Nutrition and Research Specialist

About Action Against Hunger Action Against Hunger-USA is part of the Action Against Hunger International network, which provides humanitarian relief in over 40 countries worldwide in the sectors of nutrition, health, water/sanitation, and food security. Action Against Hunger-USA, an independent NGO, currently manages operations in 8 countries: Kenya, South Sudan, Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Haiti and Somalia. Action Against Hunger-USA has approximately 2000 staff based in the various country offices, Head Quarters in New York City and Washington D.C., and an Operational Center in Nairobi. Additional growth is anticipated. About the Country Program in South Sudan Action Against Hunger has been operational in South Sudan since 1985, addressing both chronic and acute needs through a comprehensive multi-sectoral approach. Our programs integrate Nutrition, Food Security & Livelihoods, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH), Protection, and Gender interventions to strengthen resilience and improve community well-being. To implement these programs effectively, Action Against Hunger engages both national and international staff, with a dedicated country team of approximately 100 professionals operating across regional and satellite offices. Action Against Hunger currently operates in four regions: Warrap, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Pibor and Jonglei states with a robust portfolio of $15 million per year, covering emergency response, resilience-building, research, and innovation programs to drive sustainable impact. In 2024/2025, the key donors include ECHO, UNICEF, AICS, GFFO, SIDA, EHF, WFP, and other partners committed to supporting humanitarian and development efforts in the country. I. SUMMARY OF POSITION: The Nutrition and Research Specialist is the in-country lead for Action Against Hunger’s flagship Relapse to Acute Malnutrition Prevention (“RAMP”) project. The position is responsible for the overall coordination, quality assurance, and delivery of a large-scale operational pilot and rigorous randomized controlled trial (RCT) for a multi-million-dollar, multi-donor initiative aimed at preventing relapse after recovery from severe acute malnutrition. Based in Northern Bahr el Ghazal or Warrap states, the RAMP Nutrition and Research Specialist serves as the primary point of contact for the project in South Sudan and works closely with Action Against Hunger’s country team, Ministry of Health counterparts, ACF network partners, UN agencies, and the US-based research team to ensure high-quality, timely, and compliant implementation. II. PURPOSE: The RAMP Nutrition and Research Specialist is accountable for overseeing and coordinating all in-country components of the RAMP project and study, including ethical approvals, staff training, data collection, operational oversight, quality assurance, and national-level engagement. The role works in close collaboration with Juba based Health and Nutrition team and the US-based research team on study design, analysis, and dissemination. The RAMP Nutrition and Research Specialist will also oversee all operational components of the project including oversight of logistics and supply chain management, budget and staffing, and program quality assurance. III. ENGAGEMENT This position will act as the central interface for all matters related to the RAMP project. This position is expected to engage with a variety of external stakeholders including the South Sudan Ministry of Health (MOH), state/county health offices, academic and university partners, UN agencies, donors, ACF network partners, and others. Internally, the role requires close collaboration and engagement with the Action Against Hunger South Sudan Country team (including program, logistics, finance, technical teams, and leadership) and the US-based research team (Research Specialist and Associate Director of Research and Innovation). IV. DELIVERY The RAMP Nutrition and Research Specialist will be responsible for ensuring the delivery of high-quality research and project implementation, including supply procurement, logistics, budget management and oversight, training and capacity building, and regular field-level monitoring visits and troubleshooting, data quality monitoring and tracking, supervising project specific staff, and overseeing communication and coordination. V. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS 1. Program Management (40%) · Provide overall leadership and coordination of the RAMP pilot and research study in South Sudan, working closely with programs, operations, finance, logistics, MEAL, and technical teams. · Develop and implement systems to track progress to ensure that the project is implemented on-time, on-budget, and with the highest quality execution. · Oversee RAMP project budget tracking, forecasting, and utilization in collaboration with the Finance team, Awards Management, and US-based research team. · Develop and manage detailed implementation, procurement, and supply plans to ensure uninterrupted project delivery. · Coordinate importation, storage, and distribution of nutrition and health commodities in collaboration with logistics and operations teams. · Lead recruitment, onboarding, and supervision of RAMP project staff in line with HR policies. · Ensure timely and high-quality reporting to internal stakeholders, donors, and partners. · Identify, monitor, and mitigate operational and programmatic risks and develop solutions to operational challenges. 2. Execution of Study Implementation (35%) · Provide technical oversight of RCT implementation, ensuring strict adherence to approved protocols and ethical standards. · Ensure all national and local ethical approvals are obtained, renewed, and complied with. · Oversee data collection systems and processes, including tools, databases, and monitoring frameworks. · Conduct regular supportive supervision visits to research sites to ensure data quality and protocol compliance. · Monitor enrollment, follow-up completion, and retention in collaboration with the US-based research team, working collaboratively to ensure target sample sizes are met and to minimize loss to follow up. · Support data quality checks, cleaning, and documentation in coordination with US-based researchers. 