Job Description- Nutritionist (Gadchiroli, Maharashtra)
Mobile Creches, (MC) a pioneer NGO, has been operational since 1969, providing childcare and health services to more than 15,000 children every year in the National Capital Region, through workplace and community-based crèches and daycare centres, every year.
MC pioneered the cause of Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) and focuses on young children under six years in urban slums and children of migrant workers at construction sites. MC’s multi-pronged approach- providing childcare services to young children at worksites, urban slums, rural and tribal communities, working with parents and communities to amplify the ECD agenda, enhancing linkages with government ECD services, training the ECD workforce, influencing government policies, promoting research in the field of ECD, addressing both the short- and long-term needs of children. It is officially recognized as the National Creche agency by the government and is on the path of accelerating ECD services for the children of marginalized communities by scaling up in partnership with the government and other players in civil society.
Mobile Creches plans to initiate a crèche programme in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, with implementation beginning in one of the blocks (Etapalli or Chamorshi). The programme will cater to children aged 7 months to 3 years. The crèche centres will provide integrated services covering nutrition, health and hygiene, safety and protection, and early stimulation to support holistic child development, while also facilitating families’ access to essential government entitlements.
Children experiencing growth faltering, underweight, or wasting will be identified at an early stage, referred to appropriate health facilities, and followed up to support recovery. The centres will place a strong emphasis on improving nutrition outcomes through enhanced feeding practices, regular growth monitoring, and strengthened coordination with government nutrition and health services.
As an organization, Mobile Creches adheres to a strict safeguarding policy. All staff; volunteers, interns, vendors, consultants, and partners are required to be aware of the policy, sign it, and comply with its norms.
For more information, visit www.mobilecreches.org.
Department- Child Care Services – Direct Operations
Designation: Nutritionist Gadchiroli District
Position Overview: Nutritionist will be responsible for designing, implementing, and monitoring comprehensive child nutrition interventions across Mobile Crèches (MC) centres to ensure that all enrolled children receive adequate, age-appropriate, safe, and culturally acceptable nutrition. The role focuses on meal planning, nutrient adequacy, dietary diversity, and prevention of undernutrition, while ensuring menus are locally contextualised, cost-effective, and operationally feasible.
Level: 5
Location: The candidate must be based in one of blocks of Gadchiroli District or willing to relocate and must be prepared to undertake field travel 2 times a week.
Qualifications & Experience:
• Master’s degree in nutrition / public health nutrition / food & nutrition / Home Science (preferred).
• Sound knowledge of child nutrition, IYCF, growth monitoring, supplementary nutrition, food safety, hygiene, and community-based nutrition interventions.
• Understanding of ECCE linkages with nutrition, health, WASH, gender, child protection, and community participation.
• 5-7 years of relevant work experience in nutrition programmes, training, or field implementation, preferably with NGOs or government programmes.
• Language known Hindi, English, and local language.
Age Criteria: 35 to 50 years.
Job Description: The Nutritionist will be responsible for strengthening the nutrition component of Mobile Crèches (MC) programmes and ensuring the effective, high-quality planning, delivery, and monitoring of child nutrition services across crèche centres.
Key Roles and Responsibilities:
1. Age-Specific Nutrition Planning:
• Develop age-wise meal plans for infants and young children (6–12 months, 1–3 years, and 3–6 years) in line with national and global child nutrition guidelines.
• Ensure meals meet energy, protein, fat, and micronutrient requirements, with particular attention to iron, calcium, vitamin A, and zinc.
• Define feeding frequency, portion sizes, and food consistency appropriate to each age group and developmental stage.
2. Localised & Seasonal Menu Development:
• Design menu using locally available, seasonal, and culturally familiar foods in Gadchiroli district to improve acceptability and sustainability.
• Integrate traditional and indigenous foods with high nutritional value into daily meals.
• Adapt menus based on seasonal variation, market access, and cost constraints, while maintaining nutritional adequacy.
3. Dietary Diversity & Meal Quality:
• Ensure inclusion of multiple food groups (cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruits, eggs/milk where applicable, fats) in daily meals.
• Improve meal quality through appropriate cooking methods that minimise nutrient loss.
• Recommend food combinations that enhance nutrient absorption (e.g., iron-rich foods with vitamin C sources).
4. Special Nutrition Needs & Risk Management:
• Identify children at risk of undernutrition, poor weight gain, or growth faltering through nutrition records and field observations.
• Develop nutrition-dense meal adaptations for vulnerable children without compromising overall programme costs.
• Support referral pathways for children requiring medical nutrition support, as per established protocols.
5. Food Safety, Hygiene & Meal Operations:
• Ensure adherence to food safety, hygiene, and sanitation standards in food preparation, storage, and serving.
• Standardise recipes, ingredient quantities, and preparation methods to ensure consistency across centres.
• Monitor safe water use and cleanliness related to feeding and meal preparation areas.
6. Growth Monitoring & Nutrition Data Use:
• Oversee accurate growth monitoring (weight, height/length, MUAC where applicable) and analysis of nutrition trends.
• Use growth and attendance data to revise meal plans and nutrition strategies.
• Maintain and review nutrition-related documentation and indicators to track programme impact.
7. Cost-Effective Nutrition Planning:
• Design meal plans that balance nutritional adequacy with budgetary limits.
• Promote local sourcing and bulk planning to reduce food costs without compromising quality.
• Advise programme teams on efficient food utilisation and minimising wastage.
8. Integration with Child Development & Health:
• Ensure nutrition interventions support early childhood growth, immunity, and cognitive development.
• Align nutrition services with health, hygiene, and caregiving practices at crèche centres.
• Support convergence with relevant government nutrition norms and services, where applicable.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit their CV, cover letter, and details of last drawn CTC to hradmin@mobilecreches.org. within 15 days of the advertisement.
Subject line: Application for Nutritionist – Gadchiroli, Maharashtra
Note: Submission of a cover letter and details of last drawn CTC is mandatory.
Mobile Creches is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from candidates of diverse backgrounds, including those with experience working in tribal and rural contexts.
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