Nutrition Officer, (NO-1) Caracas, Venezuela

Contract

This is a NO-1 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. More about NO-1 contracts.

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, nutrition

The early years of a child's life play a pivotal role in their survival and thrive. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 45% of fatalities among children under the age of 5 are attributed to malnutrition. Childhood malnutrition can have enduring repercussions, including diminished IQ levels, poor social-emotional capabilities, and a compromised immune system.

Acute malnutrition reflects recent weight loss typically indicated by reduced weight relative to height. This condition arises from a recent decline in a child's nutritional status, potentially stemming from factors such as, food insecurity, a recent illness, inadequate care or feeding practices for the child, or a combination of these factors. UNICEF's framework on malnutrition, delineated in 1997, illustrates how the causes are related to each other and divides them into immediate, underlying, and enabling determinants, which with nuances unique to each country, region, or community.

Venezuela has adopted diverse strategies in addressing childhood malnutrition. Previously, and in line with the international strategy used in the 1980s and 1990s, all cases of severe acute malnutrition were treated in the hospital and in the SERN centers that had the admission service (formerly called “inpatient care”). This meant long stays and high costs. In the 1990s, with the development of RUTF as the main factor, the approach and management of children with severe acute malnutrition at an international level was radically modified, moving from in-hospital treatment in all cases to outpatient management in cases without medical complications, reserving in-hospital management only for the care of minority cases that presented medical complications. Experience and evidence show that around 80 to 95% of boys and girls between 6 and 59 months with severe acute malnutrition can receive outpatient care and carry out treatment in their homes, in their respective communities.

UNICEF's health and nutrition system strengthening efforts focus on guaranteeing access and quality of nutritional services at the community level, the primary health care network, referral hospitals and Nutritional Education and Recovery Services. for the prevention of malnutrition in all its forms, especially in pregnant children, breastfeeding women, adolescents and schoolchildren, and the prevention, early detection, and treatment of malnutrition in girls and boys under 5 years of age.

The Nutrition Officer reports to the Nutrition Specialist who is at Level 3.

How can you make a difference?

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

1. Support to programme development and planning:

• Research and analyze regional and national political, nutritional, social and economic development trends. Collect, analyze, verify, and synthesize information to facilitate programme development, design and preparation.
• Prepare technical reports and inputs for programme preparation and documentation, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and relevancy of information.
• Facilitate the development and establishment of sectoral programme goals, objectives, strategies, and results-based planning, through analysis of nutrition needs and areas for intervention, as well as submission of assessments for priority and goal setting.
• Provide technical and administrative support throughout all stages of programming processes by executing and administering a variety of technical programme transactions, preparing materials and documentations, and complying with organizational processes and management systems, to support programme planning, results based planning (RBM) and monitoring and evaluating of results.
• Prepare required documentations and materials to facilitate the programme review and approval process.

2. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results:

• Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and partners to collect, analyze and share information on implementation issues. Suggest solutions on routine programme implementation and submit reports to alert appropriate officials and stakeholders for higher-level intervention and/or decisions. Keep records of reports and assessments for easy reference and/or to capture and institutionalize lessons learned.
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual sectoral reviews with the government and other counterparts, and prepare minutes and reports on results for follow up action by higher management and other stakeholders.
• Monitor and report on the use of sectoral programme resources (financial, administrative and other assets), verifying compliance with approved allocation, goals, organizational rules, regulations, procedures, donor commitments, standards of accountability, and integrity. Report on issues identified to ensure timely resolution by management and stakeholders. Follow up on unresolved issues to ensure resolution.
• Prepare inputs for sectoral programme and donor reporting.

3. Technical and operational support to programme implementation:

• Undertake field visits and surveys, and exchange information with partners and stakeholders to assess progress and provide technical support. Take appropriate action to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for resolution. Report on critical issues, bottlenecks and potential problems for timely action to achieve results.
• Provide technical and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners, and other country office partners and donors on the application and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes, and best practices on nutrition related issues to support programme implementation, operations and delivery of results.

4. Networking and partnership building:

• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with nutrition sector government counterparts and national stakeholders through active sharing of information and knowledge to enhance programme implementation and build capacity of stakeholders to deliver concrete and sustainable results.
• Draft communication and information materials for CO programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnership/alliances and support fund raising for nutrition programmes.
• Participate in appropriate inter-agency (UNCT) meetings and events on programming to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues on UNDAF operational planning and preparation of nutrition programmes/projects; and to integrate and harmonize UNICEF’s position and strategies with the UNDAF development and planning process.
• Research information on potential donors and prepare resource mobilization materials and briefs for fund raising and partnership development purposes.

5. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building:

• Identify, capture, synthesize, and share lessons learned for knowledge development and to build the capacity of stakeholders.
• Apply innovative approaches and promote good practices to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable programme results.
• Research, benchmark and report on best and cutting edge practices for development planning of knowledge products and systems.
• Participate as a resource person in capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients and stakeholders.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

• Education: A university degree in one of the following fields is required: nutrition, public health, nutritional epidemiology, global/international health and nutrition, health/nutrition research, policy and/or management, health sciences, nutritional epidemiology, or another health-related science field.
• Work Experience: A minimum of one year of professional experience in a developing country in one or more of the following areas is required: nutrition, public health, nutrition planning and management, or maternal, infant and child health/nutrition care. Experience strengthening nutrition programmes is considered an asset. Experience in health/nutrition programme/project development in a UN system agency or organization is an asset.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in Spanish and working knowledge in English is required. Knowledge of another local language (indigenous) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others.

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of measures to include a more diverse workforce, such as paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check. UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/”

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

This position is only applicable for national personnel. All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.