Rome, Italy
FAO Rome
CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST – VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT : 1902964
Senior Nutrition Strategy Advisor
Job Posting: 17/Dec/2019
Closure Date: 31/Dec/2019, 10:59:00 PM
Organizational Unit : ESN
Job Type: Non-staff opportunities
Type of Requisition : Consultant / PSA (Personal Services Agreement)
Grade Level : N/A
Primary Location: Various Locations
Duration : Up to 11 months
Post Number : N/A
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device
FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender and nationality
People with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply
All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
The incumbent may be re-assigned to different activities and/or duty stations depending on the evolving needs of the Organization
Organizational Setting
FAO’s Nutrition and Food Systems Division (ESN) assists Member Countries to improve diets and raise levels of nutrition, as well as support with appropriate policies, strategies and methodologies for improving the efficiency and inclusiveness of their food and agricultural systems. As a knowledge leader, areas addressed include support on nutrition-sensitive food and agriculture policies and programs, effective nutrition promotion programmes, food value chains, market linkages, post-harvest handling, agro-processing and dietary assessment. FAO is committed to support Member States in their efforts to improve nutritional outcomes as stated in the Rome Declaration on Nutrition (November 2014) and to mainstream nutrition across FAO’s strategic objectives.
With a continued inadmissibly high burden of malnutrition, the world is off course to meet the nutrition targets it has set for itself as part of commitments for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite global efforts, it won’t be able to end all forms of malnutrition by 2030 without an acceleration of progress. Forthcoming events including the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit 2020, the mid-term of the UN Decade of Action for Nutrition, the development by the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) of Voluntary Guidelines for Food Systems and Nutrition, and the planning of the UN Food Systems Summit 2021 (final date tbc) provide opportunity for accelerating actions. The full potential of these opportunities must be realized and then translated into local action and impact in order to reach SDGs and zero hunger.
Good nutrition starts with what one eats. FAO as the leading UN agency for Food and Agriculture has a key role to play in food-based aspects of nutrition and has expertise across the entire food system from production, to processing, all the way to consumer behaviour. Thus, FAO’s Nutrition and Food System Division is well positioned to catalyse action in nutrition across the food system to accelerate improvement in nutrition needed to reach the SDGs. Therefore, FAO is preparing to ensure it is prepared to fulfil its leadership role in support to countries and, in partnership with others, to realize a world free of malnutrition.
Reporting Lines
The consultant/advisor will work under the overall guidance and supervision of the Director, Nutrition and Food Systems Division (ESN), and work in close collaboration with the Nutrition Core team, the Nutrition Strategy Technical Task Team, and with nutrition focal points in other FAO divisions, departments, and offices.
Technical Focus
The assignment will focus on supporting the strategic engagement and the narrative of FAO’s work in nutrition in order to capitalize on global efforts affecting nutrition and translating those global movements to local impact. The role will include refining the narrative for FAO to optimize the work in advocacy and communication to influence greater uptake of actions in support of nutrition across FAO, within governments, and with partner organizations. The work will include the finalization of the updated Strategy and Vision for FAO’s work in Nutrition, which sets out the strategic roadmap of work for the next five years. The assignment will also strategically work to mainstream nutrition across the organization and support FAO to support countries and other stakeholders to increase their impact on nutrition in attempt to reach the SDGs.
Tasks and responsibilities
The tasks and responsibilities will include:
- Conduct an analysis of contextual factors external to FAO likely to have a bearing on FAO’s nutrition work, giving due attention to regional specificities.
- In close communication with management, provide recommendations on entry points to best leverage FAO’s expertise to advance the overall global agenda for addressing all forms of malnutrition including maximizing engagement in the lead up to the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit 2020, and optimizing the link between the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit and the UN Food Systems Summit, amongst others.
- Support the refinement of the narrative around FAO’s work in nutrition including how to communicate the ‘Food Systems approach’ to promoting healthy diets and preventing all forms of malnutrition, and positioning this work in the context of the work of other global actors both within the UN system and across the broader global nutrition architecture.
- Participate in meetings of the Nutrition Strategy Technical Task Team set up for the Strategy Review to discuss the background document and consider comments in the preparation of an updated strategy.
- Prepare a draft strategy based in feedback from FAO colleagues and governing bodies of the FAO.
- Prepare a presentation and/or present the draft strategy on behalf of FAO in internal and external consultations as required (potential venues include the FAO Technical Committees meetings in 2020, an Informal Member State seminar, meetings with partners in academia, civil society, etc).
- Building on the draft document, and the input by the Steering Committee, Nutrition Strategy Technical Task Team, prepare a final draft for presentation to the Programme Committee and FAO Council.
- Building on governing body feedback and guidance, finalize the nutrition strategy and contribute to the preparation of an implementation plan, which also includes human and financial resource requirements.
- Support the development of a narrative to capture FAO’s vision for nutrition and promote nutrition action across the food system.
- Present the FAO narrative as required.
- Perform other duties as required.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
- Advanced university degree in Nutrition, Food Security, Public Health, Social Sciences, or related disciplines.
- At least 12 years (Category A) of experience in strategy development, food systems and nutrition-related policy and programming, and analytical work.
- Working knowledge (Level C) of English, French or Spanish and limited knowledge of one of the other two or Arabic, Chinese, Russian. For PSA only one working language will be required.
FAO Core Competencies
- Results Focus
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- Teamwork
- Communication
- Building Effective Relationships
- Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
- Expertise in food and nutrition policy and programmes;
- Experience in analysis of nutrition-sensitive food systems, and nutrition- and diet-related monitoring and performance measurement;
- Experience in strategy development for international organizations;
- Knowledge of international nutrition architecture (organizations, institutions and initiatives related to food security and nutrition);
- Demonstrated writing and reporting skills;
- Demonstrated oral communication skills to various audience groups;
- Experience in collaborative work and liaison with partners, including country government institutes, international organizations, research institutes, and academia;
- Work experience in more than one location or area of work is desirable.
Selection Criteria
- Extent and relevance related to nutrition and food systems;
- Extent and relevance of experience in strategic planning and dialogue with policy makers and international stakeholders;
- Extent and relevance of knowledge and experience in policy and strategy development;
- Extent and relevance of work experience with international organizations specialized in food systems and nutrition or closely related fields as mentioned above (desirable);
- Proven communication, writing and reporting skills in English.
Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
FAO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)
Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list
Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications
Candidates should upload language certificate/s when submitting their application.
For more information, visit the FAO employment website
HOW TO APPLY
To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Only applications received through the recruitment portal will be considered.
We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline
If you need help please contact: [email protected]
FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT
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