Program: AINFP

Reports to: Sr. Food Processing Specialist

Position location & travel potential: Based in Iringa

Start date: May 2023

End date: November 2023

Duration: 6 months

Everyone deserves the opportunity to build a better future. This simple idea has been at the heart of TechnoServe’s work around the world for over 50 years. TechnoServe is a pioneer in leveraging the power of business and markets to create sustainable pathways out of poverty.

The low-income communities in which we work are full of enterprising people. Their small-scale farms and businesses are the keys to economic development. But they face many challenges: low literacy, lack of access to jobs and markets, unpredictable political dynamics and, increasingly, the effects of climate change. For many women and young people, the challenges are even more daunting. Working with TechnoServe staff, people around the world are lifting themselves out of poverty. The results are amazing…when incomes increase and living conditions for families get better, they are able to access health care and education previously out of reach. Communities and even whole countries are better off.

TechnoServe is implementing the USAID funded Alliance for Inclusive and Nutritious Food Processing (AINFP) regional program in collaboration with Partners in Food Solutions (PFS). The program leverages the power of the private sector to create better nutritional outcomes for base-of-the-pyramid consumers and more profitable market opportunities for local farmers. This is achieved by supporting local food processing companies in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Ethiopia through remote technical assistance and training from world leading food processing companies under PFS to increase the availability of safe, affordable and nutritious food.

Through this partnership, the AINFP program seeks to place an intern at the clients’ area to work as a Nutritionist. Our main objective is to provide the client with hands on support while nurturing the young talented professionals in the food processing industry. Few of our placed interns have demonstrated great talent and eagerness to learn leading to career development that have placed them in a good place at the job market.

• OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

TechnoServe is seeking an intern to support our client and his customers with professional advice on how to implement and maintain a healthy lifestyle. As a specialist in food and nutrition specifically milk, the customers will depend on her/him to guide them towards better eating and exercise habits.

• KEY ROLES ANDRESPONSIBILITIES
• Simplify important information to clients and explain the benefits of staying on a healthy diet through safe and processed milk.
• Conducts Nutrition monitoring and evaluation for the school milk programs
• Meet with clients and identify their dietary needs by assessing their health, daily routine, and food habits.
• Help establish short and long-term goals.
• Develop and help implement personalized nutrition plans for clients through articles, radio sessions and group seminars.
• Offer advice on how to stay healthy and provides up front information to help clients with their progress.
• Oversee the consultation calendar to ensure efficiency.
• Ensure that she/he stays updated on the latest nutritional diets and trends
• Valuating clients’ (Mostly Academic, and cooperates institutions) needs, engagement plans, developing goals, and providing advice on how to stay healthy.
• Updated on the latest nutritional diets, research methods, and industry trends

REQUIRED SKILLS, COMPETENCIES AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in nutritional science, dietetics, or relevant field.
• A minimum of 2 years’ experience in nutrition related advocacy
• In-depth knowledge of biochemistry, research methods, and human physiology.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• A critical thinker with outstanding interpersonal skills.
• Leadership and management, quality minded, establishes and maintains high standards, integrity, time-management, problem solving/decision making, conscientious, reliable, inventive, creative, innovative with ability to think outside the box.
• Ability to manage different stakeholders and partners and engagements
• Competent user of Microsoft Office Programs
• SUCCESS FACTORS:

Competency is a combination of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) directly related to successful performance on the job.

Core Competencies include:

• Integrity and honesty: Is widely trusted; seen as a direct, truthful individual; presents truthful information in an appropriate and helpful manner; keeps confidences; admits mistakes; does not misrepresent himself or herself for personal gain.
• Team Work/ Relationships: Works co-operatively and flexibly with other members of the team with a full understanding of the role to be played as a team member and/or leader, to achieve a common goal. Ability to build and maintain effective relationships and networks.
• Learning attitude: Proactively takes advantage of opportunities to learn. Actively identifies new areas for learning; applies and shares new knowledge and skill appropriately.
• Diversity/Inclusiveness: Demonstrates an understanding and appreciation for diversity and supports diversity efforts. Interacts effectively with and inclusively with people of all races, cultures, ethnicities, backgrounds, religions, ages, and genders.
• Communication: Expresses ideas effectively in individual and group situations. Listens effectively; shares information, ideas and arguments; adjusts terminology, language and communication modes to the needs of the audience; ensures accurate understanding; acts in a way that facilitates open exchange of ideas and information; uses appropriate non-verbal communication.
• Decision making/Problem Solving: Is able to analyze situations, diagnose problems, identify the key issues, establish and evaluate alternative courses of action and produce a logical, practical and acceptable solution. Is able to make effective decisions on a day-to-day basis, taking ownership of decisions, demonstrating sound judgement in escalating issues where necessary.
• Results Oriented/ High Quality Deliverables: Stays focused on the efforts necessary to achieve quality results consistent with programmatic or departmental goals. Demonstrates the ability to achieve effective results; works persistently to overcome obstacles to goal achievement. Accomplishes tasks by considering all areas involved, no matter how small; showing concern for all aspects of the job; accurately checking processes and tasks.
• Planning & Time Management: Establishes a course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a specific goal. Effectively plans, schedules, prioritizes and controls activities; identifies, integrates and orchestrates resources (people, material, information, budget, and/or time) to accomplish goals. Prioritizes work according to the program or department’s goals, not just own job responsibilities; manages own time effectively.
• Business Acumen: The ability to use information, ask the right questions and take decisions that make an impact on the overall business performance.
• JOB SPECIFIC/TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES INCLUDE:
• Computer Literacy- Demonstrates knowledge and ability to use specific computer programs or applications for own functional area. Having the ability to improve performance by integrating new and existing technology into the workplace
• Analysis, Research, Report Writing: Experience in business planning and analysis, modeling for feasibility and execution. Able to analyze and express oneself clearly in business writing.
• Innovative Mindset: Curious inquiries, asks questions and seeks out information from multiple sources, learns from mistakes, sees change as an opportunity.

CAREER PATHWAYS:

This position may be a next career opportunity in related Nutrition Awareness Programs.

We encourage all qualified individuals who share TechnoServe’s vision of improving the lives of others through proven business solutions to apply.