Programme Policy Officer / Nutrition-sensitive consultant
Programme Policy Officer / Nutrition-sensitive consultant
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Job Description
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
28 July 2025-23:59-GMT01:00 Central European Time (Rome)WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race colour national origin ethnic or social background genetic information gender gender identity and/or expression sexual orientation religion or belief HIV status or disability.
ABOUT WFP
The World Food Programme is the worlds largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict disasters and the impact of climate change.
At WFP people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse committed skilled and high performing teams selected on merit operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment living WFPs values (Integrity Collaboration Commitment Humanity and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.
To learn more about WFP visit our website: follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube LinkedIn Instagram Facebook Twitter TikTok.
WHY JOIN WFP
WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
WFP offers a highly inclusive diverse and multicultural working environment.
WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training accreditation coaching mentorship and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.
A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country regional and global offices around the world and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.
We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).
JOB TITLE: Nutrition Consultant
TYPE OF CONTRACT: CST II
UNIT/DIVISION: Nutrition & Food Quality Service/ Programme Policy & Guidance Division
DUTY STATION (City Country): Rome Italy (working from home)
DURATION: 3.5months (9 September 31 December)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
WFP is committed to achieving SDG 2.2 to end all forms of malnutrition in all contexts especially the most fragile. There is an ever-increasing global burden of all forms of malnutrition increased humanitarian needs and recurrence of shocks and stressors. Poor quality diets are creating a public health timebomb and undermining the economic prosperity of nations. Food systems today do not produce adequate or affordable nutritious foods that are essential for healthy diets and therefore contribute to multiple forms of malnutrition and as a result three billion people are currently unable to afford even the cheapest locally available healthy diets (SOFI 2020).
With the WFP Strategic Plan (2022-2025) and WFP strategy to improve diets and address malnutrition (2024-2030) WFP nutrition aims to contribute to sustained reductions in malnutrition in all its forms and to improve diets particularly in the face of shocks and crises with a focus on reaching those most left behind. Achieving this will rely on supporting those facing humanitarian emergencies and integrating nutrition across WFP programmes portfolio especially strengthening the nutritional adequacy of household support and investing in local food solutions to address wasting. WFP will drive efficiency quality and impact by harnessing our unique analytical capability research and innovation and advocacy to promote evidence-based prioritised and context-appropriate actions. We will partner with governments UN agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to catalyse sustainable solutions that benefit those at greatest risk of malnutrition.
Aligning with the strategic objective of addressing wasting the consultant will actively contribute to the child wasting and maternal nutrition global and country agenda and support capacity strengthening for improved design of interventions to address malnutrition through multiple platforms programmes with a focus on food and social protection systems. The consultant will closely work with other colleagues in the Nutrition and Food Quality Service and with nutritionists in Regional Bureaux (RB) Country Offices (CO) to expand their capacity to integrate nutrition throughout WFP portfolio and assistance to national governments support the roll out of the new nutrition strategy and explore opportunities to use other modality than in-kind (including Cash based Transfer) to address wasting and maternal undernutrition.
ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Actively contribute /lead on WFPs child wasting and maternal undernutrition approach including prevention and management of moderate wasting based upon global normative guidance standards and evidence.
a. Under pathway 1 lead/contribute to the development refinement and dissemination and uptake of corporate guidance standards and technical tools for maternal nutrition and wasting prevention treatment and early detection.
b. Ensure alignment of internal technical standards corporate nutrition strategy with global guidance (e.g. WHO UNICEF Sphere Global Nutrition Cluster) and relevant global commitments (e.g. SDGs WHA targets GAP and the Global Action Plan on Child Wasting).
c. Provide strategic direction for integrating maternal nutrition and wasting priorities across pathways and sectors with a focus on food system and social protection.
d. Support the roll out of UNICEF-WFP strategic approach in the 15 priority countries and articulation with the WHO guidelines and WHO-UNICEF outpatient Operational guidance.
e. Develop brief/ 2-pager/guidance when required.
f. Lead/Support integration of CASH efforts into the approach for prevention and management of wasting including advocacy and communication piloting tool and guidance development with CBT RAM and Supply Chain etc.
g. Document emerging practices for malnutrition prevention an through a systems approach.
