Nutrition Support Officer, Food Systems

Kenya is facing a triple burden of malnutrition encompassing undernutrition (stunting, wasting, underweight), micronutrient deficiencies and overweight and obesity. According to the Kenya Demographic Health Survey 2023, 18 % of children under five years are stunted. While this represents a significant decrease from 26% in 2014, disparities exist within the country with children living in rural areas are more likely to be stunted compared to those living in urban areas at 20% and 12% respectively. Furthermore, an additional 5% of children under five are wasted, 10% are underweight, while obesity and overweight are on the rise. Suboptimal diets and practices continue to be reported attributing to malnutrition in Kenya. Minimum dietary diversity among children aged 6-23 months continues to be a major challenge, with only 37% having had an adequately diverse diet and 31% are fed a minimum acceptable diet. Alarmingly, 49.1% and 26.4% of children 6-23 months consume sugar sweetened beverages and unhealthy foods respectively. A total of 18% and 13% of adolescent girls 15 to 19 years are thin and overweight or obese respectively.

In the face of development and industrialization, the drivers of nutrition outcomes are evolving. Addressing these multifaceted challenges necessitates a multisectoral approach the UNICEF Nutrition Strategy 2020–2030 outlines UNICEF(United Nations Children's Fund)’s commitment to assisting national governments and partners in safeguarding children's right to nutrition and eradicating child malnutrition globally. It is against this backdrop that UNICEF recognizes the pivotal role of the food system in creating an environment for nutritious, safe, affordable, and sustainable diets for children, collaborating with health, water and sanitation, education, and social protection systems. UNICEF's primary aim in this realm is to facilitate the establishment and realization of effective, responsible systems capable of addressing all forms of child malnutrition. Ensuring the availability of nutritious, safe, diverse, and affordable diets for all children, adolescents, and women therefore requires collaborative efforts across various sectors. UNICEF Kenya’s work on food systems for children focuses on three action areas:

• Improving children’s foods through actions in public policy, guidelines and standards, and food supply chains, including fortified foods, food supplements, and therapeutic foods.
• Improving children’s food environments where children live, learn, and meet through actions in public sector policies and programmes and in private sector products and practices.
• Improving children’s food practices through policies, strategies, and programmes that promote positive individual behaviors, caregiver practices, and social norms related to both consumption and production of healthy foods for children.

• Support evidence generation and analysis to implement UNICEF's work on Food Systems for children in Kenya.
• Contribute towards compiling data and preparing knowledge and communication products.
• Contribute to exchange of information, experiences, promote knowledge sharing with nutrition stakeholders to improve functioning of food system for children.
• Analyze, synthesize and consolidate information from multiple sources.
• Support UNICEF Kenya's work to improve children’s food environments in and around schools.
• Support UNICEF Kenya's work to improve children's foods and positive food practices through supporting development of innovative programming and engagement with the private sector.
• Provide logistical support on activities such as the organization and reporting of conferences, events etc.

• Bachelor's degree in Nutrition, Public Health, Agricultural Science, Information/Knowledge Management, or related field is required. An Advanced University degree is highly desirable.

Experience:

• 2 years’ experience in Health and Nutrition Programming, Agricultural Science, Food Systems or Knowledge Management is required.
• Working experience in food marketing, legislation, school meals and/or obesity prevention is desirable.
• Experience in implementing programs in liaison with the Kenya Government or Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) is desired.
• Prior experience in research, data collection, reporting and communication with good writing skills, including analysis of information for the preparation of communication products such a landscape analysis is desired.
• Experience working with the private sector is desired.
• Good understanding of the local context is desired.
• Experience working in a multi-national/multi-cultural environment is desired.
• Proficiency in computer skills including use of relevant software and other applications, e.g., Power BI, mapping software such as ArcGIS, word processing, spread sheets, databases, Internet navigation etc is desired.

Contract type: Local Individual Contractor Agreement (LICA)
Contract level: Local ICA Specialist-8
Contract duration: 12 months.

This is a local position, it is therefore open to Kenyan Nationals 

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

• This position is stationed in Nairobi, Kenya which is a family duty station.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses ( they take around 4 hours to complete)  in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.