About us
Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 24 million people annually with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across 50 countries, our 8,300 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger for everyone and for good.
Action Against Hunger USA is part of the Action Against Hunger International network. As an independent NGO, Action Against Hunger USA currently manages operations in eight countries: Kenya, South Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia, and Haiti. Action Against Hunger-USA has over $100 million in programs and approximately 1,800 permanent staff based in New York City, Washington D.C., Nairobi, and country offices. Additional growth is anticipated.
- Job Summary
The Health and Nutrition Coordinator is responsible for designing and delivering high-quality health and nutrition projects and Zambia programs aligning with country and sectoral strategies. He/She will support and advise project staff to ensure adherence to Action Against Hunger and donor guidelines and standards. The Health and Nutrition Coordinator oversee continuous technical and organizational support, health and Nutrition staff capacity building, and internal and external representation and coordination. He/she will be expected to lead the analysis of the country's development and humanitarian health and nutrition context in Zambia, undertake regular field visits, lead program design and proposal writing, and support fundraising, recruitment, and procurement where required.
Purpose:
The Health and Nutrition technical lead is the head of the Health and Nutrition sector. He/she is responsible for designing and delivering high-quality health and Nutrition programs that align with country and sectoral strategies. He/She provides strategic and technical advice to the country team and ensures adherence to Action Against Hunger and donor guidelines standards and best practices. He/she leads the capacity building and coordination of Nutrition staff, as well as the internal and external representation of the Health and Nutrition program.
Engagement:
The position collaborates with logistics, human resources, finance, and programs to ensure the timely delivery of high-quality Health and Nutrition programs in the country. It will also liaise closely with regional and HQ program teams to ensure Action Against Hunger Zambia programs remain aligned with regional and global strategic priorities and receive ongoing technical support. Externally, the positions collaborate with government line ministries and departments, development partners, civil society, the private sector, research institutions, and academia.
Delivery:
- Essential Job Duties
- Ensure timely and quality implementation of ongoing programmes (20%) – HoP
1a) Timely implementation – 15% HoP
o Lead under the supervision of the Head of the program the health and nutrition programme strategy
o Support the health and nutrition programme financial and technical implementation
o Lead the elaboration of quality and harmonized tools for activity implementation
o Update the nutrition toolbox on NHF.
o Conduct regular field visits to support the team in quality implementation and provide concrete solutions to improve programs.
o Ensure integration and mainstreaming of health and nutrition in all ACF programming
o Follow up and update the budget follow-up tool and provide solutions to address overspent and underspent.
o Supervise the preparation of monthly, quarterly, and end-of-project reports.
o Support the field team in preparing procurement requests and support the timely preparation and follow-up of the procurement process.
1b) Quality of implementation – 5% PDQ
o Initiate and Lead quality improvement initiatives through Continuous Learning Programs: Offer regular workshops, seminars, and exchange learning missions on quality improvement methodologies, tools, and techniques.
o Role model quality improvement behaviours and practices and challenge all staff to do the same to the least frontline staff as well as CGVs and VHTs.
o Hold regular team meetings to discuss progress, challenges, and opportunities for quality improvement.
o Use data analysis to identify trends, root causes of issues, and areas for improvement and disseminate this to entire teams, including stakeholders. Regularly share data insights with all stakeholders to inform decision-making.
o Standardize Best Practices: Develop and standardize best practices based on successful quality improvement initiatives.
o Lead Regular (Bi-annual) sector Reviews: Review quality improvement initiatives to assess their effectiveness and impact.
2. Staff Management, Mentorship, and Development (15%) PDQ
o Heads up the Nutrition and Health team forming a solid team identity within the organization and creating cohesion between team members working in different geographic areas.
o Manages the Nutrition and Health team to ensure that the Nutrition and Health system operates effectively with the support and resources required, and that there are clear links and reporting lines between field and country level and between Nutrition and Health and other departments.
o Supports the Nutrition and Health team progress on specific projects, providing management oversight on progress and problem solving in case of challenges.
o Manages the performance of direct reports in the Nutrition and Health unit through performance management, coaching, mentoring, training, and development.
o Oversees the recruitment of appropriate Nutrition and Health staffing in the country mission.
o At the organizational level, devises and manages a Nutrition and Health training program with the goal of increasing capacity and awareness of Nutrition and Health for all staff.
o Assesses training needs and engages Nutrition and Health team staff to roll-out the training.
o Sets up a Nutrition and Health community of practice for continued learning.
- Contribute towards fundraising efforts (25%) - PDQ
o Provide clear gap and need analysis to justify responses proposed in new projects
o Analyze and understand the donor priorities and strategy and develop adapted proposals
o Propose new project ideas in line with the country's strategy and needs and gaps identified
o Lead the technical proposal development process (both budget and narrative)
o Identify local NGOs to partner with
o Conduct donor mapping for health and nutrition and keep it current.
