Nutrition Specialist - Child Nutrition and Development in Humanitarian Action (P-4), PG Nutrition and Child Development at UNICEF

Role
Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Senior Advisor, Child Nutrition and Development in Humanitarian Action, the Nutrition in Emergency Specialist will work collaboratively with colleagues across UNICEF and external partners, to strengthen UNICEF’s leadership in preparedness and response to humanitarian crisis. Specifically, the role will support:

• UNICEF's- Nutrition in Emergency preparedness and response
• Contribute to the development of internal guidance and tools,
• Provide direct support to country offices, especially those with L3 and L2 emergencies
• Contribute to ensuring that programs are of high quality and coverage, and
• Align response with UNICEF’s Core Commitments to Children (CCCs) and
• Support actions to ensure that we meet our accountabilities as a Nutrition Cluster Lead Agency

The position involves frequent travels to emergency affected or fragile contexts (30- 40%). This means the incumbent will be exposed to difficult working conditions, limited infrastructure, stressful situations and long working hours while deployed.
For every child, a hope….

• This role will support countries, in complex humanitarian crises to meet their commitments under the CCCs, and their responsibility as the Cluster Lead Agency for nutrition.
• In close collaboration with EMOPS and the GNC, this role will focus on building internal systems, tools and processes, to strengthen UNICEF’s technical and programmatic leadership on child nutrition and development in humanitarian action. The role will reinforce the provision of technical and programmatic assistance to Regional and Country Offices preparing and/or responding to humanitarian crisis. The role will also support UNICEF engagement with key inter-agency partners and initiatives to better anticipate and respond to large scale, humanitarian crisis (including but not limited to the Emergency Procedure relating to Famine Action Mechanism (FAM). Apart from physical and remote ERT deployments, the role will support HQ engagements with Emergency Operations, Regional and Country offices and key UN and NGO partners. This structural support at HQ will help improve program tools, guidance and capacity to deliver quality, timely nutrition support to COs preparing for or responding to a crisis.

How can you make a difference?
Support UNICEF Regional and Country Offices to prepare for and respond to the nutritional needs of children living in humanitarian contexts.

• In coordination with EMOPs Division, Regional Offices and the Global Nutrition Cluster, monitor the nutrition situation in emergency countries, and provide guidance on priority actions to be taken for preparedness, response and recovery. This includes but is not limited to supporting the development of emergency preparedness and response plans and reviewing strategic response documents (Strategic Response Plans, Humanitarian Needs Overviews, Humanitarian Action for Children appeals) to contribute to effective and efficient emergency preparedness and response.
• Support Regional and Country Offices during complex emergencies and/or Level 3 (L3) emergencies. This is expected to include supporting the development and/or revision of nutrition response plans, supporting resource mobilization efforts and identifying strategic opportunities to protect and respond to the nutritional needs of children living in these contexts.
• Lead Human resource and financial needs assessment and support countries in meeting identified needs: In close collaboration with CO, RO and HQ, and with Global Nutrition Cluster, identify, advise and support identification of staffing (levels and skills) necessary to meet UNICEF’s accountability as cluster lead agency. In close collaboration with SD, support immediate and ongoing supply needs for program delivery, and also support financing needs.

Lead UNICEF’s technical engagement with internal and inter-agency preparedness and response mechanisms for nutrition in humanitarian contexts

• Provide leadership in the nutrition sections internal engagement in relation to technical support provided to ROs as well as L3 and L2 COs. This will include tracking and documenting HQ support provided to ROs and L3/L2 COs existing and emerging thematic areas.
• In coordination with EMOPs Division and the Emergency Nutrition Unit, lead UNICEFs technical engagement on behalf of Nutrition section, with key early warning and early action mechanisms. This is expected to include (but not be limited to) periodic representation of Nutrition-PG in Global Nutrition Cluster (GNC) partner meetings, scheduled Emergency Management Team (EMT/R-EMT) and RO/CO calls.
• Ensure that Nutrition humanitarian responses are climate sensitive, taking into account climate risks, and actions for preparedness, and response can mitigate and adapt to climate shocks

Participate in child nutrition and development in humanitarian action capacity building efforts

• In coordination with the Nutrition Section, support the assessment and determination of capacity gaps in preparedness, response and transitioning of child nutrition and development crises.
• Provide technical support in the development, revision and rollout of child nutrition and development training modules and capacity strengthening workshops.
• Support the roll-out of UNICEF’s Core Commitments to Children (CCC). This includes reviewing existing national preparedness and response plans, capacity building of nutrition staff and global reporting on progress made in humanitarian contexts towards CCC nutrition indicators and milestones.
• In coordination with the Nutrition Section, support the identification of programmatic and technical recommendations and actions based on emerging trends and support Regional and Country Offices in implementing appropriate measures to sustain and/or improve the quality and research of services for maternal and child nutrition in humanitarian contexts.
• Support countries to take understand climate risks, and strategies that can ensure that services and practices can be adapted, and investments made to mitigate the impact on child nutrition as part of humanitarian response.

Monitoring, evaluation and reporting on Emergency Response

• In cooperation with the Emergency response team, CO, RO and HQ, participate in the monitoring and evaluation of the nutrition component of the emergency response, and ensure that agency commitments under the CCC are met.
• Lead documentation of response lessons learned, best practices and ensure that donors are appraised of innovations, changes needs and areas for new investments.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in nutrition, nutritional epidemiology, public health, global/international health and nutrition, health/nutrition research, policy international development, or other health related social science field is required.
• Minimum eight (8) years of progressively responsible professional work related to public health nutrition, public health, humanitarian assistance and development, health/nutrition research, policy and/or management, or other health related social science field is required.
• Prior experience in nutrition in humanitarian contexts preparedness and response is required.
• Prior experience in nutrition program/project development and management in any UN system agency or organization is an asset.
• Previous experience in the identification, evidencing and roll-out of technical improvements in nutrition policy and practice is an asset.
• Demonstrated analytical and persuasive writing skills experience as well as editing skills, including ability to convey complex information in a clear manner to a diverse audience
• Fluency in English (written and verbal) is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.