Position Title: Infant and young child feeding (IYCF) Officer

Duty Station: Gumi Eldallo woreda in East Borena Zone, Negelle

Open Position: 1

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible.

In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.

Program / Department Summary

To increase access to Life-saving Services for Conflict-affected IDPs, Returnees, and Vulnerable Populations through the provision of integrated Multi-Sectoral Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Promotion (WASH), Health, Nutrition and Protection support and agricultural production support.

General Position Summary

The position holder is responsible for delivering all infant and young child feeding (IYCF) activities including providing key massages of IYCF during health education and promotion, IYCF counselling for the mothers using breast feeding corners and health facilities. She/He must establish mother to mother and father to father support groups in the woreda intervention site they are assigned to facilitate the discussion of mother to mother and father to father support group and conduct food cooking demonstration sessions. S/He will also be responsible for day-to-day documentation of IYCF activities, filing them and reporting for woreda team leaders on a weekly and monthly basis. S/He should closely work with Nutrition, Health and other sectors to improve coordination, work with Health Extension Workers (HEW) growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) and educating mothers on how to feed their children. The position holder should work actively on strengthening linkage between programs to address the gap of malnutrition.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Collaborate with other team member for effective integration between other services like Nutrition and health services
• Collaborate with Local authorities and other partners to harmonize different efforts for better impact and sustainability.
• Able to learn and update his/ her information or knowledge to adapt the changing situation and context

Program Management

• Provide key massages of IYCF during health education and promotion for pregnant and lactating mothers and all other program participants.
• Conduct IYCF counselling for the mothers using breast feeding corners and health facilities.
• Establish mother to mother and father to father support groups in the intervention sites in the woreda.
• Facilitate the discussion of mother to mother and father to father support group following the standard and using appropriate tools for the activities.
• Conduct food cooking demonstration sessions using locally available, feasible, affordable and culturally acceptable food varieties.
• Documentation of IYCF activities, filing them and reporting for woreda team leaders on a weekly and monthly basis.
• Closely work with Nutrition, Health and other sectors to improve coordination and strengthen IYFC activities through integration of different activities like Health, WASH, Agriculture and protection.
• Work with Health Extension Workers (HEW) on growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) and educating mothers on how to feed their children.
• work actively on strengthening linkage between programs to address the gap seen on infant and young child feeding practices in the community.
• Provide onsite training to HEW and nurses on the implementation of IYCF protocols and facilitate IYCF training provided for health workers and health extension workers.
• Ensure Job aids (HEW quick reference, look up table, report format, tally sheet, sample of food varieties, and others) are available in Health posts.
• Receive weekly reports from HEW at weekly basis, cross check the completeness and accuracy and submit to Woreda Project officers.
• Support mother to mother support group to upgrade them self to women group, collect some money routinely during their discussion, and start activities that support them to better feed their children routinely.
• Work on any tasks assigned by the line manager and the organization.

Team Management

• Closely work with TSFP officers, CMAM nurse and other nutrition teams in planning the implementation of all nutrition activities
• Provide formal and on job training and supportive supervision for Mercy corps woreda level staffs and government health workers.

Finance & Compliance Management

N/A

Influence & Representation

• Liaise with concerned government authorities and ensure the programme strategy, objectives and activities are understood, agreed and appropriate communication channel is in place
• Collaborate with the potential partners on the field (health centres, health posts, committee leaders) to improve the coverage and the efficiency of the programs.
• Collaborate with partners where possible (e.g. UNICEF and WHO in nutrition/health assessments in the area that may have an impact on our programs).

Security

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Organizational Learning

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps.

Knowledge and Experience

• BSC in Public health or Nursing, with Minimum four years working experience in NGOs environment as MHNT and IYCF experience in the in the previous work.
• Technical skill on IYCF including facilitation of mother-to-mother support group, conducting food cooking demonstrations, and IYCF Counselling.
• Demonstrated skills in program planning, implementation and monitoring.
• Strong computer (Microsoft skills), and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Good command in written and spoken English and Local language.
• Good human relation skills.
• Willingness to work under pressure and extra hours

Success Factors

• Willingness and capacity to be flexible and accommodating when faced with difficult and frustrating working conditions like long distance
• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Experience in closely working with regional, Zonal and Woreda Health
• Ability to prepare program reports Knowledge in local language;
• Communication skill, good human relations
• Firm belief in teamwork, gender equality

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world's most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

All qualified individuals are invited to apply for the advertised position. All applications, including a CV, three references, and all applicable official papers, must be sent electronically.

Only candidates that are short-listed will be acknowledged and called for interviews.

“Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer promoting gender, equity and diversity. Qualified female and young candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We are committed to empower women and youth.”

DEADLINE FOR ALL APPLICATIONS: 08 November 2025 / 4:00 PM