World Food Programme Senior Regional Nutrition Adviser P5, Nairobi

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian agency, fighting hunger worldwide. WFP is committed to ensuring children, women and other vulnerable groups have access to appropriate nutrition. We are currently seeking to fill the position of Senior Regional Nutrition Adviser P5, which will be based in our Regional Bureau in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Senior Regional Nutrition Adviser will report to the Regional Director (or designate) with the functional supervision of the Chief of Nutrition at Headquarters and be responsible for the following key duties in support of the Regional Bureau and the Country Offices in the region:

• Advise and support the Regional Bureau and Country Offices on the implementation of the WFP Strategic Plan, Nutrition Policy and related policies and guidance (including policy on HIV/AIDS & TB) and specifically on scaling up nutrition through contributing to situation analyses, defining regional and country level strategies, technical review of programme documents, innovative programme design and implementation, strategic partnerships and coordinated planning within WFP;
• Represent and advocate for WFP’s mandate, comparative advantages, approaches and technical knowhow related to nutrition at regional, national and interagency technical meetings, and build and maintain strategic partnerships (SUN, REACH, private sector, Regional networks, research institutes and donors, etc.);
• Provide senior level technical guidance and direct support to Country Offices to strengthen national nutrition governance, including technical review and design of national policy frameworks, development of strategic partnerships with Governments, UN, research institutes and private sector, and development and delivery of advocacy strategies;
• Advise and support Country Offices to develop and implement state of the art evidence based and innovative nutrition programmes and projects in close coordination and collaboration with UN and other key stakeholders, in line with and in support of national policies and programmes;
• Provide senior level technical expertise and direct programme support to Country Offices in the design, formulation, implementation and evaluation of WFP strategies and operations (Country Strategy, EMOP and PRRO, CP, etc.) with a specific focus on enhancing nutritional outcomes;
• Ensure that programmes are compliant with WFP policies, criteria and procedures with regard to food and nutrition, including use of appropriate nutrition products, ration scales and that national and international standards, protocols and guidelines are respected and adhered to and implemented correctly;
• Provide Country Offices with technical and strategic support to update and develop the national standards, protocols and guidelines, and national nutrition and HIV research as required;
• Assist Country Offices to identify assessment, information, and research and knowledge needs, and where feasible coordinate, support, conduct and/or lead nutrition surveys, evaluation, research activities and needs assessments;
• Support Country offices with the design and implementation of the monitoring and evaluation of WFP nutrition, including HIV/AIDS programmes, with a focus on sound data collection, analysis, interpretation and documentation for programme and knowledge management, and further operational research or programme gaps, participate in and/or lead major evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual sector review meetings with key stakeholders including donors, governments, UN and private sector;
• Assist Regional Bureau and Country Offices with the preparedness actions such as early warning, risk analysis and contingency planning and make the necessary recommendations. Periodically monitor the management of nutrition risks and report on any action taken;
• Ensure exchange of knowledge, information, experience and best practices in nutrition programming between the HQ, Regional Bureau and Country Offices in the region, and facilitate the development of a regional-wide application with evidence-based programmes standards, guidance and tools throughout all Country Offices;
• Contribute to the elaboration of fundraising strategies and resource mobilization, proposals, donor reports, and other documents such as the Standard Project Reports, Blue Book and Project Briefs as required;
• Help strengthen nutrition capacity among WFP staff and its partners, including the government through initiating, planning and implementing capacity building activities and knowledge management;
• Provide information on relevant training activities in the region, in liaison with the Training Unit and Headquarters technical units, and assist in identifying training and funding opportunities for Regional Bureau and Country Office programme staff;
• Supervise staff and perform other duties as required.

Qualifications & Experience Required Education:

• University degree, preferably at the advanced level, in Nutrition, International Health & Nutrition, Public Health & Nutrition Policy and Management, Family Health & Nutrition, Food Security, Food Technology or other related fields.

Experience:

• At least eleven years (four of which international) of progressively responsible professional experience in nutrition, public health management, development projects, emergency assistance, and/or operational aspects of national, bilateral or multilateral food assistance, with a strong preference for significant experience working in humanitarian and development nutrition programmes;
• Experience in working at the strategic level within organisations and/or at national level in developing countries;
• Experience in programming of nutrition, food security, and food assistance in emergency, protracted relief and recovery and/or development contexts;
• Experience with survey methodologies, nutrition assessment, operation research and relevant data analysis and interpretation;
• Experience in delivering technical assistance, especially in developing country settings;
• Leadership experience in building and managing teams and projects;
• Experience with qualitative and quantitative research methods is desirable.

Technical Skills & Knowledge:

• Strong knowledge of applied nutrition and recent developments in the field;
• Proven capacity to advocate for food-based nutrition interventions and recognised technical leadership in the wider nutrition community of academia, UN, governments and donors;
• Understanding of donor policies, strategies, and programme priorities;
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook) and nutrition/public health software (i.e. EPI Info, STATA, SPSS);
• General knowledge of UN system mandates, policies, rules, regulations and procedures governing administration is highly desirable.

Competencies:

• Excellent written and oral communications and presentation skills;
• Ability to build strategic partnerships with WFP partners, NGOs, academia, government officials and other entities with shared interest in nutrition;
• Strong interpersonal skills demonstrated by the ability to gain the assistance and cooperation of others in a team endeavour through demonstrated technical leadership;
• Ability to deal patiently and tactfully with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.

Language:

• Working knowledge (proficiency/level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (level B) of another UN official language (Arabic, French, Spanish, Russian or Chinese) or Portuguese (one of WFP’s working languages);
• Knowledge of French or Spanish is desirable.

Terms and Conditions Selected candidate will be employed on a fixed-term contract with a probationary period of one year.

WFP offers an attractive compensation and benefits package, including basic salary, post adjustment, 30 days’ annual vacation, home leave, an education grant for dependent children, pension plan and medical insurance. Please visit the following websites for detailed information on working with WFP.

http://www.wfp.org Click on: “Where we work” and “Our work” to learn more about WFP’s operations.http://icsc.un.org Click on: Quick Links > Salary Scales > by date http://www.unstaffmobility.org Learn more about countries where the UN operates

How to apply:

Go to: http://i-recruitment.wfp.org/vacancies/13-0013743 Step 1: Create your online CV. Step 2: Click on “Description” to read the position requirements and “Apply” to submit your application. NOTE: You must complete Step 2 in order for your application to be considered for this vacancy.

Deadline for applications: 30 May 2013