Technical Advisor, Nutrition & Implementation Science at VITAMIN ANGEL ALLIANCE INC – Goleta, California

Vitamin Angels Position Description

Position: Technical Advisor , Nutrition & Implementation Science

Company: The Vitamin Angel Alliance, Inc. (VA)

Division: Program Division

Location: Flexible. This person can work remotely from anywhere in the continental US or work from our corporate headquarters in Goleta, CA or our office in Chicago, IL, or any combination thereof.

Salary: $100,000 - 120,000 annually

ABOUT VITAMIN ANGELS

Vitamin Angels (VA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit, global public health organization working to improve nutrition worldwide. VA works directly with local organizations, including governments, to reach nutritionally vulnerable populations – pregnant women, infants, and young children – who are underserved by existing systems. Since 1994, VA has been delivering evidence-based nutrition interventions and providing technical assistance to reach more than 70 million women and children in low-resource settings annually. Vitamin Angels is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace. We are a dedicated group of individuals who aim to foster a supportive environment where everyone can contribute, thrive, and grow.

ROLE OR PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

VA’s work is guided by an implementation science (IS) approach to improve the implementation and impact of nutrition policies, programs, and interventions. VA’s IS approach focuses on (i) fostering knowledge exchange, collaboration, and ownership among stakeholders, (ii) understanding contextual factors, barriers, enablers, and potential solutions to delivering and scaling proven nutrition interventions, (iii) designing and testing implementation strategies, and (iv) support efforts to scale new or strengthened implementation strategies.

The Technical Advisor, Nutrition & Implementation Science is part of VA’s Program Quality & Impact (PQI) Team, working in close collaboration with senior global support staff, regional, and country teams. The major duties of the position are to: (i) Develop processes and tools to support standardization, (ii) Provide technical guidance to support program design, quality and impact, (iii) Facilitate dissemination efforts, and (iv) Serve as a Technical Representative.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Technical Advisor, Nutrition & Implementation Science will be responsible for the following:

1. Develop Processes and Tools for Standardization

• Provide technical input to support the development of VA’s IS framework and strategy.
• Collaborate with Program Division staff and advisors to develop and refine processes, resources, and tools to systematize the application of IS across programs and regions.

1. Provide Technical Guidance for Program Design, Quality, and Impact

• Synthesize existing evidence on nutrition interventions and identify best practices through evidence reviews to inform effective implementation strategies.
• Collaborate with project teams and country teams to identify research questions, objectives, and outcomes that align with organizational goals and operational/strategic objectives.
• Provide technical assistance to support the design and implementation of IS studies, including developing research protocols, data collection tools, and analysis plans.
• Provide technical oversight and collaborate with Regional Technical Directors on IS projects.
• Review quantitative research protocols, analysis plans, and completed analyses to ensure appropriate qualitative methods were applied and to validate findings.
• Provide technical guidance and capacity-building support on research-related activities to relevant staff, country program advisors, and partners.
• Coordinate and collaborate with other technical units (e.g., Social & Behavior Change, Monitoring & Evaluation) throughout the project lifecycle to ensure comprehensive technical support.

1. Facilitate Dissemination Efforts

• Create abstracts and presentations for international conferences to share key findings and innovations with the global health community.
• Write and submit articles for peer-reviewed and trade journals.
• Conduct trainings, workshops, and other activities to build capacity within VA for dissemination activities.

1. Serve as a Technical Representative

• Represent VA and further relationships with technical and strategic counterpart agencies.
• Provide technical input to support the preparation of project proposals and/or grants that may be submitted for funding (by Development or Program Divisions) to outside foundations or other agencies.

LEVEL OF DECISION-MAKING

Within the bounds of VA’s mission, values and policies, and sound professional practices, the Technical Advisor, Nutrition & Implementation Science has the discretion to use independent judgment to make decisions of significant consequence that affect VA clients, partners, and employees.

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

VA operates under a collaborative, matrix management model. The Technical Advisor, Nutrition & Implementation Science establishes their own daily work priorities and ensures that all responsibilities are conducted with the accepted best practices, sound professional judgment, and within established schedules and budgets.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Doctoral degree in public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, or similar/relevant discipline from an accredited university, OR master’s degree with at least 8-10 years of relevant experience.
• Minimum 4-6 years of experience in public health research, with a focus on quantitative methods, ideally in fields such as nutritional epidemiology or statistics.
• Extensive experience in NGO or field-based research settings, with a focus on program evaluation, operational research, or implementation science.
• Expertise in quantitative data analysis, study design, and advanced statistical techniques using statistical software (e.g., STATA, R).
• Able to apply appropriate descriptive and inferential statistical models in line with research objectives and sample characteristics. Able to conduct sample size and power calculations.
• Experience with protocol writing for quantitative studies, (e.g., creating detailed analysis plans, data shells).
• Experience with database management.
• Superior written/oral communications skills, interpersonal skills, organizational skills, including experience publishing in peer reviewed journals as first/lead author and presenting at conferences.
• Ability to think independently, critically, and strategically.
• Commitment to fostering diverse, equitable, and inclusive practices in program design and implementation.
• Ability to manage stress, including but not limited to stress resulting from local and foreign travel, large crowds, open spaces, shared office space, and daily activities.
• Ability to remain seated for extended periods of time, including but not limited to prolonged air travel, and general job assignments perform at a desk.
• Must have the ability/desire to travel internationally.
• Fluency in a second language is desirable.

BENEFITS: Comprehensive benefit package includes Medical, Dental and Vision Care, Life Insurance, 401(k), Paid Time Off, Winter/Summer Recharge Weeks, Holidays, Wellness Program, pregnancy disability, paid parental leave and more.