Humanitarian Nutrition Officer

Job Description

Title: Humanitarian Nutrition Officer

Location: Cotabato City, Philippines

Travel: Travelling to the project sites is necessary

Job Family and Level: T4 – Technical

Pre hire checks: This role is classified as requiring standard pre-employment checks

Important Note:

This recruitment is part of a pre-positioning effort. Selection does not guarantee immediate employment. Employment will be contingent upon project activation, funding availability, and final approval.

1. Scope

Responsibility: Country level

Department: Programs Department

Reporting to: Humanitarian Portfolio Manager

Direct reports: NA

Budget responsibility: NA

Relationship management: Programs team, MEAL, Support, BARMM ministries and LGUs, and implementing partner

2. Context

About Relief International

Relief International (RI) partners with communities impacted by conflict, climate change, and disaster to save lives, build greater resilience, and promote long-term health and well-being.

Currently, we work in 14 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, providing Health and Nutrition, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), Education, and Livelihoods programming that creates the foundation for community resilience.

Relief International includes the four corporate members of the RI Alliance: Relief International Inc., Relief International-UK, Relief International-France, and Relief International-Europe. Under our alliance agreement, we operate with a single, shared management structure.

About the Philippines Country Program

Relief International Philippines operates with a strong focus on peacebuilding, humanitarian response, and development programming in areas affected by conflict, natural disasters, and socio-economic vulnerabilities. Since establishing its presence in the country, RI has worked closely with local communities, civil society organizations, and government institutions to support conflict-affected populations, promote social cohesion, and deliver life-saving assistance. The country's program integrates gender equality, youth empowerment, and community resilience across its portfolio, ensuring that interventions address both immediate needs and long-term structural challenges.

RI Philippines implements programs in the Mindanao and other high-risk regions, supporting initiatives on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), protection, education in emergencies, nutrition, and health. It also plays a role in disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness, responding to both conflict- and climate-induced emergencies. Through a localized and participatory approach, RI Philippines strengthens local capacities and promotes inclusive development, aligning with national frameworks and global humanitarian and development standards.

3. Job Profile

The Humanitarian Nutrition Officer is responsible for supporting the planning, implementation, and monitoring of nutrition interventions in emergency and humanitarian settings in line with ECHO-funded Assisting the Most Vulnerable Communities and Schools Affected by Complex Emergencies in Accessing Quality and Timely Humanitarian and Disaster Preparedness Services (ACCESS) project initiative requirements and national health and nutrition standards. The position focuses on the implementation of CMAM (Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition), IYCF-E (Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies), and nutrition surveillance activities in coordination with local government units, health facilities, communities, and partner organizations.

The Humanitarian Nutrition Officer provides technical support to RI’s mobile health teams, ACCESS consortium members, community volunteers, government counterparts, and partners, ensuring quality implementation of nutrition services during emergencies, supports capacity building of health workers and community volunteers, and contributes to monitoring, reporting, and documentation in compliance with donor guidelines. The role also involves coordination with WASH, Health, Food Security, and Multipurpose Cash Assistance teams of the project to ensure an integrated humanitarian response and adherence to humanitarian principles, safeguarding, and accountability to crisis-affected populations in BARMM and other regions.

Moreover, the Humanitarian Nutrition Officer will also support Relief International in its various efforts on humanitarian response and in implementing other integrated nutrition programs across the Philippines and in exploring opportunities through program development and partnership.

4. Key Responsibilities

Technical Responsibilities

• Provide technical oversight on the implementation of Nutrition-related programs and activities such as CMAM, IYCF-E, Nutrition in Emergency, integrated nutrition program, and nutrition surveillance activities in line with national, ECHO guidelines, and ACCESS project technical standards.

