Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Nutrition Officer

🎯 Role Definition

A Nutrition Officer is a dedicated public health professional responsible for the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions. This role serves as a technical cornerstone for improving the nutritional status of target populations, particularly mothers, infants, and young children. The officer works directly with communities, health facilities, and local partners to prevent and treat malnutrition, promote healthy feeding practices, and build local capacity. This position demands a blend of technical expertise in nutrition science, strong program management skills, and a genuine passion for community well-being.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Nutrition Assistant or Intern
Community Health Worker with a focus on nutrition
Registered Dietitian in a clinical setting looking to move into public health

Advancement To:

Senior Nutrition Officer / Nutrition Team Lead
Nutrition Program Manager
Public Health Advisor (Nutrition Specialist)

Lateral Moves:

Monitoring & Evaluation Officer (Health & Nutrition Focus)
Public Health Program Coordinator
Food Security and Livelihoods Officer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Plan, coordinate, and conduct comprehensive nutritional assessments using standardized methodologies such as SMART, SQUEAC, and other rapid assessment tools to identify the prevalence of malnutrition and its underlying causes.
Oversee the day-to-day implementation and technical quality of Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) programs, ensuring adherence to national and international protocols for treating severe and moderate acute malnutrition.
Lead the promotion, protection, and support of optimal Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices through counseling, support groups, and community-wide awareness campaigns.
Develop and execute detailed work plans for all nutrition-related activities in alignment with project timelines, budgets, and strategic objectives.
Provide ongoing technical support, mentorship, and supervision to community health volunteers, health facility staff, and nutrition assistants to ensure high-quality service delivery.
Establish and manage robust monitoring and evaluation systems to track key nutrition indicators, program performance, and patient outcomes, ensuring data is collected, analyzed, and used for decision-making.
Prepare and submit timely, accurate, and high-quality narrative and statistical reports for internal management, donors, and government stakeholders as required.
Coordinate closely with local health authorities, UN agencies, and other NGOs to ensure a harmonized and effective nutrition response, avoiding duplication of efforts.
Manage the supply chain for nutrition commodities, including therapeutic foods, supplements, and measurement tools, by forecasting needs, tracking stock levels, and ensuring proper storage and distribution.
Conduct regular site visits to health facilities and community program sites to monitor activity implementation, provide on-the-spot coaching, and identify and resolve programmatic challenges.
Facilitate and deliver structured training sessions and workshops to build the capacity of healthcare workers and community volunteers on various nutrition topics like IYCF, CMAM, and growth monitoring.
Spearhead community mobilization and engagement activities to foster ownership and participation in nutrition programs, ensuring interventions are culturally appropriate and accepted.
Lead the screening of children under five and pregnant and lactating women for acute malnutrition, and ensure proper referral and follow-up for those identified as malnourished.
Ensure all nutrition program activities are integrated with other sectors such as Health, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), and Food Security to address the multi-faceted causes of malnutrition.
Document lessons learned, success stories, and best practices from program implementation to contribute to organizational learning and inform future program design.
Ensure the accountability and protection of beneficiaries by establishing and managing feedback and complaint mechanisms within the nutrition program.

Secondary Functions

Support the development of grant proposals and donor reports by providing technical nutrition data, analysis, and narrative input.
Represent the organization in relevant technical working groups, coordination meetings, and forums at the local, district, and sometimes national levels.
Contribute to the creation and dissemination of Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) and Behavior Change Communication (BCC) materials for nutrition education.
Participate in emergency preparedness and response planning, providing technical expertise on nutrition-in-emergencies (NiE) protocols and interventions.
Stay updated on the latest research, guidelines, and best practices in the field of public health nutrition to ensure program quality and innovation.
Assist in the development and review of the organization's nutrition strategy and operational guidelines.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Nutrition Assessment Methodologies: Demonstrated proficiency in planning and conducting SMART, SQUEAC, and/or other nutrition surveys.
CMAM & IYCF Expertise: In-depth technical knowledge of Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition and Infant and Young Child Feeding protocols and best practices.
Data Management & Analysis: Experience using data collection tools (ODK, KoboToolbox) and analysis software (ENA for SMART, SPSS, or Excel).
Program Cycle Management: Skills in planning, implementing, monitoring, and reporting on health and nutrition projects.
Training & Facilitation: Proven ability to design and deliver effective training sessions and workshops for diverse audiences.
Supply Chain Management: Knowledge of forecasting, quantifying, and managing nutritional commodities and supplies.
Humanitarian Standards: Familiarity with humanitarian principles and minimum standards in humanitarian response, such as the Sphere Handbook.

Soft Skills

Communication & Interpersonal Skills: Excellent ability to communicate clearly and sensitively with community members, government officials, and colleagues.
Cross-Cultural Sensitivity: Ability to work effectively and respectfully with people from diverse cultural backgrounds and in challenging environments.
Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and critical thinking skills to identify and resolve programmatic and logistical challenges proactively.
Resilience & Adaptability: Capacity to work well under pressure, manage stress, and adapt to changing priorities in often demanding or remote settings.
Teamwork & Collaboration: A collaborative spirit and ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
Leadership & Mentorship: Ability to guide, supervise, and build the capacity of junior staff and community volunteers.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree in a relevant field is highly advantageous.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Public Health Nutrition
Dietetics
Human Nutrition
Global Health or Public Health (with a nutrition concentration)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

A minimum of 2-5 years of professional, hands-on experience in implementing, managing, and monitoring community-based nutrition programs.

Preferred:

Direct experience working for a non-governmental organization (NGO) in a humanitarian or development context is strongly preferred. Experience in both emergency and post-emergency settings is a significant asset.