For every child, the right to Empowerment
Under the supervision of the Senior Adviser, Food Systems for Children, the Programme Specialist, Children’s Food Practices and Youth Engagement, provides strategic leadership and technical direction for UNICEF’s Food Systems for Children agenda, with a particular focus on First Foods Africa Pillar 3 (Practices), social and behaviour change, social marketing, youth engagement and advocacy. The incumbent will lead UNICEF’s global efforts to strengthen food-related practices, behaviours and social norms that influence child and adolescent nutrition outcomes, while supporting actions to transform food environments through policy advocacy, youth mobilisation and systems approaches.
The position serves as UNICEF’s focal point for key areas of work related to food practices, youth engagement and social and behaviour change within the Food Systems for Children agenda. The incumbent will provide strategic leadership and stewardship for major global initiatives, including First Foods Africa and Fix My Food, ensuring technical quality, consistency of approach, cross-regional coordination, knowledge generation and organizational learning. The role will support country offices in generating evidence, strengthening capacity, implementing social marketing and behaviour change approaches, and engaging young people as agents of change in food systems transformation. The incumbent will also provide leadership and technical expertise in social and behaviour change for nutrition programmes, responding to technical assistance requests from country offices.
Under the supervision of the Senior Adviser, Food Systems for Children, the Programme Specialist, Children’s Food Practices and Youth Engagement provides strategic leadership and technical direction for UNICEF’s Food Systems for Children agenda, with a particular focus on First Foods Africa Pillar 3 (Practices), social and behaviour change, social marketing, youth engagement and advocacy. The incumbent leads UNICEF’s global efforts to strengthen food-related practices, behaviours and social norms that influence child and adolescent nutrition outcomes, while supporting actions to transform food environments through policy advocacy, youth mobilisation and systems approaches.
Key responsibilities include leading global initiatives such as First Foods Africa and Fix My Food; providing technical assistance and strategic guidance to country offices; developing guidance, tools and learning resources; promoting knowledge generation and organizational learning; coordinating youth engagement and advocacy initiatives; supporting partnerships, donor engagement and resource mobilization; and strengthening UNICEF’s leadership on social and behaviour change for nutrition programmes and food systems transformation
Desirables
- Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language
- A PhD in a relevant discipline is an asset.
- UNICEF programmes in nutrition and child development, UNICEF’s Strategic Plan, Nutrition Strategy and Food Systems for Children agenda.
- Experience in resource mobilisation, donor stewardship and management of large multi-country initiatives is highly desirable.
- Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.
For every Child, you demonstrate...
UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others
UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.
UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.
UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments are conditional on the selected candidates’ willingness to comply with current or future vaccination requirements, should UNICEF mandate it for personnel.
Failure to comply with such requirements, where applicable and without a duly approved medical exemption from the relevant UN authority, will result in the cancellation of the selection or may lead to other administrative measures, including separation from service.
Remarks
As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.
UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates are encouraged to apply.
Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.
UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants' bank account information.
The conditions of a temporary assignment, including relocation entitlements, will depend on the status of the staff member's original appointment and may be limited in accordance with applicable UNICEF policies, procedures, and practices in force.
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF's Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.
All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.