The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is seeking a Nutrition Counsellor to support an integrated Nutrition, Health, and MHPSS response aimed at reducing excess child morbidity and mortality in high-risk provinces of Afghanistan. This role is responsible for delivering high-quality nutrition services, with a focus on implementing Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) program activities.
What You'll Do
- Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing guidance.
- Provide nutrition support and mentorship to other mobile clinic staff, offering on-the-job training.
- Consistently monitor and assess team safety and security, promptly reporting concerns to IRC management.
- Conduct systematic screening of all children under five and pregnant and lactating women in selected communities.
- Maintain and update screening and program register books daily.
- Refer children and pregnant/lactating women who meet admission or discharge criteria to the nutrition nurse.
- Identify absent and defaulted program beneficiaries and inform community volunteers for home visits.
- Register and undertake Growth Monitoring and Promotion for all children under two years of age.
- Conduct Growth Monitoring and Promotion-based counseling on appropriate maternal, infant, and young child nutrition practices.
- Refer children suffering from acute malnutrition to the nutrition nurse or static health facility.
- Provide individual nutrition counseling based on BMI and MUAC findings.
- Check lactating mothers' IFA tablet status post-delivery and refer them if necessary.
- Verify child vitamin A supplementation status and refer as needed.
- Conduct complementary feeding food demonstrations for mothers and caregivers.
- Establish Mother-to-Mother support groups.
- Provide IYCF counseling at IYCF corners to mothers and caregivers of children under two.
- Identify and support mothers to become peer educators in their villages.
- Lead individual and group nutrition counseling sessions tailored to client needs.
- Train and work with Community Health Workers to ensure consistent IYCF messaging.
- Maintain regular reports to monitor and track nutrition service delivery.
- Use the MCH handbook in applicable provinces.
- Identify beneficiaries requiring follow-up visits and coordinate with community health volunteers.
- Ensure accurate recording of nutrition information in clinic registers and timely completion of summary reports.
- Promote and actively participate in Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion initiatives.
- Foster ongoing learning and reflection to strengthen safeguarding and promote IRC values.
What We're Looking For
- A Nursing or Midwifery Diploma.
- 1-2 years of experience in the field of health and nutrition.
- Skills to provide sensitive and appropriate counseling, with strong communication skills.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, patience, compassion, and diplomacy to work under pressure in a stressful environment.
- Ability to be innovative, flexible, adaptive, and willing to work out of hours.
- Ability to live and work in challenging conditions and high-pressure situations.
- Ability to lead, train, supervise, and facilitate other nursing staff and community health workers.
- Ability to understand the cultural and political environment and work well with local health representatives.
- Fluency in Pashto, Dari, and English.
- Ability to work constructively with all others regardless of background.
Nice to Have
- Computer skills, including MS Word, Excel, Access, and Internet, are an advantage.
Work Mode
This is a local-country position based in Afghanistan.
The International Rescue Committee upholds the values of Integrity, Service, Equality, and Accountability and is an equal opportunity employer.
