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Program Associate - Nutrition

Program Summary:

 Malnutrition represents one of the most formidable challenges of the 21st century. Lagging behind the progress of the MDGs era, malnutrition remains pervasive and underprioritized, robbing individuals, households and societies of their potential. Over 45% of under-five child deaths globally can be attributed to malnutrition and those children who survive face higher risks of living in poverty and of giving birth to malnourished children, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and social inequity. In contrast, good nutritional status is linked to improved school completion rates, higher household income, and a greater chance of escaping poverty and boosting inter-generational equity.
 This is a critical time for nutrition that requires fresh thinking and new tools and solutions. R4D’s Nutrition Team has designed a suite of approaches to support global and country partners across a broad range of areas, including:  
  •  Promoting increasing global investments in nutrition and ensuring these investments have the greatest impact through sustainable financing approaches.
  •  Data-for-development for nutrition approaches, including end user research methodology and data visualization tools, to promote the use of data for nutrition decision-making.
  •  Structured learning approaches, to generate, share and translate knowledge into actions.
  •  Strong multi sectoral approaches and accountability mechanisms, to ensure a coordinated response.
  •  Systemic approaches to generate, disseminate and translate innovations.
  •  Market shaping, to enable and incentivize responsible businesses to invest in the safe, affordable nutritious food value chain and critical commodities for addressing malnutrition.
 
Opportunity: 

 To support this mission, R4D seeks a Program Associate (PA) to join our rapidly growing Nutrition Practice to support various nutrition-related projects spanning across multiple sectors such as health and food systems. This position is well suited to someone interested in an international development career and is typically a precursor to internal promotion or graduate-level study. This position is based in Washington, D.C., and will report to the Nutrition Practice’s Senior Program Officer for Data.

Responsibilities:

 Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
  •  Providing strong quantitative analysis and support to Nutrition Team projects, including: (1) cleaning and analyzing different types of data for nutrition; (2) structuring, managing, and maintaining complex datasets/databases in Excel (and potentially other database management software); and (3) synthesizing and visualizing data for nutrition in Power BI, Tableau, or other data visualization platforms
  •  Participating in research, qualitative and quantitative analysis, writing, and publication of project reports, including by:
  •  Mapping the availability of data on nutrition;
  •  Developing and managing data visualization tools for nutrition stakeholders/decision-makers;
  •  Analyzing trends in funding flows for nutrition, including exploring whether funding is targeted to areas most in need and how much more is needed to reach global targets;
  •  Analyzing multi-sectoral nutrition spending in Ethiopia and/or Nigeria;
  •  Conducting literature reviews and other research on nutrition financing and policy;
  •  Conducting background research on innovative nutrition products or services;
  •  Collecting data and developing or reviewing costing and financing analysis for various nutrition interventions;
  •  Participating in interviews with experts across multiple sectors; and
  •  Participating in collaborative learning activities with stakeholders from government, civil society or private sector.
  •  Supporting project teams in planning and implementing various technical and programmatic activities, such as developing work plans, coordinating events and meetings with partners and clients, budgeting and expenditure tracking, etc.
  •  Producing presentations, concept notes, briefing materials, blog posts, and other communication products for use in disseminating R4D’s work to funders, partners, and various other audiences.
  • Contributing to business development by drafting scopes of work, developing budgets and work plans, and coordinating with colleagues on compilation of proposals.
  •  Assisting with project management and administrative activities, including developing contracts, tracking spending and receivables, organizing meetings and workshops, processing payments to consultants and vendors, and invoicing funders.
 The ideal candidate will be a highly motivated and energetic individual with superior organizational skills and attention to detail. He/she must be able to function relatively independently and flexibly, complete duties creatively and at a high-quality. 
 
 
Qualifications:

  • 1 year of experience + a BA in international nutrition, global health, economics, international relations, international health, public policy or related field
  • Strong analytical and quantitative analysis skills and experience working with large datasets, including fluency with Microsoft Excel, Stata, ArcGIS, and/or other database management software
  • Experience in or interest in learning data visualization platforms such as Power BI, Tableau, etc.
  • Excellent writing, editing, and presentation skills, including the ability to convey complex concepts to a variety of specialized and lay audiences
  • Collaborative mindset and comfort with team-based projects and relationship management responsibilities
  • Knowledge of nutrition policy, data, and financing challenges in developing countries preferred
  • Professional proficiency in languages other than English (particularly French, Hindi, Amharic)
  • Willingness to travel to developing countries in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa as needed