Project Background

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, will implement BNP 3.0 across ten districts of Punjab.

The programme aims to improve maternal, child and adolescent nutrition and strengthen 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 programme will focus on Social and Behaviour Change (SBC), maternal and child nutrition, 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 support awareness, mobilization, referrals and beneficiary engagement.

All staff are expected to uphold ACT, UNICEF, BISP/BNP and Government of Punjab policies and standards, including gender equality, disability inclusion, safeguarding, PSEA, child protection, confidentiality, accountability to affected populations and responsible data management. Staff will perform only approved non-clinical roles and will not diagnose, prescribe, treat or provide clinical services.

Job Purpose

The Senior NDF Officer will coordinate and supervise BNP 3.0 activities within an assigned district or district cluster. The position will oversee NDF deployment and field coverage, support quality implementation of nutrition, SBC, ECD and parenting activities, supervise NDF Officers, coordinate community engagement and referrals, and ensure timely reporting and documentation in line with approved programme standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop district/cluster workplans, activity schedules and field coverage plans in coordination with the Regional SBC Coordinator.
• Maintain updated NDF deployment lists, FC duty rosters, catchment allocations and community outreach schedules.
• Ensure NDF Officers are deployed according to approved staffing, workload, coverage and programme priorities.
• Monitor progress against targets and identify gaps in outreach, participation, FC coverage and referral follow-up.
• Provide day-to-day supervision, coaching and technical guidance to NDF Officers.
• Review NDF workplans, attendance, field movement, activity registers, counselling records and referral documentation.
• Conduct regular field observations to assess counselling quality, group facilitation, outreach practices and appropriate use of programme tools.
• Identify staff capacity gaps and coordinate refresher training, mentoring and practical support with the Regional SBC Coordinator.
• Follow up on performance, data-quality and corrective-action issues 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, MMS, breastfeeding, complementary feeding, responsive feeding and early stimulation.
• Support approved anaemia awareness, care-seeking and referral arrangements for pregnant and lactating women.
• Support developmental-milestone awareness and appropriate referral for developmental red flags.
• Support referrals and follow-up for wasting, growth concerns, vulnerable infants and other identified nutrition-related risks.
• Ensure NDFs do not diagnose, prescribe, treat or provide clinical services outside their approved roles.
• Support the formation, reactivation and functioning of Mother Support Groups and Father Support Groups.
• Supervise community sessions, group counselling, household engagement, cooking demonstrations and other approved outreach activities.
• Support approved mobile kiosks, interactive theatre, campaigns and public-engagement activities.
• Promote meaningful participation of fathers, grandmothers, mothers-in-law, adolescents and other household influencers.
• Identify community myths, participation barriers and information gaps and communicate them to the regional team.
• Ensure NDFs use approved referral forms, records and referral pathways.
• Track priority referrals, referral completion, missed follow-ups and unresolved cases in coordination with relevant teams.
• Support caregivers in understanding referral advice, service locations and follow-up requirements.
• Coordinate with BISP/BNP officials, FC/SC staff, district focal persons, government representatives, LHWs/LHVs, health-service providers and community structures.
• Support district coordination meetings, joint field visits, trainings and programme activities.
• Review activity, attendance, counselling, outreach, support-group and referral records for accuracy and completeness.
• Ensure NDF Officers submit required data and reports through approved systems within agreed timelines.
• Support MEAL monitoring visits, beneficiary verification, data-quality assessments and corrective actions.
• Prepare district progress reports, supervision reports, field-visit notes and other required documentation.
• Document achievements, challenges, risks, community feedback, lessons learned and good practices.
• Promote gender-sensitive, inclusive and respectful engagement with programme participants.
• Ensure appropriate participation of women, adolescents, persons with disabilities and vulnerable households.
• Ensure beneficiary privacy and appropriate use of feedback and complaints mechanisms.
• Immediately report safeguarding, PSEA, child-protection and other protection concerns through established procedures.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Nutrition, Public Health, Health Sciences, Social Sciences, Development Studies or a related field.
• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in nutrition, health, SBC, community mobilization or development programmes.
• Demonstrated experience supervising field teams, community workers or frontline personnel.
• Experience working with community-based structures, government departments and frontline health workers.
• Relevant training in nutrition, SBC, community mobilization, ECD or public health will be an advantage.
• Experience with donor-funded development or humanitarian programmes will be an advantage.

Required Skills & Competencies

• Strong district-level coordination, field planning and team-supervision skills.
• Good technical understanding of nutrition, SBC, ECD, parenting and referral approaches.
• Strong community engagement, facilitation and interpersonal skills.
• Good documentation, data-review and reporting skills.
• Ability to identify field-level challenges and support practical solutions.
• Strong commitment to safeguarding, gender equality, disability inclusion and accountability.
• Ability and willingness to undertake frequent field travel within the assigned district/cluster.

Code of Conduct & Ethics

The successful candidate will be expected to comply with:

• ACT International applicable Code of Conduct requirements.
• Data protection and confidentiality standards.
• Do No Harm, safeguarding and ethical programme principles.
• Strict prohibition on collecting unnecessary personal identifiers or exerting pressure on respondents.
• Zero tolerance for data manipulation, misconduct or negligence.

Core Competencies

• Leadership and Team Management
• Strategic Planning and Coordination
• Technical Expertise
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills
• Coordination and Networking
• Problem Solving and Decision Making
• Results Orientation
• Accountability and Integrity
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Commitment to Safeguarding, Gender Equality and Inclusion

Safeguarding & PSEA

ACT International has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment, child abuse and other forms of misconduct. The successful candidate will be required to comply with ACT International’s safeguarding, PSEA, child-protection, code of conduct and reporting requirements. Staff are expected to maintain a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for beneficiaries, communities and colleagues and to report safeguarding or PSEA concerns through established reporting mechanisms.

Equal Opportunity

ACT International is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from qualified candidates, including women and persons with disabilities.