- Contributes toward the definition and rolling out of the country strategic plan (15%) - HoP
o Define, contextualize, and apply strategic planning standards and tools in the Nutrition & Health sector.
o Support the process of country strategy development – including landscape analysis, internal capacity assessments, goal and objectives determination, and facilitating participation and input of stakeholders.
o Leads the process of cascading the strategic plan – through highly integrated Nutrition and Health departmental plans and KPIs for all staff positions.
o Is accountable for ensuring that all Nutrition & Health staff and partners effectively communicate and own the country's strategic plan.
o Monitors the progress of strategy implementation and outcomes within the Health & Nutrition Sector.
5. Set up and implement a robust Nutrition and Health M&E system (15%) HoP
Work with the MEAL team to;
- Standardize and build an integrated system that enables us to efficiently monitor the progress and outcomes of all Nutrition & Health supported projects in Zambia.
- Standardize output, outcome, context, and learning indicators across all Nutrition and Health programs.
- Harmonize and Digitalize Nutrition & Health data collection tools used by our staff and partners to continuously monitor program implementation and impact.
- Develops/adapts and digitalizes reporting tools, enabling us to effectively report progress and impact to donors, government, and other stakeholders.
- Routinely review data in the DHIS2 system to ensure accuracy, which preserves the integrity and impact of our program operations.
- Develop/Review Nutrition and Health program MEAL Plans, Indicator trackers, and TOCs to ensure alignment with donor standards.
- Coordinate nutrition and health research assessments, including supervision of consultants.
- Represent Action Against Hunger and its positioning in nutrition and health (10%) – HoP.
o Represent Action Against Hunger in all coordination and technical meetings in Nchelenge
o Ensure good communication and collaboration with line ministries, especially the Ministry of Health and Agriculture, development partners and CSOs
o Ensure good communication and coordination with other implementation partners
o Ensure good communication (technical) with donors and the ministries, agencies, and departments involved in health and nutrition.
o Dissemination of the Action Against Hunger nutrition and health strategy at the country office level to partners and funding bodies
o Develop and maintain a network of harmonious and productive relationships with national representatives and program partners (funding bodies, other NGOs, etc.).
o Lead efforts to develop complementary health and nutrition partnerships with key strategic funding and non-funding partnerships within the country.
II. Supervisory Responsibilities
Provide technical support to Project Officers.
IV. Fiscal Responsibility
V. Physical Demands
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods, concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately within short time frames under stressful situations in 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 of walking long distances, eating a limited diet, and/or residing in potentially uncomfortable housing or tents.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that an employee must meet to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.
VI. Working Conditions, Travel and Environment
• The job duties require regular job attendance at least five days per week. The employee must also be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required by contact with the missions, mission security, or other obligations.
• The employee must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business travel and to the missions if appropriate. While visiting the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high-security risks and fundamental living conditions, outside weather conditions, and infectious diseases.
VII. Gender Equality Commitments & Zero Tolerance to Abuse
● Foster an environment that reinforces the values of people of all genders and equal access to information.
● Provide a work environment where people of all genders can be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
● Promote a safe, secure, and respectful environment for all stakeholders, particularly children, beneficiaries, and staff.
● Help to prevent any abuse, including workplace harassment, sexual abuse, and exploitation.
● Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, and 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
● Master’s degree in nutrition field; MSC Nutrition, Public health, Global Health
● BSc Nutrition
● Minimum four years of work experience in a similar setting and responsibility
● Minimum six years of humanitarian and development experience
● Experience in nutrition and health technical approaches; IMAM, MIYCAN, Health systems strengthening, community health, advocacy, policy and strategy development,
● Familiarity with minimum one of the following: gender mainstreaming, DRM, urban, surveillance, MEAL, emergency preparedness and response
● Experience designing and delivering capacity building for national teams
● Experience in assessment, monitoring, and evaluation
● Experience with significant institutional and UN donors and donor procedures (ECHO/EC, USAID, DFID, SIDA, WFP, private funds, etc.)
● Familiarity with Action Against Hunger and acceptance of Action Against Hunger’s principles
IX. Required Skills & Experience
● Excellent communication, writing, and analytical skills
● Proficient knowledge of English
● Excellent influencing, representation, and negotiation skills
● Good knowledge of the Zambian context
Action Against Hunger – USA provides all staff with an attractive salary and benefits package . We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status or as a veteran. Action Against Hunger- USA complies with applicable laws governing non discrimination in employment
Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to hrzambia@zm-actionagainsthunger.orgby 15th April, 2026. Please include "Health and Nutrition Coordinator” in the subject line. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
