Job description
PROJECT OFFICER - NUTRITIONIST
Somali Lifeline Organization (SOLO) is a national humanitarian and development organization
operating in Somalia/ Somaliland. SOLO works with crisis affected and underserved communities to
deliver principled, locally-led and accountable programmes across various sectors such as Health
and Nutrition, Protection and Gender-Based Violence, Water Sanitation and Hygiene, Food Security
and Livelihoods, Multipurpose Cash Assistance, Education, Peacebuilding, Climate Resilience and
Anticipatory Action. Through established field teams and operational offices, community partnerships
and coordination with government and humanitarian actors, SOLO supports timely lifesaving
assistance while strengthening community resilience and local systems.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Somali Lifeline Organization (SOLO), in partnership with Secours Islamique France (SIF), is implementing
Integrated Nutrition, Food Assistance and Resilient Livelihood Support for Crisis-Affected Vulnerable
Communities in Jubaland State (NOURISH-Somalia). The project is funded under the French Initiative for
Food Security and Nutrition (FIFSAN) and runs for 24 months, from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2028,
in Kismayo, Dhobley and Jamaame districts.
Recurrent drought, flooding, conflict and displacement have left many households in these districts,
especially IDPs, women and young children, short of food and of health and nutrition services. Recent cuts
in humanitarian funding have reduced coverage of life-saving nutrition programmes further.
The project will reach 42,975 people directly, at least 65% of them women and girls. It combines nutrition
services, nutrition-sensitive food vouchers and El Niño preparedness, and livelihood support through
farming, livestock and women-led savings groups. SOLO leads the nutrition component, serving 16,468
children under two and 5,546 pregnant and lactating women (PLW):
Services are delivered with the Jubaland Ministry of Health and handed over to it progressively before the
project ends.
JOB TITLE
Project Officer - Nutritionist
WORK LOCATION
Kismayo, with regular travel to Dhobley and Jamaame.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Project Officer (Nutritionist) will lead the day-to-day implementation and coordination of SOLO’s
nutrition interventions across the three project districts, ensuring effective delivery, quality assurance and
achievement of agreed project targets. The role will oversee the implementation of nutrition screening
and referral, Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) treatment, Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) referral,
Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF), and Nutrition, Health and Hygiene Promotion (NHHP) behaviour
change interventions. The Officer will ensure that all activities adhere to Somalia’s Integrated
Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) protocol, WHO guidelines and relevant programme quality
standards, while driving effective field implementation, performance monitoring and timely achievement
of project results.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
• Prepare monthly activity plans and lead implementation at the 3 fixed and 3 mobile OTP sites and in
the community.
• Supervise the Nutrition Supervisor and, through them, the OTP Nurses, Registerers, IYCF Counsellors,
NHHP Promoters, Site Screeners and CHNWs.
• Make sure SAM admission, treatment, discharge and referral follow the national IMAM protocol, and
track the cure (85% or more), default (below 10%) and death (below 5%) targets.
• Set up and maintain referral arrangements (MoUs) with TSFP partners for children and PLW with
MAM, including joint case tracking and feedback.
• Plan and deliver the IMAM, IYCF and SBCC/NHHP trainings and coordinate community mobilisation,
cooking demonstrations and dialogues with male household heads.
• Forecast and request RUTF, routine medicines and supplies with the Logistics Officer to prevent stockouts.
• Represent SOLO at district Nutrition Cluster and health coordination meetings and work with the
Jubaland Ministry of Health on joint supervision and the phased handover.
• Analyse OTP and screening data with the HMIS Officer and write monthly and quarterly progress
reports.
• Coordinate with SIF so households with SAM cases are linked to food vouchers and livelihood support.
Skills and qualifications
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
• A resident of Jubaland states of Somalia and based in Kismayo.
• Bachelor's degree in nutrition, public health, nursing or a related field; a master's degree is an
advantage.
• At least 3 years of experience running CMAM/IMAM and IYCF programmes, preferably in Somalia.
• Thorough knowledge of the Somalia IMAM protocol, IYCF guidelines and Nutrition Cluster reporting.
• Experience training and supervising health and community workers.
• Willing to travel frequently to project sites.
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Fluent written and spoken English and Somali required.
Attachments
How to apply
HOW TO APPLY
Interested and qualified persons are requested to send their Application Letter, Curriculum Vitae and a
copy of their academic and professional certificates to [email protected] on or before Thursday
19th November 2026 at 2 pm EAT, with the job title as the subject.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and shortlisted candidates may be invited for interviews
before the advertised closing date.