Nutrition Research Specialist

UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. UNICEF’s mandate, mission and unique attributes provide a strategic advantage in promoting and supporting transformational change to achieve sustainable coverage at scale. After more than 45 years in Lao PDR, UNICEF Lao PDR UNICEF is one of the longest-serving international organizations in the country plays an important role in supporting the government, advocating for reform and leading coordination to scale-up results.

UNICEF, operational in Lao PDR for over 50 years, promotes the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. This position will contribute to the outcome of the Nutrition Programme under the current Country Programme of Cooperation between the Government of Lao PDR and UNICEF 2022-2026 and upcoming 2027-2031.

The Nutrition Research Specialist is expected to contribute to the nutrition team’s support to the Government of Lao PDR on ongoing research nutrition research efforts across systems, in order to translate evidence into scalable programme solutions and strengthen nutrition specific and sensitive interventions in Lao PDR.

I. Research coordination and supervision
• Lead and supervise ongoing operational research initiatives, including RUTF-Lao effectiveness study, Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS) roll-out study, Bowl&Spoon pilot with local recipes for complementary feeding and Moderate Acute Malnutrition treatment pilot with food-based solutions.
• Liaise closely with IRD (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement), CSOs, project managers, site coordinators, and government counterparts to monitor implementation.
• Ensure timely implementation of research protocols, adherence to agreed timelines, milestones, and deliverables. data quality, coherence, and completeness across study sites; and conduct field monitoring visits to oversee study implementation.
• Support data cleaning, validation, and database oversight; data analysis, interpretation of findings; facilitate coordination meetings and technical exchanges among partners; contribute to research outputs (reports, briefs, publications, restitution meetings).

II. Support to programme development and planning
• Participate in strategic program discussion on the planning of projects/activities related to nutrition research and nutrition sensitive interventions.
• Provide technical and operational support during all phases of the programming planning processes, including workplanning and planning events, ensuring that activities are integrated, coherent, and harmonized with other section activities.

III. Programme implementation, management, monitoring and delivery of results
• Lead and coordinate UNICEF activities on Complementary Feeding, including rollout of bowl and spoon approach with local recipes; and on Moderate Acute Malnutrition treatment pilot intervention using food-based solutions and premix. Support preparation of behaviour change materials, technical booklets, and guidelines.
• Work with government counterparts and implementing partners to design and adapt implementation packages, develop training materials, oversee capacity-building activities (trainings, workshops) and field implementation, monitoring systems and data collection tools, and ensure systematic documentation of lessons learned and best practices.
• Support to draft policy papers, briefs and other strategic programme materials for management use, information and valorisation.
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises (including Programmatic Visits), program reviews and annual reviews with government and other counterparts to assess progress and to determine required action/interventions to achieve results.
• Prepare reports and contribute to identifying gaps, strengths/weaknesses in program and management, identify lessons learned and use knowledge gained for development planning and timely intervention to achieve goals.

IV. Technical support to food systems related initiatives
• Provide technical support for the implementation of projects for healthier diets and sustainable food systems for children, including the development and advancement of regulations aiming at healthy food environments for children.
• Support the development of technical guidance and communication & information materials pertaining to food systems.
• Support UNICEF’s contribution to multi-sectoral and multi-agency initiatives on nutrition, sustainable food systems and climate resilience in Lao PDR.
• Act as the technical focal point for UNICEF-led components under food systems related joint programmes, ensuring effective coordination with the UNICEF Lao PDR Communication team, other UN agencies, and implementing partners
• Support coordination meetings, activity planning and follow-up, and contribute to visibility, communication, and knowledge products to ensure coherent and strategic programme delivery


Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:

Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day).
•Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country.
•Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities.
•Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.
•Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers.
•Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

UN Volunteers will be provided equal duty of care as extended to all host entity personnel. Host entity support to the UN Volunteer includes, but is not limited to:
•Introductory briefings about the organization and office-related context including security, emergency procedures, good cultural practice and orientation to the local environment.
•Support with arrival administration including setting-up of bank accounts, residence permit applications and completion of other official processes as required by the host government or host entity.
•Structured guidance, mentoring and coaching by a supervisor including a clear workplan and performance appraisal.
•Access to office space, equipment, IT support and any other systems and tools required to complete the objectives of the assignment including a host entity email address.
•Access to shared host entity corporate knowledge, training and learning.
•Inclusion of the volunteer in emergency procedures such as evacuations.
•Leave management.
•DSA for official travel, when applicable.
•All changes in the Description of Assignment occurring between recruitment and arrival or during the assignment need to be formalized with the United Nations Volunteer Programme.