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..
The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programmes and operations. UNICEF accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Such efforts have made it possible to reduce the prevalence of child stunting by one-third worldwide, and the number of children with stunted growth and development by 70 million, demonstrating that progress for maternal and child nutrition at scale is possible and is happening, across countries and regions.
However, despite this unprecedented progress, the burden of malnutrition remains unsolved, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where one in three children is not growing well because of malnutrition – undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and/or overweight – and two in three children are not fed the minimum diverse diet they need to grow healthy, increasing affecting children in poorer households.
Guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UNICEF Nutrition Strategy 2020-2030 sets forth UNICEF’s vision: a world where all children, adolescents and women realize their right to nutrition. UNICEF’s nutrition programmes aim to prevent child malnutrition in all its forms across the life cycle, and to ensure the early detection and treatment of children suffering from life-threatening malnutrition when prevention efforts fall short.
UNICEF’s Nutrition Strategy calls for a systems approach to improving nutrition outcomes through the implementation of nutrition-specific interventions across five systems: food, health, water and sanitation, education, and social protection. These systems have the greatest potential to deliver on the Strategy’s goal to protect and promote nutritious diets, essential nutrition services, and positive nutrition practices that support optimal nutrition for all children, everywhere.
Faced with a growing food and nutrition crisis globally that is resulting in millions of additional children suffering from severe wasting, food insecurity and food poverty, UNICEF has launched No Time to Waste Acceleration Plan 2022-2023 to scale services for the early prevention, detection and treatment of child wasting in the countries worst affected by the global crisis.
The implementation of this plan will require the expansion of UNICEF’s network of partnerships, and the translation of increasing financial support into results at country, regional and global level. To effectively implement UNICEF’s No Time to Waste Acceleration Plan 2022-2023, the Programme Officer will support the Senior Advisor, Emergency Nutrition in the development, implementation, monitoring and reporting on progress against strategic partnerships with bilateral donors and foundations.
How can you make a difference?
Key responsiblities:
Support partnership development
Support the Senior Adviser, Emergency Nutrition in the allocation and disbursement of funds for the No Time to Waste Acceleration Plan ensuring their proper coordination, monitoring and utilization in accordance with programme budgets.
Support the Senior Adviser, Emergency Nutrition in the design and development of new partnership opportunities in support of the No Time to Waste plan for the early prevention, detection and treatment of child wasting.
Organize and support the facilitation of regular engagement with global-level partners, and UNICEF teams at a global, regional and country level.
Support partnership implementation
Support coordination and collaboration between UNICEF HQ, Supply Division, Regional and Country Offices as part of the implementation of key No Time to Waste partnerships and awards.
Develop and maintain a tracking system to monitor implementation of key No Time to Waste partnerships and to identify time identification of critical issues, bottlenecks and opportunities.
Facilitate the preparation and submission of regular progress reports, ensuring compliance with UNICEF and donor guidelines, and in coordination with UNICEF Supply Division, UNICEF HQ, Regional and Country offices, and Public Partnerships Division (PPD) to ensure the quality of final narrative and financial reports submitted to partners.
Coordinate the mobilization of technical partners (LTA holders) in support of activities and awards under the No Time to Waste plan, ensuring compliance with UNICEF policies, implementation of agreed results and analysis and documentation of deliverables.
Support communication and knowledge management
Strengthen and/or create processes to streamline implementation based on lessons learnt, bottlenecks and boosters using experiences from UNICEF HQ, Supply Division, ROs and COs and partners to further increase efficiency and ensure sustainability of good practices.
Contribute to the generation and documentation of best practices and processes resulting from key No Time to Waste partnerships, programme and activities to facilitate organizational learning and increase programme efficiency and effectiveness in the long term.
Produce communication products to support resource mobilization efforts and assist in the development of articles, briefing notes, human interest stories and other advocacy/information materials for both internal and external use and as appropriate.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in public health nutrition, global health and nutrition, or maternal and child nutrition
Minimum eight (8) years of progressively responsible professional work related to public health nutrition, humanitarian assistance and development, nutritional epidemiology research, policy and/or management, or other nutrition related social science field is required.
Prior experience in partnership development and management, including bilateral donors, foundations and civil society.
Direct, practical experience in the design and implementation of nutrition interventions with a focus on supply management.
Prior experience in nutrition program/project development and management in any UN system agency or organization is required.
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
Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
Additional skills desired:
Knowledge of UNICEF programs in the field of child survival and development including supplies for the treatment of child wasting; and UNICEF strategic plan
Experience in USAID-BHA programme or project management
Proven skills in communication.
Computer skills, including Sharepoint navigation and various office applications.
Experience in planning and coordination at global level.
Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
