MODAM Research Project Team Lead

Job Description

Action Against Hunger-USA is a global humanitarian organization that takes decisive action against the causes and effects of hunger. We save the lives of malnourished children and we enable entire communities to be free from hunger. With more than 8,000 staff in over 50 countries, our programs reached 17 million people in 2019.

About the Country Program in Ethiopia

Action Against Hunger has been operational in Ethiopia since 1984 responding to both chronic and acute needs through a multi-sectoral strategy where nutrition, Food Security and Livelihoods, WASH, and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support activities are integrated to have a meaningful impact on people’s resilience. Action Against Hunger currently operates in 5 different regions (Oromia, Somali, Amhara, Benishangul Gumuz, and Gambella) with a portfolio of 20m USD/year of emergency, resilience building, research, and innovation programs. We have a country team of around 600 staff in 17 regional and satellite offices. Our main donors in Ethiopia in 2020/2021 are BHA, ECHO, Europaid, UNHCR, UNICEF, GFFO, BPRM, SIDA, EHF, WFP, CIAA, and others.

I. Position Summary

Action Against Hunger has received a five-year contract from the Power of Nutrition (PON) to conduct operational research in Ethiopia related to select innovations in the community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) that aim to improve the coverage and cost-effectiveness of treatment. The operational research component is led by Action Against Hunger USA alongside partners including UNICEF and the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, among others.

The operational research study, or “Modified Dosage for Acute Malnutrition” (MODAM) Trial, aims to address critical gaps in linking knowledge to effective action on acute malnutrition, including how to scale proven innovative approaches to treatment, as well as their implications for the broader policy-level environment. This randomized controlled trial will test a modified dosage of the therapeutic foods used to treat acute malnutrition at health posts (HPs) across each target woreda. As current and projected resources are insufficient to meet the total burden of wasting in Ethiopia, there is need to explore ways to increase the cost-effectiveness of treatment. The use of a modified dosage protocol may contribute to achieving such advances by reducing the cost of product per child treated and cured while maintaining comparable treatment outcomes.

As a key member of the research team, the MODAM Research Project Team Lead will be responsible for ensuring high-quality research project set-up and implementation, as well as overseeing data collection and data collection staff. in the research target areas. This role will be based in Teltele, Borena Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia.

The MODAM Research Project Team Lead’s purpose, engagement and expected delivery are:

Purpose:

The MODAM Research Project Team Lead will serve as the lead focal point for the MODAM trial within her/his base on all project-specific activities, including recruitment, logistics, budgets, and research data quality checks.

Engagement:

Internally, this position will engage primarily with the PON Field Research Coordinator and Roving Research Program Manager at capital level, as well as the Field Coordinator, Health and Nutrition Program Manager, Health and Nutrition Program Supervisors, and all sub-national research-specific staff. They will also work closely with the national and base-level logistics, finance, and technical teams. Externally, this position will engage with the MODAM trial global and national research partners, key regional, zonal, and woreda stakeholders for OTP and TSFP implementation, including the Regional Health Bureau, Zonal Health Authorities, and Woreda Health Offices, as well as sub-national offices for UNICEF, WFP, and DRMC. They will also work with health extension workers (HEWs) at health post level.

Delivery:

The MODAM Research Project Team Lead will be responsible for supporting the delivery of high-quality research activities in target areas, including overall project management and data checks. S/he will also support the project by contributing to quality reporting to Action Against Hunger donors and stakeholders in line with internal rules and regulations, funding regulations, and core values of the organization.

II. Essential Job Duties

1. Human resource management and staff development

The MODAM Research Project Team Lead will coordinate recruitment and development for woreda-level research-specific project staff, alongside Action Against Hunger’s Field Coordinators, Nutrition and Health Program Managers, and the Roving Research Program Manager. This function is expected to include:

• Determining HR needs for the implementation of research activities, alongside the Field Research Coordinator and the Roving Research Program Manager

• Recruiting staff in line with HR procedures and in consultation with Field Coordinator and Base Human Resources

• Conducting staff appraisals and supporting the Deputy Research Project Team Lead in the implementation of staff appraisals and development of work/action plans

• Supporting the Deputy Research Project Team Lead and Roving Research Program Manager in organizing and carrying out training sessions, on-the-job training, and supportive supervision

• Organizing and leading meetings with the team and individual staff members, on both a regular and ad hoc basis

• Following up on staff leave planning, absences, etc. in collaboration with HR

1. Project management and oversight

The MODAM Research Project Team Lead will be the lead focal point for project management and reporting at sub-national level, with support from the Roving Research Program Manager and the Field Coordinator. This function is expected to include:

• Identifying programmatic challenges and bottlenecks in the overall nutrition program implementation pertaining to the operational research and developing solutions alongside capital-based technical experts and field office staff

• Leading the coordination of effective forecasting, procurement, transportation, storage, and distribution of nutrition commodities and program supplies in line with SOPs at national and sub-national level (regional, zonal, woreda), using inputs from Deputy Research Project Team Lead

• Ensuring adherence to systems to track progress against delivery and expenditures

• Regularly following project budget utilization in collaboration with finance department, tracking and updating BFUs, and providing regular guidance and support to woreda-level research team for budget utilization

