Nutrition Specialist, NO-3, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 6 months (For Ethiopian nationals only)

Contract

This is a NO-3 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-3 contracts.

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, a healthy life

UNICEF has been present in Ethiopia for more than 65 years and its history is closely tied to Ethiopia’s gradual transformation into a modern economy with strong aspirations for middle income status by 2025. With a staff of more than 500 and a field presence in each of the country’s eight regional states, the programme in Ethiopia is one of the largest UNICEF programmes globally and combines both development and emergency contexts.

Over the past two years, children and their families across Ethiopia faced multiple and complex emergencies, such as the conflict in the northern Ethiopia and the drought, which resulted in millions of people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. UNICEF manages programmes in the areas of Child Protection, WASH, Health, Nutrition, Social Policy, and Education and serves over 15 million children in Ethiopia. Join UNICEF Ethiopia to contribute to improving the lives of children and women.

How can you make a difference?

Under the supervision and guidance of a Nutrition Manager (P-4), the Nutrition Specialist is reponsible for supporting the development and preparation of the nutrition programme, and managing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating, and reporting of the progress of the nutrition programs/projects within the country programme and humanitarian response. The Nutrition Specialist provides technical guidance and management support throughout the programming processes to facilitate the administration and achievement of concrete and sustainable results in maternal, infant, and young child nutrition programs/projects according to plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology (RBM) and UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, standards of performance and accountability framework.

Summary of Key Functions and Accountabilities

1. Support Emergency Nutrition Response
2. Support to programs/projects development and planning including Programme Documents for Partnerships with Civil Society Organizations
3. Program management, monitoring and delivery of results
4. Technical and operational support to program implementation
5. Networking and partnership building

6. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

7. Support to program/project development, planning and coordination

• Contribute to situation analysis for the nutrition sector/s to ensure timely comprehensive and current data on child nutrition are available to guide design and management of nutrition programs/projects.
• Participate in strategic program discussion on the planning of nutrition programs/projects. Formulate, design and prepare a sector of the nutrition programs/projects proposal, ensuring alignment with the overall UNICEF’s Strategic Plans and Country Program and coherence/integration with UN Development Sustainable Assistance Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), regional strategies and national priorities, plans and competencies.
• Establish specific goals, objectives and strategies and implementation plans for the nutrition sector/s based on results-based planning. Prepare required documentations for program review and approval.
• Work closely and collaboratively with internal and external 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 and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes and to ensure integration, coherence and harmonization of programs/projects with other UNICEF sectors and achievement of results as planned and allocated.
• Work collaboratively with the Nutrition Cluster and Partners to update the Nutrition Chapter of Ethiopia’s Humanitarian Needs Overview and design of an efficient response plan that adequately addresses the needs.
• Contribute to preparation of UNICEF Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) and contribute to resource mobilization to finance implementation of these actions.

2. Program management, monitoring and delivery of results

• Plan and collaborate with internal and external partners to establish monitoring benchmarks, performance indicators and other UNICEF/UN system indicators and measurement to assess/strengthen performance accountability, coherence and delivery of concrete and sustainable results for the assigned sector in nutrition programs.
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, program reviews and annual reviews with government and other counterparts to assess progress and to determine required interventions to accelerate results.
• Prepare monitoring and evaluation reports to identify gaps, strengths and weaknesses in program and management, identify lessons learned and use knowledge gained for planning and timely intervention to accelerate achievement of goals.
• Actively monitor 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, including referral to relevant officials for timely resolution.
• Monitor and verify the appropriate use of sectoral program resources (financial, administrative and other assets) confirming compliance with organizational rules.

3. Technical and operational support to program implementation

• Provide technical guidance and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners and other country office partners and donors on interpretation, application and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes and best practices and approaches on nutrition and related issues to support program development planning, management, implementation and delivery of results.
• Participate in discussions with national partners/clients/stakeholders to promote nutrition and development issues, especially in the areas of emergency preparedness and prevention and treatment of child wasting.
• Draft policy papers, briefs and other strategic program materials for management use, information or consideration.
• Participate in emergency preparedness initiatives program development and contingency planning and to participate in response to emergencies in hot spots.
• Support and participate in CMAM Technical Working activities and initiatives.

4. Networking and partnership building

• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with nutrition sector government counterparts, national stakeholders and global partners/allies/donors/academia through active networking, advocacy and effective communication to build capacity and exchange knowledge/expertise to facilitate the achievement of program goals.
• Prepare communication and information materials for CO program advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnership/alliances and support fund raising for nutrition programs (maternal, newborn and child survival and development).
• Drafting donor proposals, donor reports and advocacy briefs.
• Participate or represent UNICEF in appropriate inter UN agencies discussions and planning on nutrition and related issues to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues on prevention and treatment of wasting.

5. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• Apply/introduce innovative approaches and good practice to build the capacity of partners and stakeholders and to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable program 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 programs and projects.
• Organize and implement capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders to promote sustainable results on nutrition.
• Contribute into knowledge generation through support and participation in research and publications through peer-reviewed journals.

6. Other tasks as required

• Perform other duties and back-up functions to other staff in the unit during their absence, as required.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in nutrition, public health, nutritional epidemiology, global/international health and nutrition, health/nutrition research, policy and/or management, or other health related science field is required. *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
• A minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience in nutrition, public health, related research, planning or management in relevant areas of maternal, infant and young child nutrition required.
• Experience in the implementation of Prevention and/or Treatment of Wasting.
• Experience in publication of peer-reviewed papers in reputable journals is an asset.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language 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

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)

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

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 benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. 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 promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, 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.

Remarks:

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government 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.

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