Nutrition Officer

Contract

This is a UNV National Youth contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Youth contracts.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged chil-dren, to save their lives, to defend their rights and to help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 coun-tries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for every-one.

UNICEF has a footprint in Angola since 1976 when it first opened its office in Luanda. Nutrition pro-gramme activities are spread across the country in the provinces of Luanda, Huila, Cunene, Namibe, Cuando Cubango, Benguela and Bie.

Drought conditions persist in the southern provinces, exacerbating the prevalence of acute malnutri-tion, and increasing food insecurity. In Huila, Cunene, Namibe, Benguela and Cuando Cubango, UNICEF is supporting the scale-up of malnutrition treatment activities. In Luanda province, COVID-19 and the economic downturn has had a negative impact on the nutritional status of the most disadvan-taged households, here, UNICEF has established nutrition services in over 40 health facilities across five municipalities to support the treatment of children with severe acute malnutrition.

Under the supervision of the Nutrition Specialist, the Nutrition Officer will provide technical operational and administrative assistance and support for the nutrition programme activities. Responsibilities will be focused on nutrition activities in the southern provinces of Angola and Luanda. Responsibilities will include supporting the planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and administration of nutrition programme activities, including data analysis, progress reporting, knowledge management and capacity building. The goal is to support the achievement of planned objectives in the work plan, aligned with the country programme goals and strategy while adhering to organizational rules, regula-tions, and procedures.

Under the direct supervision of the Nutrition Specialist, the national UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: • Support to programme development and planning: Provide technical and opera-tional support throughout all stages of programming processes by supporting a variety of technical programme transactions; preparing materials and documen-tations, and complying with organizational processes and management systems, • Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results: Support results-based management (RBM), and monitoring and evaluation of results for the nutrition pro-gramme. • Technical and operational support to programme implementation: Support regu-lar programme field visits and surveys, and exchange information with partners and stakeholders to assess progress and provide technical support. Refer and report critical issues and bottlenecks to relevant officials for timely resolution. • Networking and partnership building: Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with nutrition sector government counterparts and national stake-holders through active sharing of information and knowledge to facilitate pro-gramme implementation and build capacity of stakeholders to achieve pro-gramme goals and deliver sustainable results. Build relationships with local or-ganizations, groups or individuals and supporting and/or participating in local vol-unteering initiatives. • Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building: Draft communication and information materials for country programme advocacy and visibility and apply inno-vative approaches and promote good practices to support the implementation and de-livery of concrete and sustainable programme results. • Encourage, mobilize, and support co-workers, fellow UN Volunteers and mem-bers of the local community to play an active part in development on a voluntary basis.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to: • Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by read-ing relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for in-stance in events that mark International Volunteers Day); • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; • Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities; • Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publica-tions/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers; • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Results/Expected Output:

• Contribute to monthly nutrition bulletins • Contribute to monthly human-interest stories • Participate in and document nutrition coordination meetings and technical working group activities for nutrition • Support national stakeholders and implementing partners with nutrition programme activities in a timely fashion • Support data collection for nutrition at provincial and national level • Support the organization of programme and field visits • Contribute to the review of technical nutrition policies, strategies, terms of reference and concept notes. • A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for development during the as-signment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed.

• Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNICEF; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNICEF procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented; • Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNICEF in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority; • Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues; • Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment. • Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities; • Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups; • Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary; • Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNICEF’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

• (minimum 6 months) nutrition, public health, nutrition planning and management, or maternal, infant and child health/nutrition care in Angola • Fluency in Portuguese is required • English language skills are an advantage • Computer Skills: Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook.

The incumbent will be based in Luanda, Angola. The UNV Volunteer will be provided with the applicable allowances. As a tropical country the climate is mostly hot throughout the year with a cold season from around May to August. Angola is in level 2-low of the security and risk level.