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, Hope :
UNICEF is committed to realizing the rights of all children to help them build a strong foundation and have the best chance of fulfilling their potential. We believe that ensuring a happy and healthy child begins before birth: from ensuring his/her mother has access to good neonatal care and delivering in a clean, safe environment to reaching adulthood as a responsible, healthy and informed parent to the next generation. This journey relies on a child having access to shelter, good nutrition, clean water and sanitation, healthcare and education.
How can you make a difference?
Vacancy Announcement Batch recruitment Chief Nutrition P5.docx
This batch recruitment exercise is launched to fill two positions of Chief, Nutrition at the P5 level in the WCAR duty stations below :
- Chief Nutrition, Abuja, Nigeria, position#68557 ;
- Chief Nutrition, Kinshasa, DRC, position#84120.
The Chief, Nutrition reports to the Deputy Representative for general guidance and direction. The Chief is responsible for managing and supervising all stages of the nutrition programme, from strategic planning and formulation to delivery of results. The Chief is also responsible for leading and managing the Nutrition team. The Chief is accountable for ensuring that concrete and sustainable results in maternal, infant and child nutrition programmes are achieved in accordance with plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology (RBM), as well as UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, standards of performance, and accountability framework
Summary of key functions/accountabilities :
- Managerial leadership : Establish the section’s annual work plan with the nutrition team, and set priorities and targets. Monitor work progress and ensure results are achieved according to schedule and performance standards ;
- Programme development and planning : Lead and support the planning and updating of the situation analysis to ensure comprehensive and current data on maternal and child nutrition is available to guide policy development and design and management of nutrition programmes and projects ;
- Programme management, monitoring and quality control of results : Coordinate, plan and/or collaborate with internal and external partners to establish monitoring benchmarks, performance indicators and other UNICEF/UN system indicators and measurements to assess and strengthen performance accountability, coherence and delivery of concrete and sustainable results in nutrition programmes ;
- Advisory services and technical support : Advise key government officials, NGO partners, UN system partners and other country office partners on policies, strategies, best practices and approaches on nutrition and related issues to support Programme development planning, management, implementation and delivery of results ;
- Advocacy, networking and partnership building : Build and strengthen strategic partnerships with nutrition/health sector government counterparts, national stakeholders, global partners, allies, donors, and academia, through active networking, advocacy and effective communication. Build capacity, exchange knowledge and expertise, and/or promote cooperation and alliances to achieve programme goals on maternal and child rights as well as social justice and equity.
- Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building :
- Promote critical thinking, innovative approaches and good practices for sustainable nutrition programme/project initiatives through advocacy and technical advisory services ;
- Lead, plan and/or implement capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients and stakeholders to promote sustainable results on health/nutrition related programmes/projects.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
- An advanced 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-related science field ;
- A minimum of ten 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 health/nutrition programme/project development and management in a UN system agency or organization is an asset ;
- Fluency in English is required for Nigeria and French for DRC. Knowledge of another official UN language or local language of the duty station is considered as an asset.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).
The core competencies required for this post are :
- Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (2) ;
- Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (3) ;
- Works Collaboratively with others (3) ;
- Builds and Maintains Partnerships (3) ;
- Innovates and Embraces Change (3) ;
- Thinks and Acts Strategically (3) ;
- Drives to achieve impactful results (3) ;
- Manages ambiguity and complexity (3).
The functional competencies required for this post are :
- Analyzing (3) ;
- Deciding and initiating action (3) ;
- Persuading and influencing (2).
View our competency framework here 
Competency Framework – 2020.pdf
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.
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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.
Remarks :
This advert is ONLY open to all personnel with an ongoing employment relationship with UNICEF, including staff members on a continuing, fixed term and temporary appointment, individual contractors and full-time time-based consultants, and UNV. It does not include interns and employees of external entities performing duties for UNICEF.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.