Internship - Nutrition Section, Programme Division, NYHQ/Home based - Req # 539684

As part of UNICEF’s strategic shift to prioritizing the prevention of childhood overweight and obesity within its Nutrition Strategy 2020-2030, UNICEF Programme Division (PD) Nutrition Section is leading the development of a new programmatic focus involving food systems. Food systems need to operate in ways that empower children, adolescents and families to demand nutritious foods. In addition, they need to ensure that nutritious foods are safe, available, affordable and sustainable while also creating healthy food environments. As such, UNICEF is gearing up for the United Nations Food Systems Summit in September 2021.

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, nutrition.

Background

Nutrition is core to what UNICEF does. People who are well nourished are more likely to be healthy, productive and able to learn. Good nutrition benefits families, their communities and the world as a whole. Like with all of our work, UNICEF focuses on the specific nutrition needs and vulnerabilities that impact children. In line with the agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals, UNICEF has recently engaged on a broader programmatic focus on all forms of malnutrition, including the prevention of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents.

Rates of childhood overweight and obesity are increasing in every region of the world. Long thought of as a disease of the wealthy, overweight and obesity is increasingly present in low- and middle-income countries. Childhood overweight and obesity carries heavy societal and economic consequences for the individual, families and their communities – both immediately and longer-term. Children who have overweight are at a higher risk of developing serious health problems, including musculoskeletal and orthopedic complications, as well as chronic non-communicable diseases, like diabetes type 2, which burden already stretched healthcare systems. They also experience stigma and suffer from emotional difficulties linked to their body weight.

As part of UNICEF’s strategic shift to prioritizing the prevention of childhood overweight and obesity within its Nutrition Strategy 2020-2030, UNICEF Programme Division (PD) Nutrition Section is leading the development of a new programmatic focus involving food systems. Food systems need to operate in ways that empower children, adolescents and families to demand nutritious foods. In addition, they need to ensure that nutritious foods are safe, available, affordable and sustainable while also creating healthy food environments. As such, UNICEF is gearing up for the United Nations Food Systems Summit in September 2021.

Benefits to the Intern:

• To gain experience on overweight and obesity prevention, adolescent nutrition, food systems, and youth engagement.
• To develop skills in grant reporting, summit preparations, youth mobilization, policy brief writing, and professional presentation preparations.
• To develop skills in strategic planning, cross-section team collaboration, and external partnerships. 
• To gain exposure to UNICEF’s organizational and working environment.

Specific Activities

• Contribute to the organizational planning for the UN Food Systems Summit, including the programming of (virtual) Food System Dialogues in 20 countries around the world, contributing to technical convenings, and coordinating Summit youth engagement.
• Logistical input to the development and implementation of an e-learning module on overweight and obesity prevention
• Support UNICEF’s work on advocacy and communications for overweight and obesity prevention, including youth engagement angles
• Support grant reporting in the form of tracking country updates, quarterly reports, and managing information in an orderly fashion.
• Lead the preparation of professional presentations and speeches

Duration

Full time for 3 months, with a possibility of extending up till the maximum duration of 26 weeks.

Salary/Payment:

In accordance to UNICEF’s guidelines, interns will be paid a stipend of US $1,700 per month. There is no expectancy of employment at the end of the internship.

Insurance:

UNICEF will not be responsible for costs arising from accidents and/or illness incurred during the intern’s service, whether on or off UNICEF premises. Therefore, the selected candidate must provide proof of enrolment in a health/accident plan prior to start the internship with the Nutrition Section.

Living Conditions and Working Environment:

The intern will be remote based and work from home. The intern will work with the Nutrition Section and report to the supervisor of this internship and will be expected to participate in Nutrition Section meetings, Unit calls, as well as other UNICEF meetings of interest to the student, including the seminar series for UNICEF interns. Guidance will be provided on a regular basis. The intern is not expected to travel during the assignment.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will…

• Currently be enrolled in a graduate degree program relevant to global public health or be a recent graduate. Applicants who have graduated within the past two years are considered recent graduates.
• Demonstrate interest in nutrition, overweight & obesity prevention, non-communicable diseases, and/or food systems preferred (e.g. volunteer work, academic work).
• Have strong attention to detail.
• Have knowledge of global health and nutrition programming preferred.
• Have excellent oral and written communication skills, initiative, flexibility and willingness to learn.
• Have excellent academic performance as demonstrated by recent university or institution records.
• Additional consideration will be given to any past professional experience.
• Fluency in English (both writing and speaking) is required, along with proficiency in another UN working language.

Expected Academic and Professional Outputs

• Enhanced skills on nutrition programming, policy writing, and communication/advocacy strategies.
• Increased knowledge of monitoring and assessing nutrition interventions in program countries.
• Familiarity with the objectives, structure and activities of UNICEF’s Nutrition Sections.
• Attendance of internal UNICEF seminars, lectures and workshops at UNICEF, will provide an opportunity to meet leading public health experts and reflect upon issues, trends and strategies shaping contemporary global health and nutrition policies and practice.
• Increased knowledge of the role played by UNICEF in the implementation and monitoring of nutrition programs, with a focus on the prevention of childhood overweight and obesity.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

Our core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. To view our competency framework, please click here.

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

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, race, sexual orientation, nationality, culture, appearance, socio-economic status, ability, age, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply to become a part of the organization.