Job Title: Nutrition Expert Officer
Organisation: Danish Refugee Council (DRC)
Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda
About Organisation:
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a private, independent, humanitarian organization working on all aspects of the refugee cause in more than 36 countries throughout the world. The aim of DRC is to protect refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) against persecution and to promote durable solutions to the problems of forced migration, on the basis of humanitarian principles and human rights. DRC works in accordance with the UN Conventions on Refugees and the Code of Conduct for the ICRC and NGOs in Disaster Relief.
Job Summary: DRC Uganda is currently looking for a highly qualified and motivated individual to join our dynamic team a Nutrition Expert Officer.
The role is conditional upon funding being secured for the project.
The overall purpose of the role:
The Nutrition Expert Officer will lead the planning, implementation and monitoring of nutrition sensitive interventions under the Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation Project in refugee settlements. The role focuses on supporting refugee and host community households to improve dietary, diversity and nutrition outcomes through gender sensitive community-based nutrition programming, integration of nutrition into climate smart agriculture and food security interventions, strengthened community mobilisation and behaviour change approaches. The Nutrition Expert Officer will work closely with the agriculture and livelihoods teams, district authorities, settlement leadership, community-based facilitators and farmer institutions to ensure that nutrition is effectively mainstreamed across project activities, contributes to improved household food and nutrition security, and aligns with Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation Project targets and safeguards requirements.
Key Duties and Responsibilities: Your main duties and responsibilities will be:
- Lead field level implementation of gender sensitive community-based nutrition interventions, including nutrition education, behaviour change communication and cooking demonstrations targeting women, caregivers, children, pregnant and lactating women.
- Support refugee and host community households to improve dietary diversity through integration of nutrition sensitive agriculture, kitchen gardens and promotion of nutrient rich crops and foods.
- Integrate nutrition objectives within crop, livestock and beneficial insect value chain activities in close coordination with agriculture and livelihoods teams.
- Support community mobilisation processes to ensure inclusive participation in nutrition activities, with particular attention to women, youth and vulnerable groups.
- Train and provide ongoing technical backstopping to community-based facilitators, lead farmers and women’s groups on nutrition sensitive programming and gender responsive approaches.
- Coordinate with district health, agriculture and community development structures, settlement leadership and relevant partners to align nutrition interventions with local systems and services.
- Ensure nutrition activities are implemented in line with Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation Project environmental and social safeguards, including gender, Gender Based Violence risk mitigation and do no harm principles.
- Support establishment and use of demonstration sites for nutrition sensitive agriculture, including kitchen gardens and household level food production models.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
To be successful in this role, we expect you to have a minimum of 5 years of experience in community-based nutrition, nutrition sensitive agriculture, food security or public health nutrition in rural or humanitarian settings. Moreover, we also expect the following:
Required
- Bachelor’s degree in nutrition, public health, food and nutrition sciences, agriculture, community development or a related field.
- Demonstrated experience implementing gender sensitive nutrition programmes in refugee or displacement affected contexts in Uganda.
- Strong knowledge of community-based nutrition approaches, dietary diversity, maternal and child nutrition and behaviour change communication methodologies.
- Experience integrating nutrition into agricultural, livelihoods or food security programmes, including kitchen gardens, small livestock or climate smart value chains.
- Proven experience in community mobilisation, working with women’s groups, caregiver groups and community-based facilitators.
- Familiarity with humanitarian and development donor requirements, including World Bank funded projects, nutrition indicators and safeguarding considerations.
- Experience supporting training of field staff and community facilitators using participatory approaches such as Farmer Field Schools or similar methodologies.
- Strong coordination skills with district health, agriculture and community development structures, Office of the Prime Minister and settlement leadership.
- Experience working on gender, Gender Based Violence risk mitigation and protection sensitive programming is an advantage.
- Fluency in written & Spoken English.
Desirable
- Postgraduate training in public health nutrition, maternal and child nutrition, nutrition sensitive agriculture or behaviour change communication is an added advantage.
- Relevant professional certifications or short courses in community-based nutrition, Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF), or gender-responsive programming are an asset.
- Knowledge of local languages spoken in refugee settlements is an asset (Swahili, Luo/Acholi, Kinyabwisha, Arabic, Lingala, French or Madi).
In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’s five core competencies:
- Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
- Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
- Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
- Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
- Demonstrating integrity: You uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to our values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.
How to Apply:
All suitably qualified and interested applicants should apply online at the link below.
Deadline: 9th January 2026
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Level of Education: bachelor degree
Work Hours: 8
Experience in Months: 60