Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) is an international, non-profitable, non-governmental humanitarian relief organization with its head quarter in Birmingham, UK. It enjoys consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and is a signatory to the Code of Conduct for International Red Cross and red Crescent Moments and NGOs in Disaster Relief. Islamic Relief has been working in Afghanistan for more than 23 years, providing emergency relief and implementing life-changing development projects for some of the most vulnerable people in the country. Islamic Relief set up our first Afghanistan office in 1999. Since then, IRA continued providing assistances in emergency relief, food security, livelihood, education, health, nutrition, shelter, orphan sponsorship, Ramadan and Qurbani programmes.

The Health and Nutrition Programme Coordinator will deliver strategic leadership and manage all Health and Nutrition programs, ensuring cohesive, high-impact interventions. This role will guide the complete project cycle from needs assessment through implementation and reporting, while promoting stakeholder collaboration, MEAL integration, and team empowerment in alignment with Islamic Relief’s mission.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

Internal: Country Director, HOP, Provincial Managers, Program development, MEAL, Finance, HR, SC.

External: Donors, Line ministries, Cluster, UN agencies, INGOs, community leaders.

Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Leadership & Program Development

• Lead the design and implementation of multi-sectoral and HEALTH AND NUTRITION programs in line with the needs, IRAF country strategy, and donor priorities.
• Develop HEALTH AND NUTRITION strategies and ensure integration of cross-cutting themes (gender, protection, climate resilience).
• Lead the design and implementation of HEALTH AND NUTRITION programs, including:
• Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM)
• Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN)
• Primary Health Care (PHC) and Reproductive Health Services
• Emergency Health Response (e.g., cholera outbreaks, mobile clinics).
• Conduct needs assessments and gap analyses to inform proposals.
• Ensure alignment with Afghanistan’s Essential Package of Health Services (EPHS) and National Nutrition Guidelines
• Develop concept notes, proposals, and budgets for new funding opportunities.

2. Team Leadership & Capacity Building

• Establish participatory management to optimize resources and efficiency.
• Implement mentoring/coaching for staff development and performance improvement.
• Manage annual leave plans to ensure work-life balance and operational continuity.
• Conduct performance reviews with timely feedback and goal alignment.

3. Quality Assurance & Implementation

• Ensure high-quality deliverables for beneficiaries per SPHERE/CHS standards.
• Monitor field activities to address gaps and adapt strategies.
• Conduct regular field visits to ensure program quality and give feedback to the field team to improve health services.
• Regular follow with support functions to ensure on time implementation.
• Develop/Validate tools, SOPs, and training materials to meet humanitarian standards.
• Promote innovation.

4. Stakeholder Coordination & Reporting

• Strengthen coordination with clusters, authorities, donors, and HQ.
• Provide regular updates/data analysis to stakeholders.
• Ensure timely, accurate donor reports (narrative/financial).

5. MEAL & Accountability

• Collaborate with MEAL to track outcomes, conduct evaluations, and adapt programs based on data.
• Empower community participation in monitoring and feedback mechanisms.
• Document success stories and lessons learned for organizational learning.
• Use data for decision-making and program adaptation.

6. Compliance & Safeguarding

• Uphold Islamic Relief’s policies (Safeguarding, Code of Conduct).
• Mitigate risks (e.g., drug diversion, patient confidentiality breaches).

The post holder must show a good understanding and empathy for Islamic values and principles and commitment to IRW’s vision and mission.

Essential:

Education: 

• Medical Doctor (MD); Master’s in Public Health/Nutrition is preferable.

Experience:

• Over (5) five years of professional experience in Nutrition and Public Health Programs, including three years directing operations and supervising staff in crisis-affected regions.
• Proven expertise in CMAM, PHC, and health cluster coordination.
• Proven track record in proposal development, budgeting, and donor reporting.

Skills:

• Fluent in English and Pashto/Dari.
• Strong training/mentoring skills for health staff.
• Strong analytical, negotiation, and team leadership abilities.

Values: 

• Commitment to Islamic Relief’s values and humanitarian principles.

Desirable:

• An area of particular expertise within humanitarian health & Nutrition. 
• Experience of working on Health/nutrition programmes in emergencies and epidemic outbreaks. 
• Experience in health and nutrition need assessments, SMART surveys, HF assessments etc.
• Cultural sensitivity and adaptability.
• Knowledge of health information systems and tools.

Interested and qualified national candidates should submit a cover letter explaining their motivation and an updated CV to the following:

https://jobs.af/jobs/health-and-nutrition-program-coordinator

The closing date for accepting applications is 23 May 2025

Please note that applications received after the closing date will not be considered, and only short-listed candidates will be called for written test.