Food Systems Strategic Advisor

Based in Geneva, the Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECR) supports UNOPS offices throughout the region through: management, financial and programmatic oversight of global and country-specific portfolios, clusters and operations centres, including hosting services; fund and management advisory services; project implementation; procuring goods and services; and managing human resources.

ECR ensures that projects are executed to the highest standards, providing a shared knowledge base and ensuring that best practices and lessons learned are disseminated between business units and projects across the entire region.

 ECR strategy is to:

• Strengthen UNOPS role in operationalizing the Sustainable Development Goals with particular emphasis on health, environment and economic development.
• Position UNOPS in the Balkan sub-region, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
• Strengthen the implementation of ECR global and regional programmes, with revitalized partnerships in infrastructure, procurement and project management.

ECR operates global portfolios from offices in Geneva, Brussels and New York, and country-specific programmes from its operations and project centres located in Eastern Europe and Central Asian countries.

Since 2010, the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement has inspired a new way of working collaboratively to end malnutrition, in all its forms. With the governments of SUN Countries in the lead, it unites people—from civil society, the United Nations, donors, businesses and researchers—in a collective effort to improve nutrition. The SUN Strategy 2021–2025 (SUN 3.0) prioritises country leadership and focuses on supporting systemic change at the country level. It seeks to capture the ambition of SUN countries and guide the work of all actors at all levels aligning concerted action behind and responding to commonly agreed national priorities set out by governments in SUN countries.

SUN 3.0 is committed to fundamental, non-negotiable aspects of effective nutrition action, including equity and the principle of leaving no one behind. For its third phase, the SUN Movement will drive forward gender equality and enshrine youth leadership across the Movement. SUN 3.0 will strengthen partnerships to achieve greater impact on nutrition through food systems, health systems, social protection systems, actions by the private sector and humanitarian and development actors, and through education, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and climate change adaptation.

The SUN Movement Secretariat (SMS) plays a central role in enabling the multiple members and structures of the Movement to work together to advance progress on country-level priorities and the global positioning of nutrition.

The SUN Movement Secretariat comprises personnel, based in Geneva and in various regions globally. All parts of the Movement – member governments, the SUN Global Support System - the GSS, consisting of four SUN networks (Civil Society, United Nations, Business, Donors) and the SUN Movement Secretariat, together with the SUN Movement Coordinator, work together to align and focus efforts on priorities within countries. 

The SUN Movement Secretariat is hosted by UNOPS.

• Identify, monitor and analyse trends and emerging issues with respect to the wider food system.
• Identify other global challenges that affect nutrition and the work of the SUN Movement, either directly or indirectly, such as climate change, conflict, displacement, environmental and social protection and trade and economic development, which impact the key principles and core themes of the SUN Movement.
• Assess national, regional and global food systems trends that might affect the SUN Movement; recommend solutions/possible actions by the Coordinator and or Secretariat in response.
• Advise and support the analysis and direction setting of the SUN Movement, with particular consideration to policies and strategies, multi-sectoral progress and inter-agency collaboration required to ensure a food systems approach to transformation.
• Develop documents for and input to the SUN Movement’s planning processes, including written briefings related to food systems.
• Make recommendations for the SUN Movement’s actions across nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive sectors, through strengthened food and health systems, and with a focus on gender and economic equity, social inclusion, accountability, corporate responsibility and financing.

• In collaboration with relevant SMS colleagues and key stakeholders across the Movement and Secretariat, contribute to the development and implementation of food systems-related policy engagement.
• Provide advice on key (potential) partners in food systems/nutrition/health,climate/trade/economics and education including UN family, national and international NGOs and associations and civil society.
• Collaborate with the SMS communications and advocacy colleagues  , ensure visibility of activities with donors and press, including press releases, meetings and field visits, as well as strengthened communication activities around food systems interventions.
• Participate in advocacy efforts for food systems approaches with existing donors, governments and other actors, explore possibilities and engage with new donors.
• Contribute to conferences, seminars and academic fora related to his/her assigned area of expertise.
• Represent the Coordinator and/or the SUN Movement Secretariat (when requested) in public events, task forces, working groups etc on food systems, food security and social sectors activities.

• Develop and maintain relations with government officials, donors, missions and other SUN stakeholders at the working level to understand issues and policies of mutual concern.
• Contribute food systems expertise to notes, background papers, talking points, speeches and other correspondence for the Coordinator and lead on these products as requested..
• Provide expert information to the Coordinator regarding wider food systems issues, related to the positioning of the SUN Movement.
• Support the Coordinator’s function by contributing in shaping the Secretariat’s thinking and execution of new food systems concepts, approaches and priorities for the future direction of the SUN Movement, including its Global Support System.

• Provide technical assistance to priority countries in support of food systems nutrition-sensitive programming, especially as it relates to food environment, consumer demand, private sector engagement and/or food policy.
• Support the capacity strengthening of staff across the Secretariat in terms of wider food systems issues, including advice and training as required.
• Participate in the development of improved tools and methodologies for food systems analysis.
• In collaboration with various stakeholders across the Secretariat (particularly MEAL/KM and communications and advocacy) lead the development and dissemination of key food systems-related lessons for key stakeholders.
• Support the development of new concept notes for future resource mobilisation on food systems.

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) nutrition or other relevant field is required.  
• A bachelor's degree with a combination of two additional years of relevant experience may be accepted  in lieu of the Master's degree.

• A minimum of seven (7) years professional experience in international public health nutrition, international development  or agriculture, with a nutrition focus is required.
• Experience with food systems activities and demonstrated work on one or more food systems domains (food supply, food environment, private sector engagement for nutrition, consumer behavior, diet quality) is required.
• Experience working with government and NGO stakeholders on food systems, with a preference toward food system and nutrition programme design and implementation and/or policy is desirable.
• Experience translating complex technical material and research findings into tools that support evidence uptake is desirable.

• Full working knowledge of English is essential.
• Knowledge of another official UN language, particularly French , is an asset.

• 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.

• Geneva, Switzerland is a UN 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. 

• 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.