Nutrition And Food Systems Officer

FAO’s Food and Nutrition Division (ESN) assists Members to improve diets and raise levels of nutrition, as well as provides support with appropriate policies, strategies and methodologies for improving the efficiency and inclusiveness of their agriculture and food systems. As a knowledge leader, areas addressed include dietary assessment, support on nutrition-sensitive food and agriculture policies and programmes, effective nutrition promotion programmes, food value chains, market linkages, post-harvest handling, food loss and waste reduction and nutrition-sensitive agro-processing. FAO is committed to support Members in their efforts to improve nutritional outcomes as stated in the Rome Declaration on Nutrition (November 2014) and to mainstream nutrition across all the work of the Organization.

The position is located in the Food and Nutrition Division (ESN), at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

The Nutrition and Food Systems Officer (Nutrition and Resilience) reports to the Senior Nutrition and Food Systems Officer, under the overall guidance of the Director of the Food and Nutrition Division.

Nutrition, resilience, child diet, maternal diet, humanitarian-development nexus.

Comprehensive technical, statistical, analytical and/or policy analysis services and the development of specialized tools, methodologies, systems and/or databases to support the planning, implementation/delivery and monitoring of the programme of work and related products, projects, publications and services.

• Plans and leads components of multidisciplinary teams and short-term work groups; leads and/or participates in divisional teams; participates in Organization-wide committees, project teams and working groups and provides specialized expertise on international technical networks and/or technical policy and standard setting bodies.
• Develops technical, statistical, analytical, monitoring and reporting frameworks and related tools, methodologies, systems and databases, etc. to support the planning, implementation/delivery and monitoring of the programmes of work, products, projects and services.
• Designs and conducts research, data collection, validation, analysis and/or reporting activities to support the development of technical standards, international instruments, innovative tools and methodologies, flagship publications/technical reports and/or policy proposals as well as the provision of technical specialist and/or policy advice and expertise.
• Responds to requests and provides technical/policy advice, assistance and solutions to Regional, Subregional and Country Offices and provides technical backstopping to field projects; promotes international cooperation and collaboration, advocates best practices and increased policy dialogue and provides technical expertise at international meetings and conferences.
• Collaborates in capacity development activities involving knowledge sharing, the organization of training workshops, seminars and meetings as well as the development of related materials, on-line tools and information kits.
• Participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework and divisional plans.

Functions:

• Provides specialized expertise in nutrition and healthy diets in the context of agrifood systems emergency and/or resilience programming, especially in fragile and conflict affected situations, by updating the knowledge base with the latest data and evidence.
• Provides specialized expertise for the development of evidence-informed global/regional strategies and tools for use by Members and partners.
• Technically supports FAO Country Offices in developing programmes to enhance nutrition and healthy diets as part of agrifood emergency and/or resilience programming, especially in fragile and conflict affected situations.
• Technically supports FAO Country Offices in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of such programmes.
• Contributes to the FAO corporate programme priority area “Nutrition for the most vulnerable” (BN2) with a focus on cost-benefit analysis and impact evaluation to build evidence on prevention strategies for child acute malnutrition.
• Provides technical expertise in healthy diets from sustainable food systems in fragile and conflict affected situations in support to FAO’s role in global governance platforms such as the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), Global Nutrition Cluster, the Inter-Cluster Nutrition Working Group, the Food Security Cluster, etc.
• Leads the development of learning and knowledge products related to these areas of work.
• Performs other duties as required.

Candidates Will Be Assessed Against The Following:

Minimum Requirements:

• Advanced university degree in nutrition, nutrition policies, or a related field is essential.
• Seven years of relevant experience in integrating nutrition into agrifood policies and programmes, as well as
• experience working in low- or middle-income countries.
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Technical/Functional Skills:

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions, is desirable.
• Extent and relevance of experience in analysing nutrition, food and dietary data and related issues.
• Extent and relevance of experience in the integration of nutrition into agrifood policies and programmes with a focus in resilience building is a strong asset.
• Extent and relevance of experience in developing countries in humanitarian context is a strong asset.
• Familiarity with FAO’s partner institutions (United Nations, non-governmental organizations, donors).
• Ability to manage a multidisciplinary team including home-based and office-based colleagues.
• Ability to mobilize resources.

Source:   https://jobs.fao.org/careersection/fao_external/jobdetail.ftl?job=2401025