3. Partnerships, External Engagement, and Coordination (15%) · Strategically engage with the South Sudan MoH, UNICEF, WFP, other government actors (e.g., sub-national health offices, local authorities), relevant donors, and academic partners. · Engage with country-level nutrition coordination mechanisms as relevant (e.g., Nutrition Cluster, technical working groups) to ensure alignment with project activities and a clear pathway to uptake and scale-up, dependent upon results. · Share information on the study design, progress, key updates and results in national forums, when appropriate. · Represent and provide updates to regular and ad hoc meetings at national and sub-national levels. 4. Analysis and Dissemination (10%) · Collaborate with the US-based research team to develop dissemination and communication strategies, particularly as it relates to national-level dissemination. · Support the US-based research team and academic partners in data interpretation, contextualization, and dissemination of findings. · Facilitate national and sub-national meetings with key stakeholders to discuss the study design, progress, and results. · Support the research team to present results at international, national and sub-national dissemination events and in other relevant forums (e.g., working groups, cluster meetings, etc.). · Contribute to policy briefs, reports, and manuscripts by providing contextual insights and implementation perspectives VI. SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES The RAMP Nutrition and Research Specialist will supervise the research and project team including five nutrition and research officers, 12 research assistants, two commodity management officers, and an M&E manager. S/he will also indirectly supervise all other RAMP project staff (including 2 M&E officers and 73 Nutrition Assistants/Nurse Aids). S/he will support in hiring and training the research and project team as well as providing ongoing support and capacity building. VII. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY The RAMP Nutrition and Research Specialist will ensure timely and appropriate budget utilization for the RAMP project in collaboration with US-based research team, Finance Department, Field Coordinator, and Health and Nutrition Head of Department. VIII. PHYSICAL DEMANDS · To travel to field locations as and when required, the employee must attest to a level of physical fitness capable of enduring physically difficult, highly stressful situations, which may include the necessity to walk long distances, to eat a limited diet and/or to reside in potentially uncomfortable housing or tents. · The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. IX. WORKING CONDITIONS, TRAVEL AND ENVIRONMENT · The duties of the job require regular job attendance of at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required by contact with the missions, mission security, or other obligations. · Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business travel as well as to the sub-offices if appropriate. While visiting sub-offices, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well as to infectious diseases. X. GENDER EQUALITY COMMITMENTS & ZERO TOLERANCE TO ABUSE · Foster an environment that supports values of women and men, and equal access to information. · Provide a work environment where women and men must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance · Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, boys and girls regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age or marital status, · Value and respect all cultures. · Promote and uphold the PSEA policy and procedures. Requirements XI. REQUIRED QUALITIFICATIONS · Master’s degree in public health, nutrition, epidemiology, nursing, or related field. · Minimum eight (8) years of experience in a similar position, with at least three (3) years of experience implementing or managing nutrition programs in humanitarian contexts, including outpatient therapeutic feeding programs (OTP). · Proven experience with Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) programming. · Previous experience supporting or coordinating clinical trials and/or operational research in public health or nutrition strongly preferred. · Proven experience managing staff. XII. REQUIRED ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE · Demonstrated ability to follow and enforce research protocols, with strong judgment, problem-solving skills, and attention to detail. · Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong documentation and reporting practices. · Previous experience managing large programmatic budget. · Experience organizing and participating in field-level data collection as part of research studies and/or program monitoring and evaluation strongly preferred. · Experience using mobile data collection platforms (e.g., Kobo, CommCare, DHIS2) preferred. · Experience with global and national supply procurement and logistics, including development of procurement plans, submission of procurement requests, and multi-level stock management for nutrition commodities, preferred. · Proficiency in MS Office applications and demonstrated comfort working with computers and tablets with minimal IT support. · Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team. · Fluency in written and spoken English required; knowledge of local languages is an asset. · Demonstrated ability to take initiative, manage competing priorities, and work with minimal supervision. · Strong commitment to the mission, values, and principles of Action Against Hunger. XIII. Commitment to Anti-Discrimination and PSEA We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees & qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, ancestry, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. The incumbent is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the Action Against Hunger Safeguarding policies (PSEA, Child safeguarding and Code of Conduct). Action Against Hunger-USA complies with all applicable laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.