Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Counselor

About the role

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is launching a short-term, UNICEF-funded nutrition project in seven districts of Punjab province, Pakistan, aimed at improving nutrition service delivery and outreach. The IYCF / ECD Counselor joins a community outreach team to deliver Infant and Young Child Feeding counseling and Early Childhood Development support at household, village and community levels, including mother and father groups and, where available, ECD Play Labs. The project runs for 4 months initially, with possible extension, and the counselor reports to the District Program Officer.

Key responsibilities

• Assess IYCF practices among mothers and caregivers of children under 24 months, identify gaps and give tailored one-to-one counseling on breastfeeding and complementary feeding, including advice to pregnant women on colostrum feeding.
• Deliver regular group counseling sessions for mother groups and father groups, prepare materials and venues, and run mother-to-mother support groups.
• Facilitate sessions interactively, answering questions and handling resistance respectfully, adapting to audiences with low literacy.
• Support the Nutrition Facilitator in door-to-door and village screening, referral of malnourished children and follow-up, and coordinate joint outreach visits.
• Record counseling sessions, submit monthly activity reports to the District Program Officer and complete other tasks assigned by the supervisor.
• Work as part of a three-person team (Nutrition Facilitator, Community Outreach Worker and counselor) planning and covering villages and households.

Required profile

• Minimum bachelor's degree; master's degree preferred; nutrition or health background valued.
• At least 3 years of work experience with an INGO or in offices.
• Prior experience or familiarity with community health, nutrition, MNCH programs and IYCF counseling is desired.
• Willingness to travel extensively within the outreach area, including door-to-door visits.

Required skills

• Strong knowledge of IYCF practices, breastfeeding and complementary feeding guidelines.
• Good session facilitation, presentation and communication skills.
• Ability to handle difficult questions confidently and respectfully.