Deadline: 08 November, 2023

Location: Gaborone, Botswana

The United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is seeking to fill the role of Nutrition Officer.

Across 190 countries and territories, UNICEF works for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for every child.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical and strategic input to the directorate SHD pertaining to the design and implementation of the SADC nutrition-related projects, programmes and activities
• Provide technical support and facilitation for the implementation of the SADC food and nutrition security strategy (2015–2025) and the SADC-UNICEF action plan for nutrition (2023–2025).
• Coordinate with relevant SADC sectors/bodies and directorate SADC secretariat engaged or involved with the implementation of the RISDP 2020 to 2030, particularly health, agriculture, industrial development and trade, WASH and education
• Coordinate inter-linked and cross-cutting areas relevant to the nutrition focus area, including climate change
• Monitor policy, financing, and evidence developments on nutrition at regional and international level
• Provide support on additional assignments related to the core role of nutrition within the directorate SHD as agreed and guided by both the director and UNICEF ESARO
• Strengthen coordination mechanisms by assessing the effectiveness of the existing national and sub-national fortification coordination and oversight structures in the member states
• Prepare the necessary nutrition-related documents required for various regular SADC meetings
• Act as a resource person and facilitator on nutrition at meetings and training, with guidance from director SHD and SPO health and nutrition
• Assist the host organisation and/or sectoral/cluster chair in preparing for meetings and/or other special events
• Participate in external meetings relevant to nutrition
• Support the relevant bodies of the SADC Community
• Provide necessary support in the implementation of relevant decisions/follow-up requirements from ministers of health and other SADC sectoral ministerial committee related to nutrition
• Coordinate and/or collaborate with other relevant bodies/directorates for harmonised or complementary activities related to nutrition
• Convene the annual food and nutrition steering committee jointly with Food and Agriculture and Natural Resources directorate (FANR)
• Assist in producing SADC publications on nutrition and populate the SADC nutrition report and scorecard
• Take the lead in preparing the update of the nutrition profiles and SADC nutrition
• Promote stronger linkages between food security and nutrition data collection instruments
• Assist in producing and obtaining endorsement for various joint publications on nutrition with UN agencies and other SADC partners

Requirements

• Applicants must be nationals of any SADC member state
• University degree in Nutrition (advanced degree is an added advantage)
• Two years, minimum, of experience with proven record of accomplishment and exposure dealing with nutrition programmes, in development and humanitarian settings across the life cycle especially on infant and young child feeding, food fortification, maternal nutrition, overweight prevention and nutrition of school-age children and adolescents at the policy, evidence, advocacy, and programme levels
• Experience in nutrition or health-related research and analysis, including formative research
• Demonstrated competency in technical (including peer-reviewed articles) and advocacy writing, reviewing, editing, and production/publication
• Experience working with international or intergovernmental organisations or governments
• Fluency in English (spoken and written)
• French or Portuguese will be an asset

To apply and for more information, click here.