Call for Applications: Program Officer – Nutrition

Program Officer: Nutrition 

Rikolto in East Africa is part of the Rikolto network, an international NGO with more than 50 years of experience working with farmer organizations and food chain actors in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Rikolto's mission is to contribute to the development of a vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive agricultural sector, where family farmers supply quality products for their own consumption and various markets (national, regional, and international). 

In Tanzania, Rikolto is currently implementing food systems projects in 8 regions of the Northern and Southern Highlands, focusing on transforming urban food systems (Good Food for Cities), sustainable rice for all, and livelihoods through the cocoa/coffee program. One of the projects is the Joint Program on Accelerating Progress towards Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment (JP RWEE), designed to advance economic opportunities for rural women, focusing on the sorghum value chain, particularly in the regions of Singida and Dodoma. This project is funded by the MasterCard Foundation and implemented in partnership with the World Food Program (WFP) as a prime partner and Rikolto as a subgrantee.  

Rikolto is currently seeking to hire a Program Officer – Nutrition for the VKB and JP RWEE projects. This role is crucial in ensuring that nutritional components are well integrated across both projects. The Program Officer will be responsible for providing efficient and effective nutritional intervention in all project activities. This position requires close collaboration with project teams, partners, and local communities to ensure that both women and men benefit equally from these interventions. The successful candidate will also play a pivotal role in monitoring and evaluating the impact of nutritional initiatives within the projects. 

Job Purpose 

Contributing to achieving project outcomes and impact by providing technical support in the implementation of nutritional activities for Vijana Kilimo Biashara (VKB) and the Joint Program on Accelerating Progress towards Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment (JP RWEE). 

Reports to: Program Advisor  
Contract Duration: 1 year (renewable) 
Duty Station: Dodoma 

Responsibilities 

• Provide technical guidance on nutritional interventions in the project areas. 

• Ensure all nutritional and hygiene interventions are designed, implemented, and supported by data disaggregated sex and age- in JP RWEE and VKB projects. 

• Conduct Nutritional, and hygiene awareness and mobilization sessions/meetings to beneficiaries in project targeted areas. 

• Support engagement of women and youth in improved nutritional practice including promotion of traditional food system.

• Improve nutritional status and interventions through increasing diverse and safe vegetables, to increase household food availability.

• Lead in the development of manuals, and guides and facilitate trainings and workshops groups, focusing on women and girls, to enhance their participation in improving community health.

• Support actions that improve food security and nutrition by empowering women and girls in decision-making at the household and community levels. 

• Address underlying Nutritional inequalities that affect people’s opportunities, visibility, and voice, ensuring the effectiveness of food security.

• Coordinate training on nutrition and hygiene, using mass media approaches and community platforms (VSLAs, village dialogues).  

• Coordinate national and local dialogues on nutrition to promote healthy social, and behaviours within the project

• Support women and youth peer groups in FBOs to promote a high nutritional diet.  

• Disseminating and promoting /demonstrating vegetable preparations and utilization best practices

• Lead Nutritional component and designed community nutritional intervention plans in other Rikolto programs in Tanzania. 

Education and Experience 

• Bachelor's degree in nutrition, Food Science or similar related field.

• Experience working with Rural Women.

Knowledge and Skills

• Knowledge of Nutrition and community-based inclusive development.

• Strategic thinker who can approach problems from different angles. 

• Results-oriented, with clear communication skills and good networking abilities. 

• In-depth understanding of value chain development approaches, and food systems,  

• Strong stakeholder management skills and ability to coordinate platforms and dialogues. 

• Good understanding of sustainability and environmental issues, and the ability to interpret this information for stakeholders. 

• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. 

• Good proficiency in English (speaking and writing). 

• Licensed and able to drive a manual car. 

Mode of Application 

Qualified candidates are invited to submit their applications, including: 

• A cover letter describing your qualifications for the position. 

• A detailed CV with three recent referees. 

Applications should be sent to eastafrica.recruitment@rikolto.org before 25^th May 2025, indicating the source of the advertisement and the position title "Program Officer – nutrition" in the subject line. 

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified and invited for an interview. 

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