Nutrition Officer (Cluster Coordination), NOB, Temporary Appointment (364 days), Kabul (CR), Afghanistan, post#128054

Under the supervision of the field Nutrition Specialist/Officer, and with support from the national Nutrition Manager/Chief and the Nutrition Officer (Cluster Coordination), the purpose of this post is to provide leadership and facilitate the processes that will ensure a well-coordinated, strategic, adequate, coherent and effective response by partners in the sub national nutrition cluster.

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.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, Health!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPQUVaiEajA

How can you make a difference?

Under the supervision of the field Nutrition Specialist/Officer, and with support from the national Nutrition Manager/Chief and the Nutrition Officer (Cluster Coordination), the purpose of this post is to provide leadership and facilitate the processes that will ensure a well-coordinated, strategic, adequate, coherent and effective response by partners in the sub national nutrition cluster.

Key function, accountabilities and related duties/tasks

The post holder has joint responsibility with the UNICEF, resourcing partners and all cluster participants at the national and sub-national level for the efficient management and functioning of the sub-national nutrition cluster encompassing the following:

• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with nutrition stakeholders through active sharing of information and knowledge
• Revitalize and maintain an appropriate humanitarian nutrition coordination mechanism
• Build complementarity of partner actions, avoiding duplication and gaps
• Provide support to adequate resource mobilization and equitable allocation for the effective functioning of the sub cluster and its response.
• Promote effective and comprehensive integration of relevant cross-cutting issues, including age, gender, and disabilities.
• Maintain flexibility within the sub cluster to respond to changes in the operating environment, evolving requirements, capacities and participation.
• Effectively use and transfer information to, from and between cluster participants and other stakeholders.
• Interact with other clusters (including through inter-cluster coordination), humanitarian actors, government counterparts, and relevant authorities for operational planning, engagement and active contribution of operational partners.
• Be accountable to the affected population through effective and inclusive consultative and feedback mechanisms.
• Enhance and monitor performance of the core cluster functions, i.e.:
• Supporting service delivery

• Provide a platform to ensure that service delivery is driven by the agreed strategic priorities
• Develop and/or contextualize mechanisms to eliminate duplication of service delivery

• Informing strategic decision-making for the humanitarian response
• Needs assessment and gap analysis (across other sectors and within the sector)
• Analysis to identify and address (emerging) gaps, obstacles, duplication, and cross-cutting issues.
• Prioritization, grounded in response analysis

• Planning and strategy development

• Develop context-specific sectoral plans, objectives and indicators that directly support the realization of the nutrition cluster strategic priorities
• Application and adherence to existing standards and guidelines
• Clarify funding requirements and prioritization and provide input into the fundraising processes (Flash Appeal, AHF, CERF, etc.)

• Advocacy

• Identify advocacy concerns to contribute to nutrition cluster messaging and action
• Undertaking advocacy activities on behalf of cluster participants and the affected population

• Monitoring and reporting the implementation

• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual reviews with the government and other counterparts.
• Enhance programme data analysis for action at subnational level.
• Participate and keep record of reports on surveys and assessments for easy reference and/or to capture and institutionalize lessons learned.
• Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and partners to discuss facts and concerns found from monitoring. Provide solutions, recommendations and/or alert appropriate officials and stakeholders for higher-level intervention and/or decision-making.
• Monitor and report on the use of sectoral resources allocated to partners (financial, administrative and other assets), verifying compliance with approved allocation.

• Contingency planning/preparedness for recurrent disasters

• Contribute to risk profiling and analysis and subsequent contingency plans with relevant, context-specific inputs.

• Accountability to affected populations

• Promote information sharing, sensitization and community engagement
• Ensure effective and inclusive consultative and feedback mechanisms

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

• A university degree in one of the following fields is required:  nutrition, public health, nutritional epidemiology, global/international health and nutrition, health/nutrition research, policy and/or management, health sciences, nutritional epidemiology, or another health/nutrition-related field.

• A minimum of two years of professional experience in a developing country in one or more of the following areas is required: nutrition, public health, nutrition planning and management, or maternal, infant and child health/nutrition care.

• Experience in programme/project coordination is an asset.

• Experience in health/nutrition programme/project development in a UN system agency or organization is an asset.

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, 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.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.
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. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. 

Remarks:

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

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.

All selected candidates will 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.

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

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.