The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Eritrea is inviting applications from suitably qualified applicants for the post of Individual Consultant for First Foods Initiative, Climate Smart Nutrition Actions and Multi Systems, Asmara-Eritrea.

TYPE OF APPOINTMENT: Consultancy

DURATION:  11 months

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, Health

The Ministry of Health and UNICEF in Eritrea has placed climate resilience, adaptation and mitigation with support for food system transformation at the heart of the malnutrition prevention agenda. UNICEF’s contribution towards a sustainable food system, which encompasses the entire chain from production to consumption with the different influencing factors in Eritrea, will seek to support value chains for key nutritious foods (homemade DMK, fish powder, egg powder), foster the environment for the accessibility and consumption of these nutritious foods, and support actions that prevent climate change.

The specific objectives include:

• To provide technical expertise and support in scaling up the implementation of the First Foods Initiative (the homemade DMK approach) to all zobas, with a clear monitoring approach, in collaboration with the National Complementary Food Taskforce team for wider reach.
• To provide leadership and technical expertise in defining climate smart nutrition actions toward resilience building, climate change adaptation and mitigation capacities in Eritrea’s communities especially women and children.
• To provide leadership and representation in multisystem actions implementation and multisectoral coordination at national and sub-national level.

Key functions/accountabilities:

• Capacity building of health workers at zoba, sub zoba and community level in implementing the first foods DMK initiative.
• Establish a clear monitoring system and documentation of the First foods DMK initiative, ensure systematic collection of lessons learnt and document good practices.
• Support the production and distribution of fish powder among children 6 to 23 months with close collaboration with the Ministry of Marine Resources.
• Support the development and implementation of climate smart nutrition actions for Eritrea and support the climate financing agenda of the nutrition program.
• Strengthen nutrition integration in multi systems of Food, WASH, Health Social protection and education ensuring that each system is accountable to nutrition outcomes.
• Ensure collaboration and strong partnerships for joint nutrition programming within the UN family and in government line Ministries.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Education: University degree in Nutrition/Public Health/Development studies or other related fields. A Masters Degree is an added advantage.

  Work Experience:  At least 5 years of progressive experience in Nutrition, Public health, Food systems and climate change programming. Demonstrated experience of similar work with UNICEF, other UN agencies, international organization and Ministry of Health is an asset. Strong programming, coordination, analytical, organizational, and inter-personal skills. Experience in developing strategic documents, results frameworks, monitoring tools, climate change, and capacity building.

  Language Requirements: Fluency in English and the local language is required. Knowledge of other UN languages is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit  here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.

Remarks: 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

CANDIDATES SHOULD PROVIDE EVIDENCE OF COMPLETION/EXEMPTION FROM NATIONAL SERVICE. PLEASE NOTE THAT COMPLETION/EXEMPTION OF NATIONAL SERVICE IS A REQUIREMENT.  COPY OF CARD/EXEMPTION MUST BE ATTACHED.  APPLICATIONS WITHOUT THIS REQUIREMENT WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

Closing date of Application: 7 days from the date of advertisement                                                       

Please note that UNICEF is a smoke-free environment.

Candidates should attach their duly filled P11, photocopies of academic qualifications, technical and financial proposals.