• Review, update, or develop a technical standard for nutrition intervention under the ACCESS project

• Support screening, referral, and management of acute malnutrition cases in coordination with health facilities and LGUs.
• Conduct and support nutrition assessments, rapid assessments, and surveys as required.
• Ensure quality implementation of nutrition services and adherence to technical standards and protocols.
• Develop/adapt training materials and conduct capacity building for health workers, community volunteers, and partners.
• Support the integration of Nutrition with WASH, Health, and Food Security interventions of the ACCES project and other similar interventions of Relief International.
• Support program and policy advocacy activities in strengthening nutrition programs both at the local and national levels in accordance with national and international standards.
• Support humanitarian response efforts of Relief International.

Program Management

• Assist in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of project activities based on approved work plans.
• Support on grant management and budget monitoring, including periodic review of BVAs.
• Assist in preparing monthly reports, activity reports, and donor reports in compliance with ECHO and RI’s MEAL requirements.
• Support the monitoring of project indicators and targets and ensure proper documentation of activities.
• Support the operation and monitoring of the mobile medical clinic/missions in the areas during its deployment.
• Assist in budget monitoring and activity planning to ensure timely and efficient project implementation.
• Maintain proper documentation, including training reports, attendance sheets, distribution lists, and activity documentation.
• Support MEAL activities, including data collection, validation, and reporting.

• Assists in the drafting of reports and ensures these meet the organization’s and the donor’s standards.
• Contributes to the writing of the quarterly and annual country office plans and reports that are submitted to the regional office

Networking, Partnership, and Coordination Responsibilities

• Coordinate with ACCESS consortium members, LGUs, RHUs, communities, health offices, and other partners and stakeholders on the nutrition interventions.
• Participate in cluster meetings, technical working groups, and coordination meetings as required.
• Coordinate with other sectors (WASH, Health, Protection, Food Security) to ensure integrated programming.
• Support community engagement and accountability mechanisms.
• Represent the organization in field-level coordination meetings when required.
• Coordinates with key partners and stakeholders, including BARMM-MOH, to share progress of interventions.

Safeguarding and Conduct

• Uphold and promote RI’s commitment to ensuring the safeguarding and safety of the vulnerable communities we serve
• Ensure that your behaviour inside and outside of work promotes the values outlined with RI’s code of conduct and safeguarding policies
• Consistent with RI’s safeguarding and protection policies, contribute to ensuring that all those who come into contact with Relief International staff and the communities we serve can be trusted to work safely with them
• Ensure program design adequately addresses safeguarding and protection standards
  
  

5. Person Specification

Essential criteria

• Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition, Development Studies, Community Development, or related fields. A master’s degree in Nutrition or Public Health is an advantage.
• Minimum of three progressive years of experience in a nutrition program, public health, and preferably with INGOs, and ideally in the Philippines.
• Strong background in Nutrition in Emergencies, including CMAM.
• Experience in the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) program.
• Experience working with the Nutrition Cluster, National Nutrition Council (NNC), DOH, and LGUs.
• Strong skills in program development and management, donor and partner relations.
• Experience in nutrition assessment, nutrition survey, and monitoring in a complex setting.
• Experience facilitating trainings and other capacity-building activities for health and nutrition workers.
• Experience managing health and nutrition-related grants.
• Strong Familiarity with the National Nutrition Council and its governing body.
• Fluency in Filipino and other local dialects; excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
• Experience working with the National Nutrition Council, DOH, and Nutrition Cluster.

Desirable criteria

• Ability to contribute to program development, learning, and evidence generation related to the nutrition program.
• Experience in ECHO-funded, UNICEF, WFP, and other donor-funded projects in Health and Nutrition projects.
• Experience in Nutrition in Emergency and emergency response operations.
• Experience in rapid nutrition assessment and using related tools.
• Experience in integrated nutrition programming in WASH, Health, Food Security, Education, and Multipurpose Cash Assistance.
• Experience managing or working with
• Experience working in consortium projects.

RI Values

Guided by the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, as well as “Do No Harm,” Relief International Values:

• Integrity
• Adaptability
• Collaboration
• Inclusivity
• Sustainability