpvROhSqni_BGkK6j0Rj26mAXQOEb-iKMp7BSMaPdlfqX7b0InEXtbX-gADRlRf9BA8bZ1gvTzI69UOF0PbLEZDaL5qqhvDRgeAO1SeA