Internal vacancy: Nutrition Specialist (First 1000 days), P3-TA, Abidjan-Cote d’Ivoire

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to Champion!

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — will not only give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It 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, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

UNICEF in Cote d’Ivoire works with the Government and Development Partners to ensure that every child in the country is healthy, well nourished, educated, has access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene, is safe from neglect, abuse and exploitation and free from poverty, therefore having the best start in life and a fair chance to reach her or his full potential and benefit from the country’s transition from a lower middle-income to an upper middle-income country. Children have the right to live in a more equitable society, where their voices are heard, and needs met as a matter of priority in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

How can you make a difference? 

The Nutrition Specialist – under the leadership of the Chief of Nutrition (P4) – is responsible for leading the implementation of essential nutrition interventions within UNICEF’s Nutrition Programme, with a strong focus on the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) and interventions during the First 1,000 Days – a critical window for child survival, growth, and development.

This role encompasses strategic planning, technical support, monitoring and evaluation, documentation, advocacy, and communication. The incumbent will work closely with UNICEF Programme and Operations teams to ensure that interventions related to nutrition are effectively designed and executed to achieve results for children. The position provides technical and advisory support to government counterparts and partners on accelerating the scaling-up of essential nutrition interventions. For the duration of the assignment, the Nutrition Specialist will focus on accelerating the scale-up essential nutrition interventions with a focus on the Child Nutrition Fund project, addressing implementation challenges, and fostering innovative approaches to improve access to essential nutrition services for women and children. Additionally, the incumbent will contribute to the design of new strategies and partnerships that enhance sustainable approaches and support the prevention of malnutrition for women and children in Côte d’Ivoire. The incumbent will demonstrate strong project management skills, including the ability to plan, coordinate, and monitor activities effectively, manage resources efficiently, and ensure timely delivery of results within budget and scope.

SUMMARY OF KEY FUNCTIONS

The incumbent will work in close collaboration with national counterparts responsible for leading the national nutrition agenda to ensure alignment and ownership of interventions.

1. Preparation of Nutrition Component Annual Workplan

• Contribute to the development and monitoring of the annual work plan for the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) portfolio, ensuring alignment with UNICEF’s nutrition priorities for the First 1,000 Days and adolescent nutrition.
• Define and adjust targets and performance indicators that promote optimal maternal diets, breastfeeding, and complementary feeding practices for infants and young children, as well as adolescent nutrition.
• Collect and analyze data on ongoing and planned nutrition interventions, including those addressing maternal and child nutrition.
• Coordinate human and financial resources for CNF-supported activities; ensure timely recruitment and deployment of staff and consultants.
• Provide coaching and technical guidance to team members; organize regular meetings to foster clarity of roles and continuous learning.

2. Collaboration with UNICEF Programmes, Government Counterparts, and Partners

• Provide technical support to integrate First 1,000 Days nutrition priorities into national strategies and UNICEF programmes.
• Contribute to proposals and strategies that improve access to essential nutrition services for mothers, infants, and young children.
• Support government partners, collaborate with UN agencies (e.g., WHO, UN Women), and engage with civil society organizations to strengthen nutrition governance and financing.
• Facilitate partnerships and leverage platforms such as the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) to mobilize resources, innovation, and investment for scaling up nutrition interventions.
• Provide technical assistance to strengthen policies and regulations that support optimal infant and young child feeding practices, including maternity protection, marketing standards, and fortification.
• Represent UNICEF in technical meetings and coordination platforms; prepare presentations and briefs highlighting progress and lessons learned.
• Ensure timely reporting and documentation for donors and management on the Child Nutrition Fund, emphasizing impact on maternal, infant, and adolescent nutrition.

3. Development of Technical Guidance and Tools with national counterparts

• Contribute to the preparation of technical guidance and tools for implementing First 1,000 Days nutrition interventions, ensuring compliance with global standards and national policies as per CNF’s priorities.
• Ensure the incorporation of principles of sustainability, equity, and resilience into program design, with a focus on improving nutrition services and practices for mothers and young children.
• Support the development of national training curricula, job aids, and supervision tools to support health and social workers in delivering high-quality nutrition counseling and services.
• Strengthen national capacity-building efforts by planning and implementing training programs for health service providers on maternal, infant, and young child nutrition.
• Integrate innovative approaches, including digital platforms, mobile applications, and AI-driven tools, to enhance nutrition counseling, service delivery, monitoring, and data-driven decision-making.
• Ensure the technical review and validate technical documents to ensure alignment with international and UNICEF norms and standards for nutrition programming.

