Nutrition Specialist (Care for children with severe wasting), P4, Niamey, Niger

Contract

This is a P-4 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 124,356 USD and 160,331 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, good nutrition.

UNICEF is supporting the Government of Niger to implement the National Nutrition Programme with the aim of ensuring that children (girls and boys), adolescents, women, especially the most vulnerable and those affected by shocks and crises, have access to and use promotional, preventive, and curative health and nutrition services in a sustainable and equitable way. Attention is given to the improvement of the availability, use and coverage of quality high-impact nutrition interventions in the first 1,000 days of life, with a focus on preventing stunting and wasting.

Severe wasting continues to be an issue of public health concern in Niger. In this regard, UNICEF supports the Ministry of Health to integrate treatment of severe wasting into health facilities and the national information system. Treatment of severe wasting is currently offered in 1,300 health facilities across the country (99% geographical coverage), with an average of 400,000 children treated every year. System strengthening is key in nutrition programming with a strong focus on supply chain as well as documentation and scaling-up of innovative curative and preventive programming addressing wasting. An emphasis needs to be put on enhanced linkages between wasting programming with other health interventions, WASH, food security and social protection interventions. To do this, the National Action Plan for Wasting has been developed with the Government and UN agencies in line with the National Nutrition Security Policy (PNSN) and its existing action plan. UNICEF’s contribution and added value regarding its implementation should also be documented.

Niger is very vulnerable to nutrition emergencies while the humanitarian and development nexus needs to be emphasized. Therefore, nutrition surveillance, data monitoring and triangulation across sectors (SMART Nutrition Survey, Inter-Phase Classification of Food Security and Acute Malnutrition, other Food Security and WASH information, rain deficit / access to water…) to allow timely and quality preparedness are essential components of nutrition programming. Emergency response and recovery needs to integrate better system, community and family resilience for more sustainable results and acute malnutrition prevention.

How can you make a difference?

The Nutrition Specialist provides technical guidance on care for children with severe wasting and management support throughout the programming processes to facilitate the administration and achievement of concrete and sustainable results. This is carried out according to plans, allocations and results-based management approaches and methodology (RBM), as well as UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, standards of performance, and accountability framework.

Key functions/accountabilities are as follows:

1. Support to programme development and planning:

• Support the preparation, design and updating of the situation analysis for the nutrition sector(s) to ensure comprehensive and current data on maternal and child nutrition is available to guide policy development, and the design and management of nutrition programmes/projects.
• Keep abreast of development trends to enhance programme management, efficiency and delivery.
• Participate in strategic programme discussions on the planning of nutrition programmes/projects.
• Formulate, design and prepare a sector of the nutrition programme proposal, ensuring alignment with UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, Country Programme, and coherence/integration with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), regional strategies, as well as national priorities, plans and competencies.
• Establish specific goals, objectives, strategies, and implementation plans for the nutrition sector(s) based on results-based planning terminology and methodology (RBM). Prepare required documentations for programme review and approval.
• Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and partners to discuss strategies and methodologies, and to determine national priorities/competencies to ensure the achievement of concrete and sustainable results.
• Provide technical support throughout all stages of programming processes to ensure integration, coherence and harmonization of programmes/projects with other UNICEF sectors and achievement of results as planned and allocated.

2. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results:

• Plan and/or collaborate with internal and external partners to establish monitoring benchmarks, performance indicators, and UNICEF/UN system indicators and measurements, to assess and strengthen performance accountability, coherence and delivery of concrete and sustainable results for the assigned sector in nutrition programmes.
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual reviews with government and other counterparts to assess progress and to determine required action and interventions to achieve results.
• Prepare and assess monitoring and evaluation reports to identify gaps, strengths and/or weaknesses in programme management. Identify lessons learned and use knowledge gained for development planning and timely intervention to achieve goals.
• Actively monitor programmes and projects through field visits, surveys and/or exchange of information with partners and stakeholders to assess progress. Identify bottlenecks and potential problems, and take timely decisions to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for timely resolution.
• Monitor and verify the optimum and appropriate use of sectoral programme resources (financial, administrative and other assets) confirming compliance with organizational rules, regulations, procedures, donor commitments, and standards of accountability.
• Ensure timely reporting and liquidation of resources.
• Prepare regular and mandated programme/project reports for management, donors and partners to keep them informed of programme progress.

3. Technical support to programme implementation:

• Provide technical guidance and support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners and other country office partners/donors on the interpretation, application and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes, best practices, and approaches on nutrition and related issues to support programme development planning, management, implementation, and delivery of results.
• Participate in discussions with national partners, clients and stakeholders to promote nutrition and development issues especially in the areas of emergency preparedness and maternal, newborn and child survival and development.
• Draft policy papers, briefs and other strategic programme materials for management use, information and/or consideration.
• Participate in emergency preparedness initiatives for programme development, contingency planning and/or to respond to emergencies in country or where designated.

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.
• Facilitate programme implementation and build capacity of stakeholders to achieve programme goals on maternal and child rights as well as social justice and equity.
• Prepare communication and information materials for CO programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnership/alliances and support fund raising for nutrition programmes (maternal, newborn and child survival and development).
• Participate and/or represent UNICEF in inter-agency discussions, ensuring that UNICEF’s position, interests and priorities are fully considered and integrated in the UNDAF development planning and agenda setting.

5. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building:

• Apply and introduce innovative approaches and good practices to build the capacity of partners and stakeholders, and to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable programme results.
• Keep abreast, research, benchmark, and implement best and cutting-edge practices in nutrition management and information systems. Assess, institutionalize and share best practices and knowledge learned.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure optimum efficiency and efficacy of sustainable programmes and projects.
• Organize and implement capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients and stakeholders to promote sustainable results on nutrition related programmes and projects.

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

• An advanced 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.
• A minimum of eight years of professional experience in a developing country in one or more of the following areas is required: nutrition, public health, Global Health for Nutrition.
• In-depth experience in Community / Integrated Management of acute malnutrition (CMAM / IMAM), including either preventive and/or curative community-based approach.
• Advanced experience in nutrition supply chain strengthening including timely supply management.
• Experience in nutrition information system strengthening.
• Experience in nutrition surveillance, data monitoring and triangulation across sectors (SMART surveys, IPC, rainfall, harvest, etc.).
• Experience in nutrition programming, planning and management, proposal development, donor reports and capacity development skills.
• Experience in health/nutrition programme/project development and management in a UN system agency or organization is an asset.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in French is mandatory, and a working knowledge of English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or local language of the duty station is considered as an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
• Works Collaboratively with others (2)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (2)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.