Make an immediate impact where it matters most. UNICEF is recruiting a Nutrition Specialist (Response Coordination Support) to drive coordinated, effective nutrition emergency action focusing on child wasting in Karamoja and refugee hosting communities. If you are ready to contribute to a coordinated, effective nutrition emergency response, we are waiting to hear from you.
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For every child, the right to Access
How can you make a difference?
Under the supervision of the Chief of Zonal Office and with overall technical direction and guidance of the Chief of Nutrition, the Nutrition Specialist (Response Coordination Support) will provide leadership in the day-to-day implementation of nutrition actions. They will facilitate the processes that will ensure a well-coordinated, strategic, adequate, coherent, and effective nutrition emergency response by participants in the zone.
The Nutrition Specialist supports the development and preparation of the nutrition programme, with particular focus on child wasting in humanitarian settings and is responsible for managing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating, and reporting TO nutrition humanitarian situation in Karamoja and/or refugees hosting communities in Uganda.
The post holder is responsible for providing predictable, timely and strategic coordination support for the nutrition humanitarian response in Karamoja and/or refugees hosting districts to ensure a timely and effective detection, referral and treatment of children with severe wasting.
The post holder's main tasks and responsibilities will include but not be limited to:
Coordination,
- Ensure and maintain a coordination mechanism that facilitates the effective achievement of the nutrition humanitarian response as outlined in the response plan and project document,
- Coordinate with subnational stakeholders including district local governments, ensuring alignment of work and priorities, effective communication and reporting
- Build complementarity of partner actions within the zone, pro-actively negotiating with partners to avoid and resolve duplication and gaps.
Needs assessment and analysis
- Contribute to the planning and implementation of needs assessment and analysis, including contributing to joint analysis of the response needs, in particular with WFP, UNHCR and other implementing partners.
- Analyse needs assessment data and work collaboratively with the district local governments and implementing partners to create analytical reports and other response products.
Strategic response planning
- Contribute to subnational level strategic planning, response prioritization and the development of the nutrition response plan that is aligned with national priorities, policies and plans,
- Ensure all programme delivery modalities (in-kind, cash, voucher and services) are given consideration in the strategic response planning and implement systematic measures for supporting their consideration and use,
- Provide technical support to sub-national local government and partners to ensure activities are aligned with national priorities and communities' needs,
- Ensure that local government response planning is regularly updated according to evolving needs and that it establishes indicators by which performance of the response can be measured,
Implementation and monitoring
- Monitor, evaluate and report on the coverage, equity, quality and progress of the response against the response strategy, priorities and agreed results,
- Contribute to gap and coverage analysis to identify spatial and temporal gaps, overlaps and coverage of humanitarian response,
- Monitor the adherence to the project principles, relevant agreements, standards, initiatives and guidelines, in particular as it relates to community engagement, detection and referral of severe wasting cases for treatment.
Strengthen local capacity
- Encourage participation of local actors in activities and strategic decision-making, removing barriers to access,
- Lead timely planning of response actions, including mass screening, outreaches and emergency preparedness efforts for timely treatment of severe wasting cases among children under five years old.
- Ensure all response delivery modalities (lifesaving supplies, cash payments and/or services) are given equal consideration in the strategic response planning and establish and implement systematic measures for supporting their consideration and use,
- Provide technical support to partners to ensure activities are aligned with the response strategic priorities and communities' needs,
- Ensure that response implementation progress is regularly updated according to evolving needs and established indicators by which performance of the response be measured are timely tracked,
If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: 
JD - Nutrition Specialist (Response Coordination Support) NOC.docx
To qualify an advocate for every child you will have…
Minimum requirements
- Education: Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in nutrition, public health, nutritional epidemiology, global/international health and nutrition, health/nutrition research, policy and/or management, health sciences, humanitarian assistance and development or another health-related social science field.
- Work Experience: At least 5 years of relevant work experience in one of the following areas is required: nutrition, public health, nutrition planning and management, or maternal, infant and child nutrition care. Experience of working in nutrition humanitarian response/context is required.
- Skills: Nutrition Situation Analysis, Systems Based Programming, Resilience Focused Programming, Nutrition Capacity Strengthening, Nutrition Advocacy.
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Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.
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Desirables
- Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language
- Direct, practical experience in the design, implementation and/ or coordination of response to child wasting in humanitarian crisis, including in early detection, referral and treatment is strongly desired.
- Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.
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…
(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
Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.
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 | 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.
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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 candidates 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.
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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.
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