4. Support to Procurement, Supply Chain Management, and Partnerships

• Provide technical input to procurement processes for goods and services related to nutrition (e.g., micronutrient supplements for women and children, fortified foods, vitamins and ready-to-use therapeutic foods).
• Contribute to strengthen national supply chain management systems to ensure timely availability and distribution of nutrition commodities at all service delivery points.
• Promote technology-enabled solutions and AI-powered analytics for supply chain optimization, inventory tracking, and real-time monitoring of stock levels.
• Identify and engage partners – including civil society and research institutions – to strengthen delivery of nutrition interventions.
• Contribute to the development of terms of reference and evaluation criteria for service providers and implementing partners.

5. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Knowledge Management

• Lead monitoring of CNF-supported interventions targeting the First 1,000 Days, through regular field visits, data reviews, and joint monitoring with government counterparts and partners.
• Ensure timely collection and analysis of data on maternal and child nutrition outcomes to inform decision-making, including national surveys and studies as per CNF’s priorities.
• Leverage AI and digital dashboards for real-time data visualization, predictive analytics, and performance tracking.
• Document best practices, lessons learned, and innovations to support scale-up and advocacy efforts.
• Prepare progress reports, donor updates, and knowledge products to disseminate evidence and promote learning.
• Assess the effectiveness of technology-based training programs for health service providers and incorporate feedback into continuous improvement.

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: An advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Nutrition, Public Health, Nutrition, or another relevant field is required.
• Work Experience:
  • • A minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience at the national and/or international level in nutrition programming, policy development, or related areas is required.
    • Strong project management skills, including the ability to plan, coordinate, and monitor activities effectively, manage human and financial resources efficiently, and ensure timely delivery of results within budget and scope
    • Experience in designing and implementing programs that improve nutrition for women and children, is highly desirable.
    • Proven experience in engaging with government counterparts and various nutrition stakeholders to advance nutrition outcomes.
    • Familiarity with legal and regulatory frameworks for nutrition, such as the Code of Marketing of Breastmilk substitutes, is an advantage.
    • Understanding of development and humanitarian contexts; emergency experience is an asset. 
• Skills :
• Ability to resolve difficult, complex, and sensitive situations often under pressure
• Ability to initiate and manage change in a diverse environment
• Ability to clearly and concisely express ideas and concepts in written and oral form
• Ability to manage and monitor the effective use of resources
• Ability to supervise and direct a team of professional and support staff working in nutrition
• Ability to work strategically to realize organizational goals, develop strategies, set clear visions
• Strong communication and negotiation skills to establish and maintain trusted partnerships for achievement of objectives and to develop close and effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders
• Ability to identify and analyze systemic issues, formulate opinions and make conclusions and recommendations to resolve them
• Skill in the identification of new opportunities or requirements to meet challenges in the implementation of activities and propose changes
• Strong knowledge of latest developments and technology in nutrition
• Strong understanding of nutrition project cycles, from programme needs assessment, through planning, procurement and contracting, monitoring the execution of work and evaluation of project outcomes
• Strong overall knowledge and understanding of UNICEF programme, public procurement principles, financial and legal aspects of nutrition issues, ethics and risk management of nutrition projects.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in French and English is required.

 

Competencies:

Core Competencies

• 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)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (2)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

Functional Competencies

• Applying technical expertise (2)
• Planning and Organizing (2)
• Deciding and Initiating Action (2)
• Following Instructions and Procedures (2)
• Entrepreneurial Thinking (1)
• Analyzing (2)

 

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

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

 

This position has been assessed as an elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes as it is either a role with direct contact with children, a role that works directly with identifiable children’s data, a safeguarding response role, or an assessed risk role. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) apply.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility jobs-near-me.org UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable [ROSA, EAPRO regions] are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions 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. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

UNICEF staff members holding fixed term, continuing, or permanent appointments who are considered to be on abolished post status may apply for this temporary position and, if selected with a start date before 31 December 2025, may take it up as a temporary assignment, in line with UNICEF guidance on separation due to the abolition of posts or staff reduction. They will retain their fixed-term entitlements but will not hold a lien to their abolished post. For other scenarios where a Temporary Assignment may be possible, please refer to Additional guidance on IP to IP temporary assignments after completion of the full TOD.pdf (accessible to UNICEF personnel only).

The conditions of a temporary assignment, including relocation entitlements, will depend on the status of the staff member’s original appointment and may be limited in accordance with applicable UNICEF policies, procedures, and practices in force.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.