Associate, Nutrition Full Time Mid level NEW

Program Overview

In Lao PDR, CHAI works in close partnership with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to strengthen health systems across multiple areas, including vaccines, supply chain, digital health, and primary health care.

In partnership with UNICEF and the Ministry of Health, CHAI Lao PDR is implementing a program to strengthen supply chain management and data utilization for nutrition commodities, with the goal of improving prevention and treatment of wasting. The program builds on a successful pilot in Attapeu Province, where linkage to treatment for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) increased from 10% to 99% within one year. The model will be scaled to six provinces: Xayyabouly, Vientiane Capital, Khammouan, Savannakhet, Saravanh, and Sekong.

The approach is anchored in strengthening government systems and is designed to avoid parallel processes while improving service readiness, data use, and supervision across all levels of the health system.

Position Summary

The Associate, Nutrition will be based at the Center for Nutrition (CN) in Vientiane Capital, and will provide technical and operational support to the CHAI-PA provincial technical team. The role ensures effective and sustainable implementation of supply chain management, readiness assessment, data use, and nutrition service delivery across central, provincial, district, and health facility levels.

Responsibilities

Program Planning, Readiness & Supply Chain Management

• Support CHAI-PA and the Nutrition Center in developing practical work plans, budgets, and operational plans aligned with national and provincial priorities.
• Conduct regular readiness assessments across target provinces to evaluate equipment availability, supplementary food supply, and staff capacity, and follow up on action plans to address identified gaps.
• Ensure nutrition commodities are fully integrated into the eLMIS system through PFDU and consistently supplied to all health facilities without interruption.

Data Management, Analysis & Reporting

• Consolidate and analyse data from all six target provinces to identify trends, gaps, and challenges, and share findings with senior stakeholders and the Nutrition Center to inform evidence-based planning.
• Prepare and disseminate high-quality monthly, quarterly, and annual reports and presentations in both English and Lao.

Capacity Building & Nutrition Service Delivery

• Supervise, mentor, and build the capacity of CHAI-PA in supply chain management, monitoring tool development, data tracking and analysis, and reporting, ensuring training activities are delivered effectively and on schedule.
• Support CHAI-PA in routine data review and joint problem-solving with government counterparts to address service delivery gaps and strengthen access to community nutrition services across all target provinces.

Stakeholder Coordination & Communication

• Maintain strong relationships with government, development partners, donors, and NGOs to ensure effective coordination, resource utilization, and alignment of program activities.
• Provide technical translation support and oversee the planning and organization of meetings and workshops at all levels, including agenda development, travel coordination, and logistics management.

Transition, Sustainability & Administration

• Support provincial teams and government counterparts in documenting and transferring key processes, tools, and systems to strengthen local ownership and ensure a smooth handover to the Ministry of Health.
• Coordinate central-level administrative tasks, including meetings and travel arrangements, and perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field
• 3+ years of relevant work experience in a fast-paced environment, preferably in health, supply chain, or related programs
• Experience with and knowledge of supply chain concepts
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize information, conduct analyses, and communicate findings clearly; strong quantitative and problem-solving skills, including advanced proficiency using Microsoft Excel
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Ability to work independently, proactively, and collaboratively as part of a multicultural team
• Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills in English and Lao, and an ability to build professional relationships with a range of key stakeholders.

Disclaimer: Applications will be received until this position is filled