Senior NDF Officer (District/Cluster)

Aiming Change for Tomorrow (ACT) International, in partnership with UNICEF Punjab and in coordination with BISP/Benazir Nashonuma Programme (BNP), the Punjab Department of Health, Lady Health Worker Programme, and relevant district stakeholders, is implementing BNP 3.0 across ten districts of Punjab. This programme focuses on improving maternal, child, and adolescent nutrition while strengthening gender-responsive nutrition and social protection systems among BISP beneficiary households. Activities will be delivered through existing BNP Facilitation Centres, Support Centres, and community structures. The role involves supporting Social and Behaviour Change (SBC), Early Childhood Development (ECD), parenting and nurturing care, community engagement, counselling, referrals, follow-up, youth engagement, and capacity development. Staff will work closely with communities and stakeholders to enhance awareness, mobilization, referrals, and beneficiary engagement, adhering strictly to ACT, UNICEF, BISP/BNP, and Government of Punjab policies, including safeguarding, gender equality, disability inclusion, and responsible data management. This position requires performing only approved non-clinical roles.

Key Responsibilities
- Develop district or cluster workplans, activity schedules, and field coverage plans in coordination with the Regional SBC Coordinator.
- Maintain updated deployment lists, duty rosters, catchment allocations, and community outreach schedules for Nutrition Development Facilitators (NDFs).
- Ensure proper deployment of NDF Officers based on staffing, workload, coverage, and programme priorities.
- Monitor progress against targets, identifying gaps in outreach, participation, and referral follow-up.
- Provide day-to-day supervision, coaching, and technical guidance to NDF Officers.
- Review workplans, attendance, field movement, activity registers, counselling records, and referral documentation.
- Conduct regular field observations to assess counselling quality, group facilitation, outreach practices, and use of programme tools.
- Identify staff capacity gaps and coordinate refresher training and mentoring with the Regional SBC Coordinator.
- Address performance, data quality, and corrective actions identified through supervision and MEAL reviews.
- Support quality implementation of maternal nutrition, MIYCN, SBC, ECD, parenting, and nurturing-care activities.
- Ensure NDFs deliver approved messages on maternal diet, micronutrient supplementation, breastfeeding, complementary feeding, responsive feeding, and early stimulation.
- Facilitate anaemia awareness, care-seeking, and referral for pregnant and lactating women.
- Support developmental milestone awareness and referral for developmental concerns.
- Oversee referrals and follow-ups for wasting, growth concerns, vulnerable infants, and other nutrition-related risks.
- Ensure NDFs do not perform clinical services beyond approved roles.
- Support formation and functioning of Mother and Father Support Groups.
- Supervise community sessions, group counselling, household engagement, cooking demonstrations, and outreach activities.
- Support mobile kiosks, interactive theatre, campaigns, and public engagement initiatives.
- Promote meaningful participation of fathers, grandmothers, mothers-in-law, adolescents, and other household influencers.
- Identify community myths, participation barriers, and information gaps, communicating these to the regional team.
- Ensure proper use of referral forms, records, and pathways; track priority referrals and follow-ups.
- Assist caregivers in understanding referral advice and follow-up requirements.
- Coordinate with BISP/BNP officials, Facilitation and Support Centre staff, government representatives, LHWs/LHVs, health providers, and community structures.
- Support district coordination meetings, joint field visits, trainings, and programme activities.
- Review records for accuracy and completeness; ensure timely submission of data and reports.
- Support MEAL monitoring visits, beneficiary verification, data-quality assessments, and corrective actions.
- Prepare progress reports, supervision notes, and documentation of achievements, challenges, risks, community feedback, lessons learned, and good practices.
- Promote gender-sensitive, inclusive, and respectful engagement with participants, ensuring privacy and appropriate use of feedback mechanisms.
- Immediately report safeguarding, PSEA, child protection, and other protection concerns through established procedures.

Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Nutrition, Public Health, Health Sciences, Social Sciences, Development Studies, or a related field.
- Minimum of 5 years’ relevant professional experience in nutrition, health, SBC, community mobilization, or development programmes.
- Proven experience supervising field teams, community workers, or frontline personnel.
- Experience working with community-based structures, government departments, and frontline health workers.

Preferred Qualifications and Benefits
- Training in nutrition, SBC, community mobilization, ECD, or public health is advantageous.
- Experience with donor-funded development or humanitarian programmes is a plus.
- Strong district-level coordination, field planning, and team supervision skills.
- Technical knowledge of nutrition, SBC, ECD, parenting, and referral approaches.
- Excellent community engagement, facilitation, interpersonal, documentation, and reporting skills.
- Commitment to safeguarding, gender equality, disability inclusion, and accountability.
- Willingness to undertake frequent field travel within the assigned district or cluster.

ACT International is committed to upholding a strict Code of Conduct, safeguarding principles, and zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment, and misconduct. The organisation promotes equal opportunity and encourages applications from qualified candidates, including women and persons with disabilities.