Nutrition Specialist

Job Posting Organization:
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) was established in 1945 and is dedicated to achieving security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food security for all and ensuring that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. FAO operates in over 130 countries and has a mission to support the transformation into more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems. The organization emphasizes environmental sustainability as a core component of its strategic objectives and operations. The FAO Sierra Leone Country Office specifically focuses on addressing food security, agriculture, and rural development priorities in Sierra Leone, ensuring a multidisciplinary approach to its programs and activities.

Job Overview:
The Nutrition Specialist position is crucial for supporting the implementation of a project focused on the palm oil value chain development in Sierra Leone. This role involves working closely with various stakeholders, including the project task force, the National Nutrition Officer, and technical units within FAO. The specialist will be responsible for developing gender and nutrition-sensitive tools and indicators, updating project baseline information, conducting nutrition-sensitive gap analyses in training materials, and identifying capacity-building needs for farmers. The position requires a strong focus on evidence-based interventions that are gender-transformative and climate-smart, ensuring that the project aligns with the broader goals of improving nutrition and empowering women in the agricultural sector. The Nutrition Specialist will also contribute to monitoring and evaluation frameworks to track the project's impact on gender and nutritional outcomes, ensuring that the initiatives are effectively implemented and reported.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Nutrition Specialist will undertake a variety of tasks, including: developing gender and nutrition-sensitive tools for baseline assessments; updating project baseline information with gender and nutrition-sensitive data; conducting nutrition-sensitive gap analyses in training materials for TVET schools; identifying capacity-building needs for farmers; developing evidence-based interventions for project proposals; providing inputs for monitoring and evaluation frameworks; designing monitoring systems to measure the impact of interventions; attending nutrition Technical Working Group meetings; preparing and submitting quarterly reports on nutrition and gender; guiding and training FAO/MAFS personnel; reviewing training materials to ensure they are nutrition-sensitive; liaising with relevant FAO technical units; leading capacity-building elements for gender and nutrition; promoting new dietary recipes in TVET school curriculums; and conducting training on sustainable agricultural practices.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree in nutrition, food science, public health, food safety, gender, or a related field from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO. Additionally, candidates should have at least five years of relevant experience in nutrition and gender analysis within food systems and the palm oil sector. Experience in designing projects that incorporate nutrition, gender, and climate-smart agriculture is also required. Proficiency in English is mandatory, with a working knowledge at proficiency level C.

Educational Background:
The position requires an advanced university degree in a relevant field such as nutrition, food science, public health, food safety, or gender studies. This educational background is essential for understanding the complexities of nutrition and gender issues within agricultural systems, particularly in the context of palm oil production.

Experience:
Candidates should have a minimum of five years of relevant experience in nutrition and gender analysis, specifically within the food systems and palm oil sector. This experience should include project design and implementation that addresses nutrition, gender, and climate-smart agriculture, demonstrating a strong understanding of the challenges and opportunities in these areas.

Languages:
Proficiency in English is mandatory for this position, with a requirement for candidates to demonstrate a high level of communication skills in the language. Additional language skills may be beneficial but are not specified as mandatory.

Additional Notes:
The position is based in the FAO Sierra Leone Country Office and is part of a project funded by the EU. The role is expected to involve collaboration with various stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, and educational institutions. The contract duration and specific seniority level are not mentioned, but the position is likely to be full-time given the responsibilities outlined. Compensation and benefits details are not provided in the job description.