Chief Nutrition, P-5, Fixed Term Position, #00020954, Nairobi, Kenya

Organizational Context

UNICEF works in over 190 countries to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential. In Kenya, UNICEF has been active since 1971, engaging with the government to enhance food and nutrition security and ensure universal health coverage. We implement nutrition strategies to improve diets and feeding practices for mothers, infants, young children, and adolescents.

Job Purpose

The Chief, Nutrition, reporting to the Deputy Representative, is responsible for the overall management and supervision of UNICEF's nutrition programme in Kenya. This includes strategic planning, formulation, and delivery of results, ensuring concrete and sustainable achievements in maternal, infant, and child nutrition. The role involves leading and managing the Nutrition team, fostering strong collaboration with Health and WASH sections, and other cross-sectoral programmes. The Chief ensures that all activities align with UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, results-based management approaches, and performance standards, ultimately contributing to the realization of children's rights to adequate nutrition and healthy development from early childhood through adolescence.

Responsibilities

The Chief, Nutrition will provide managerial leadership for the nutrition programme, overseeing its development and planning phases to ensure alignment with country and global strategies. They will be responsible for the day-to-day management, monitoring, and quality control of programme results, ensuring effective implementation and achievement of targets. The role includes providing expert advisory services and technical support to government counterparts and partners on nutrition policies and interventions. A key aspect is advocacy, networking, and building strong partnerships with government, civil society, and other UN agencies to promote nutrition security and advocate for children's rights. The Chief will also drive innovation, knowledge management, and capacity building within the nutrition team and among partners, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement. This includes ensuring that programmes address critical nutritional needs during the first 1,000 days of life and adolescence, and are implemented in development, fragile, and humanitarian contexts.

Work Experience

At least 10 years of relevant professional experience in Nutrition, Public Health, Nutrition Policy, Health Systems, Food Systems, Humanitarian Nutrition, or related fields. Experience in programme/project development and management within the UN system or a similar international organization is desirable, particularly in country-level settings, including development, fragile, and humanitarian contexts.

Skills

Managerial leadership, Programme development and planning, Programme management, monitoring and quality control, Advisory services and technical support, Advocacy, networking and partnership building, Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building, Strategic thinking, Results-based management, Cross-sectoral collaboration, Team leadership, Ethical awareness, Adaptability

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