Specialist on Nutrition

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• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture.
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply;
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

Organizational Setting

FAO assists Members to improve diets and raise levels of nutrition by providing support with appropriate policies, strategies and methodologies for improving the efficiency and inclusiveness of their agrifood systems. As a knowledge leader, areas addressed include dietary assessment, support on nutrition-sensitive food and agriculture policies and programs, effective nutrition promotion programs, nutrition-sensitive food value chain development, market linkages, food loss and waste reduction and nutrition-sensitive processing. FAO is committed to support Members in their efforts to improve nutritional outcomes as stated in the Rome Declaration on Nutrition (November 2014) and to mainstream nutrition across all of the work of the Organization.
The below objectives and tasks will significantly contribute to and are fully aligned with FAO new strategic framework 2022-2031, specifically supporting Better Nutrition (BN1 -`Healthy Diets for All’).
The FAO Regional Office is committed to support its program countries to strengthen their evidence-base for addressing nutrition related challenges from the food system perspective. In this context, the development and implementation of food system based dietary guidelines, strengthening food and nutrition literacy, developing capacities in nutrition education, the implementation of holistic school feeding programs and improving the availability and affordability of healthy food choices through nutrition-sensitive value chains are key priority areas for the region.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the Regional Program Leader and the direct technical supervision of the REU Food Safety and Consumer Protection Officer, the incumbent will perform duties related to nutrition responding to country needs. In collaboration with the national and international consultants, and in close coordination with the government counterparts.

Technical Focus

Supporting countries in the development of evidence-informed food security and nutrition policies and providing country-specific technical guidance for the improvement of national food systems to deliver healthy diets for all considering all dimensions of sustainability is in the core of FAO’s mandate. There is increasing evidence on the global level related to the fundamental impacts of different food system elements (food production, processing, food trade and marketing, as well as consumer demand) on nutrition and the hidden cost of unhealthy dietary patterns.

Tasks and responsibilities

The incumbent will undertake the following duties in the respective technical field\:
• Engage with government counterparts and relevant stakeholders to determine current level of capacity, gaps and needs and provide direct advice and guidance.
• Organize national workshops and regular meetings with national experts to ensure continuous support.
• Adapt and develop training materials in line with the relevant FAO guidance and methodologies
• Build capacities and guide country experts and government officials in using and adapting approaches to the country setting and needs.
• Support data collection and analysis on food security and nutrition.
• Review final reports.
• Support the formulation of evidence-based multilevel policy recommendations, national guidelines and country level initiatives through online and in-country training sessions.
• Work closely with in-country teams, and FAO Country Offices and REU.
• Report on all activities undertaken during the assignment.
• Perform other tasks if required.

The incumbent is required to demonstrate outstanding expertise in at least one of the following areas\:

Development and implementation of National Food System Based Dietary Guidelines (FSBDG)\:
• Awareness raising on FSBDGs and provide policy recommendations for the nutrition-sensitive improvement of agrifood system policies and programs.
• Demonstration of the potential of using FSBDGs, food system data and analysis for evidence-based policies.
• Data collection and analysis (diet modelling) to ensure that nutrition recommendations are evidence-based.
• Formulation and piloting of technical recommendations and guidance materials.

Facilitate multisectoral engagement and support national coordination mechanisms to foster policy coherence for improved nutritional outcomes by applying the agrifood system approach\:
• Advocating for multisectoral cooperation on nutrition, sharing international experiences and facilitation of national dialogues.
• Support the integration of the national FSBDG and/or food system-based nutrition-sensitive policy recommendations into national strategies and programs.

Design and implementation of school meal programs and nutrition education
• Strengthening school meal programs through improving standards and legislations based on the latest available scientific evidence on food safety and nutrition.
• Adaption of international good practices for more holistic school food and nutrition education programs.
• Assessment and improvement of the food environment of children.
• Assessment of food and nutrition literacy of target populations.
• Development of nutrition education materials for different audiences, including food and nutrition professionals, the general public and school aged children.
• Design and implementation nutrition communication strategies and impactful community campaigns.

Food security and nutrition data collection and analysis
• Food composition data collection, data compilation and analysis.
• Food consumption data collection and utilization for evidence-based policies and programs.
• Nutrition situation analysis and food system assessment

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in nutrition, public health, food science or related fields
• Five years of relevant experience in food security and nutrition related project design and implementation
• Working knowledge of English

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Extent of knowledge and direct experience in designing and implementation of evidence-based food security and nutrition programs and policies;
• Ability to plan and organize technical work and support the work of multi-disciplinary teams;
• Extent of experience in program/project management;
• Analytical (nutrition data, policies, and programs) and advisory skills;
• Knowledge of the socio-economic conditions and development-related policies and procedures in the target countries in Europe and Central Asia is an asset;
• Specific knowledge on improving nutrition through the food system approach is an asset;
• Working knowledge of Russian is an asset.

Selection Criteria

• PhD is an advantage
• Limited knowledge of Russian or any other official language (Arabic, Chinese, French or Spanish) will be considered an asset

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance\: https\://fao.service-now.com/csp

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