National Nutrition Specialist
Organizational Context
UNICEF in Somalia operates across critical sectors including Health and Nutrition, WASH, Child Protection, Education, and Social Policy. The country faces significant challenges due to a large youth population, high unemployment, conflict, and climate change impacts like drought and El Niño. Baidoa, a key humanitarian hub, hosts many internally displaced persons and is vulnerable to food insecurity and malnutrition. UNICEF's Nutrition Programme is enhancing its field capacity to manage emergency interventions and address heightened humanitarian needs, particularly in Baidoa, to strengthen operational oversight and programme delivery.
Job Purpose
This UN Volunteer assignment aims to bolster the UNICEF Nutrition Programme's field-level capacity in Southern and Central Somalia, specifically in Baidoa. The role is crucial for coordinating and scaling up emergency nutrition interventions in response to anticipated drought conditions and humanitarian needs driven by El Niño. The UN Volunteer will support the planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of drought response activities, ensuring alignment with national priorities and humanitarian frameworks. Key contributions include strengthening field monitoring, enhancing partner capacity, verifying results, and resolving implementation bottlenecks for critical nutrition interventions, especially those focused on preventing malnutrition in the first 1,000 days of life.
Responsibilities
The UN Volunteer will support the planning, coordination, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of emergency and preventive nutrition interventions in South West State. This includes coordinating with government authorities, NGOs, UN agencies, and other stakeholders to facilitate timely decisions and service delivery. The role involves monitoring programme implementation through field visits and data review, identifying and addressing bottlenecks and gaps. Responsibilities also include supporting the scale-up and quality assurance of drought-response nutrition services, ensuring continuity of care for children and women, and contributing to interventions aimed at preventing malnutrition in infants and young children. Capacity building of partners in programme management and reporting, preparing situation updates and reports, and promoting accountability to affected populations, safeguarding, inclusion, and gender-responsive programming are also key duties.
Work Experience
A minimum of three years of relevant professional experience in nutrition or public health programming, including implementation, monitoring, and reporting, is required. Experience in emergency nutrition responses or programming in fragile/humanitarian settings is essential. Demonstrated ability to coordinate with diverse stakeholders, strong analytical and communication skills, and proficiency in standard office software are necessary. Experience in the Somali context or South West State, and prior work with UNICEF or other UN entities, are considered assets.
Skills
Core competencies include accountability, adaptability, flexibility, planning, organizing, professionalism, self-management, teamwork, respect for diversity, and integrity. Expertise in community development is also mentioned. Strong analytical, communication, facilitation, and report-writing skills are essential, along with the ability to interpret programme data and resolve implementation issues.