2. Support efforts in aligning 2G/3G CSP with WFP strategic Plan (2022-2025) and support regional bureau and country office in integrating nutrition (i.e. programme system and capacity) and roll out of the nutrition strategy.
a. Provide guidance tools and technical support to integrate nutrition into 2G/3G CSP and support alignment with corporate M&E systems.
b. Conduct field missions when requested by Country Offices and Regional Bureaus to support nutritions integration in WFP portfolio and assistance provided to government.
c. Provide technical remote backstopping for programmes and proposals development (McGovern Dole KfW BMZ USAID/BHA etc.) including support to programme impact pathway and M&E framework.
d. Support any capacity building efforts related to nutrition-integration within the Workforce Strategic Planning.
e. Support roll-out of the new nutrition strategy.
3. Support capacitation efforts in collaboration with KMDI on the use of CBT for nutrition outcomes as part of alternative to SNF for prevention and management of moderate wasting
a. Take stock/review progress on the use of cash for prevention and management of acute malnutrition in WFP including capacity/skills current use of cash vouchers or food-based support in wasting prevention toolbox barriers and enablers.
b. Build evidence base through piloting and documenting best practices in cash use for wasting prevention and management.
c. Build regional capacities through the implementation of regional action plan in relation to Cash as part of the broader prevention approach.
d. Input into the development of tools learning and best practices.
4. Support strengthened assessment/analysis and M&E strategies for wasting nutrition and healthy diets outcomes.
a. Contribute to the wasting prevention M&E work with JHU.
b. Continue to follow up with the WFP Corporate Results Framework (CRF) process and fine-tune nutrition-sensitive indicators in collaboration with Nut M&E focal point.
c. Support countries in identifying appropriate M&E indicators for nutrition integration building upon the use of programme impact pathways.
d. Support roll out of new CRF nutrition indicators and refine methodology over time after piloting in a couple of countries.
DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:
1. Deliverable 1: Finalize and roll out a comprehensive set of corporate technical guidelines and toolkits on child wasting including prevention early detection and management of moderate wasting.. This includes MAM programming guide check list for CBT for dietary management of MAM and a review on use of CBT for prevention including enablers/barriers.
2. Deliverable 2: Provide remote and in-person technical support to at least 3 country offices in the design implementation or scaling up of programmes addressing child wasting and maternal undernutrition including research project such as JUNIPr.
3. Deliverable 3: Represent WFP in major global nutrition forums (e.g. Global Nutrition Cluster SUN Movement WHA discussions) and contribute to 1-2 joint policy briefs or products on maternal and child nutrition.
4. Support to other work streams when needed.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education: An advanced degree in international nutrition agriculture food security health or other area relevant to nutrition-sensitive programming.
Experience:
- At least 10-15 years programming experience relevant particularly to food-based approaches to nutrition (e.g. nutrition-sensitive agriculture school feeding social protection resilience etc.) and across systems (food social protection and education )
- Experience with multi-sectoral interventions/programmes (e.g. safety nets asset creation pro-smallholder programming) desirable related nutrition and food security.
- Strong experience in capacity building initiatives & delivering training
- Experience working in emerging areas of nutrition such as adolescent girls behaviour change communication double burden desirable.
- Experience working with national government
- Monitoring and evaluation experience required.
- Experience working in emergency desirable.
- Experience in gender-focused programming desirable.
- Experience generating learning modules/programme guidelines required.
- Knowledge & Skills: Knowledge of multi-sectoral drivers of malnutrition required.
- Knowledge of global and country level nutrition architecture required.
- Knowledge of scientific methods and ability to critically analyse emerging global evidence for robustness quality and relevance.
- Ability to work independently.
- Good interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work in multicultural setting.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills required.
Languages:
Fluency in English and excellent writing skills required. Working knowledge of another UN language.
WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK
WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.
Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation please contact:
NO FEE DISCLAIMER
The United Nations does not charge any application processing training interviewing testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee please disregard it. Furthermore please note that emblems logos names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.
REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION
We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate complete and includes your employment records academic qualifications language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).
Once your profile is completed please apply and submit your application.
Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language
Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter
Additional documents such as passport recommendation letters academic certificates etc. may potentially be requested at a future time
Please contact us at in case you face any challenges with submitting your application
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified
All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs job requirements merit and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse all forms of discrimination any kind of harassment sexual harassment and abuse of authority. Therefore all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) FAO Finance Committee WFP External Auditor WFP Audit Committee Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.
Required Experience:
Contract
Employment Type
Full-Time
