Senior Nutrition Manager: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Jobs in Kenya

Purpose of the Position

You will be responsible for the overall development, management, planning and delivery of the nutrition programme in Somalia, which comprises some 80% of the nutrition sector assistance for the country.

You will provide strategic leadership in delivery of nutrition targets of the United Nations CAP and Transitional Plan (UNTP) and undertake innovative strategies in the sector to effectively respond to emergency and developmental needs of Somali children and women in the environment of weak civil governance and complex emergencies.

You will coordinate the nutrition targets with WHO, WFP, FSNAU, NGOs and other partners, and will work with over 30 partners to deliver nutrition interventions for prevention and treatment programmes.

Closing date:
 07 May 2010
Location:
 Kenya - Nairobi, Kenya (For UNICEF Somalia)

Key Expected Results

1. You will provide strategic leadership in the nutrition sector by managing the UNICEF programme. You will ensure coordination and delivery of nutrition targets with WHO, WFP, FAO, FSNAU, NGOs and other partners. You will advocate for preventive nutrition interventions with health authorities, NGOs, academia and private sector. You will monitor developments at the international, regional and provincial levels; and develop methodologies and new approaches for improving Nutrition programme effectiveness. You will provide seasoned technical recommendations and advice on major programme directions and on introduction of new initiatives in the country.

2.
 You will provide technical leadership and guidance to UNICEF zonal offices in reaching 240,000 acutely malnourished children and 63,000 severely malnourished children, and incorporate nutrition interventions in the Child Health Days to reach 1.5 million children below age five including, micronutrient supplementation, prevention and care for common childhood illnesses, and emergency nutrition response. You will ensure exchange of information and experiences, and follow up actions to accelerate delivery achieve program objectives.

3.
 You will be responsible for development of the sectoral work plan as well as implementation and monitoring of assigned project/sectoral activity, ensuring compliance with project strategies and approaches; provide training, support and guidance to the sectoral team. You will participate in major evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual sector review meetings with government counterparts and ensure the preparation of annual Nutrition sector status reports.

Qualifications of Successful Candidate

  • Advanced university degree in the combination of the selective disciplines relevant to the following areas: Public Health & Nutrition, Health Sciences, International Health & Nutrition, Public Health & Nutrition Policy and Management, Family and Community Health & Nutrition, Nutritional Epidemiology, Health & Nutrition Education, Health & Nutrition Promotion and Disease Prevention, Public Health Preparedness, Health Emergency Preparedness, or other relevant discipline(s).
  • Ten years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in programme planning, management, monitoring, and evaluation, in a related field.
  • Developing country work experience and field work experience.
  • Background/familiarity with the management of emergency programmes.
  • Expert knowledge of the technical areas of UNICEF programmes.
  • Expert technical leadership and knowledge of theories, principles and methods in the combination of selective fields of the following:
  • Public Health & Nutrition, International Health & Nutrition, Public Health & Nutrition Policy and Management, Family and Community Health & Nutrition, Public Health & Nutrition Preparedness, Health & Nutrition Emergency Preparedness.
  • Nutritional Epidemiology, Nutrition Research, Biostatistics, Biochemistry, Socio-medical Sciences.
  • Health & Nutrition Education, Health & Nutrition Promotion and Disease Prevention, Educational Interventions in Health & Nutritional Care.
  • Fluency in English and another UN language is required. Knowledge of the Somali language is an asset.
Competencies of Successful Candidate
  • Has highest-level communication skills, including engaging and informative formal public speaking.
  • Consistently achieves high-level results, managing and delivering projects on-time and on-budget.
  • Creates and encourages a climate of team-working and collaboration in a multi-cultural environment.
  • Has high-level leadership and supervisory skills; provides others with a clear direction; motivates and empowers others; recruits staff of a high caliber; provides staff with development opportunities and coaching.
  • Sets, develops and revises organizational strategy and develops clear visions of the organization’s future potential.
UNICEF is committed to diversity and gender equality in its workplace. Women and nationals of developing countries are strongly encouraged to apply.

How to apply

If you want a challenging career while improving the lives of children around the world UNICEF, the leading children's rights organization, would like to hear from you.

Visit us at
 www.unicef.org/about/employ to register in our new e-Recruitment system and apply to this and other vacancies in Human Resources Management, quoting E-VN-2010-000649.

Applications must be received by 07 May 2010.

Please note that only candidates who are under serious consideration will be contacted.

In the selection of its staff, UNICEF is committed to gender balance and diversity without distinction as to race, sex or religion, and without discrimination of persons with disabilities: well qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.