• Ensuring that all staff are adhering to the reporting and recording system (beneficiary cards; register books; bin cards; daily, weekly, monthly reports) to facilitate accurate and timely submission

• Contribute to donor reporting (frequency according to the donor requirements) by compiling and developing narrative and financial reports in collaboration with base-level finance and grants teams and the Field Coordinator

1. Internal and external coordination

This function is expected to include:

• Coordinating with Health and Nutrition Department at base and woreda level to ensure smooth integration of research-specific activities into nutrition programs

• Organizing and leading regular team meetings to identify challenges and track progress of the research project, and develop action plans and follow up accordingly

• Representing the MODAM trial in external coordination mechanisms and working groups at woreda and zonal level in collaboration with the Health and Nutrition Program Manager

• Developing network of contacts at regional, zonal, and woreda level (international and local NGOs, government, technical, etc.) to ensure coordination and synergies with other research projects in the area

• Sharing minutes of meetings attended including summary of action points

• Providing support to health and nutrition team during external partners’ field visits (including donor visits, field visits from global and national research partners, and other visits)

Research data quality assurance

The MODAM Research Project Team Lead will serve as the first point of contact at sub-national level for research data quality assurance. This function is expected to include:

• Verifying proper informed consent process by research staff at health post level

• Ensuring quality of data collection and fidelity to study protocol implementation

• Running initial data quality checks before sharing data with global and national research partners for data cleaning and analysis

• Track enrollment progression and participant completion of treatment and post-recovery follow-up appointments, taking action to address enrollment or completion shortfalls

• Coordinating with Field Research Coordinator and global and national research partners to identify data or program quality issues, provide feedback to research staff, and develop and implement action plans to address challenges

• Working with woreda health office and other external partners to reconcile any differences between research-specific and standard data and stock monitoring mechanisms

III. Supervisory Responsibilities

• S/he will directly line manage the Deputy Research Project Team Lead and indirectly supervise the woreda-level research team.

IV. Fiscal Responsibility

• The MODAM Research Project Team Lead will be responsible for the research budget at base level, ensuring timely and appropriate budget utilization for MODAM-specific nutrition activities in collaboration with the PON Field Research Coordinator, Roving Research Program Manager, Finance Department, Heads of Department, Field Coordinators, and Nutrition and Health Program Managers

• S/he will provide regular follow-up and support to the woreda-level research staff on ways to efficiently and timely utilize project resources to ensure the quality of expected deliverables.

V. Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with interruptions.

• To travel to the field, 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.

VI. Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

• The duties of the job require regular job attendance 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.

VII.   Gender Equality Commitments & Zero Tolerance to Abuse

• Foster an environment that reinforces values of people of all genders equal access to information

• Provide a work environment where people of all genders must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance

• Promote a safe, secure, and respectful environment for all stakeholders, particularly for children, beneficiaries, and members of staff

• Help to prevent any type of abuse including workplace harassment and sexual abuse and exploitation.

• Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status

• Value and respect all cultures

VIII. Required Qualifications and Professional Experience

• Required master’s degree from an accredited college or university in a major social or health science field of study, preferably public health, nursing, or nutrition, with at least four (4) years of experience in the implementation, coordination and monitoring of C/IMAM programs (including OTP and TSFP) in humanitarian contexts

• Or a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a major social or health science field of study, preferably in public health, nursing, or nutrition, with at least five (5) years of experience in the implementation, coordination and monitoring of C/IMAM programs (including OTP and TSFP) in humanitarian contexts
• Good knowledge and practical experience of working with sub-national nutrition and health coordination platforms and various Technical Working Groups (TWGs)
• Practical experience of working in INGOs is preferable

Job Requirement

VIII. Required Qualifications and Professional Experience

• Required master’s degree from an accredited college or university in a major social or health science field of study, preferably public health, nursing, or nutrition, with at least four (4) years of experience in the implementation, coordination and monitoring of C/IMAM programs (including OTP and TSFP) in humanitarian contexts

• Or a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a major social or health science field of study, preferably in public health, nursing, or nutrition, with at least five (5) years of experience in the implementation, coordination and monitoring of C/IMAM programs (including OTP and TSFP) in humanitarian contexts
• Good knowledge and practical experience of working with sub-national nutrition and health coordination platforms and various Technical Working Groups (TWGs)
• Practical experience of working in INGOs is preferable

IX. Required Skills

• We are seeking an individual who has good judgement and problem-solving skills, along with strong communication skills and documentation habits.

• This person needs to have excellent interpersonal skills (to develop good rapport with staff, HEWs and other in-country stakeholders), and the ability to work both independently and as a member of a team.

• Experience in acute malnutrition treatment program management, including staff supervision, procurement and logistics, and budget management

• Experience with data collection and analysis or monitoring and evaluation for C/IMAM programs; experience with operational research related to acute malnutrition treatment preferred

• Knowledge of MS Office Suite required and comfortable working with computers with minimal IT support

• Fluent in written and spoken English and Local language(Somali & Oromifa); Amharic strongly desirable

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail

• Ability to take initiative and prioritize multiple tasks with minimum supervision

• Genuine interest in and commitment to the mission and principles of Action Against Hunger