Child Nutrition and Development Specialist

General

Description of assignment title: Child Nutrition and Development Specialist

Assignment country: United Republic of Tanzania

Duty stations: Zanzibar

Work location: On UN premises

Expected start date: 12/01/2026

Duration: 4 months (with possibility of extension)

Sustainable Development Goal: 2. Zero hunger

Host entity: UNICEF

Modality: Onsite

Type: National

Volunteer category: Specialist UCoS from Apr2026

Work schedule: Full-time

Number of Assignments: 1

Details

Mission and objectives

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and Governments.

Context

UNICEF Tanzania supports the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar to advance evidence-based, systems-strengthening and multisectoral approaches to improve nutrition and development outcomes for children, adolescents and women. Through the Child Nutrition and Development Programme, UNICEF works with national and sub-national authorities to strengthen policies, service delivery platforms, community systems, data use, social and behavior change, and partnerships for im-proved maternal, infant, young child and adolescent nutrition and development.

In Zanzibar, UNICEF’s Child Nutrition and Development Programme is guided by a systems-strengthening approach that seeks to ensure children, adolescents and women increase utili-zation of equitable quality services, consume quality diets and adopt nurturing care practices that support optimal nutrition, growth and development. The programme promotes convergence across health, education, WASH, food systems, social protection and community platforms, while strengthening government ownership, multisectoral coordination, data systems and community engagement.

The National UN Volunteer Nutrition and ECD Specialist will support UNICEF’s Child Nutrition and Development Programme in Zanzibar by providing technical, strategic, coordination, monitoring and documentation support for priority nutrition and early childhood development (ECD) interventions across Unguja and Pemba. The assignment will contribute to the rollout and operationalization of the Zanzibar Multisectoral Nutrition Strategic Action Plan 2024/25–2028/29 and the Zanzibar Multisectoral Early Childhood Development Programme 2026/27– 2030/31. Key priorities include improving maternal nutrition services through antenatal care (ANC), postnatal care (PNC) and community platforms, including supporting multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) scale-up and integration into health information systems; strengthening infant and young child feeding and responsive caregiving counselling; supporting integration of early stimulation and nurturing care through health facility, community and parenting platforms; strengthening adolescent nutrition through school-based and community platforms, including weekly iron and folic acid supplementation (WIFAS); strengthening the prevention, early detection and treatment of wasting; enhancing food environment and fortifi-cation; and strengthening nutrition-sensitive water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and cli-mate-related interventions in priority districts. The assignment will also provide support for technical coordination, programme quality assurance, monitoring, documentation, partner reporting, learning and scale-up of interventions, including community engagement, service delivery support, social and behavior change, school- and community-based nutrition and early childhood development platforms.

Overall, the UN Volunteer will support UNICEF and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar to strengthen equitable access to quality nutrition and early childhood development services, promote improved nutrition and nurturing care practices among children, adolescents and women, and generate evidence and learning to inform programme improvement and scale-up.

Task description

The purpose of this assignment is to provide expert technical, strategic, operational, and coordination support to UNICEF-supported child nutrition and development programming in Zanzibar, contributing to program planning, implementation, monitoring, reporting, quality assurance, knowledge management, evidence generation, and partnership engagement for improved nutrition and early childhood development (ECD) outcomes among children, adolescents, and women.

The National UN Volunteer (Nutrition and ECD Specialist) will be based in Zanzibar and will work under the supervision of the Chief of Zanzibar Field Office and matrix management by the Chief of Child Nutrition and Development, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health Zanzibar, Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, relevant line ministries, local government authorities, implementing partners, and community structures. The incumbent will provide technical guidance and strategic advisory support to strengthen government and partner capacity to plan, implement, coordinate, monitor, and report on priority nutrition interventions. The key functions and accountabilities are as follows:

A. Programme Planning, Implementation and Monitoring (40%)

• Provide technical support for the planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of priority child nutrition and development interventions in Zanzibar, including maternal nutrition, micronutrient supplementation (MMS), infant and young child feeding (IYCF), early childhood development (ECD), prevention and management of wasting, adolescent nutrition, school health and nutrition, nutrition-sensitive water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), food environment, and fortification-related initiatives. Priority early childhood development interventions in Zanzibar include market-based ECD centres, Tutu centres, parenting support, and the integration of responsive caregiving and early stimulation into health, nutrition, and community platforms.
• Provide technical and operational guidance to government counterparts to strengthen the quality, coverage, and integration of nutrition and ECD services across health facilities, schools, and community platforms.
• Provide technical oversight and operational support to implementing partners, ensuring timely implementation of agreed activities, quality assurance, partner reporting, documentation of results, and alignment with UNICEF workplans and Zanzibar priorities.
• Support multisectoral nutrition and ECD coordination structures, technical working groups, and partner platforms to strengthen alignment, accountability, and delivery of Zanzibar child nutrition and development priorities.
• Conduct regular field monitoring and supportive supervision visits, identify implementation bottlenecks, document agreed corrective actions with partners, and provide expert follow-up to support timely delivery of quality results.
• Review program workplans, budgets, fund utilization, and liquidation documentation, ensuring alignment with UNICEF procedures, donor commitments, government priorities, and expected programme results.

B. Documentation, Visibility and Knowledge Management (20%)

• Support documentation of programme results, human-interest stories, case studies, best practices, and lessons learned from Zanzibar child nutrition and development programming.
• Support the preparation of high-quality programme updates, donor briefs, presentations, newsletters, and visibility materials for internal and external audiences.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing between Zanzibar and Mainland Tanzania programmes, including learning on priority interventions.
• Promote visibility of UNICEF-supported child nutrition and development work through advocacy dialogue, communication, networking, and participation in relevant forums.

C. Evidence Generation and Data Use (20%)

• Support collection, verification, analysis, and use of routine data for child nutrition and development programmes in Zanzibar, including IYCF, ECD, maternal nutrition, adolescent nutrition, school health and nutrition, and community-based interventions.
• Provide advisory support on the integration and use of nutrition and ECD indicators and reporting tools within Zanzibar health, ECD, education, and other relevant information and monitoring systems, where feasible.
• Contribute to learning and evidence-generation exercises on how integrated services are delivered through ECD and Tutu centres, health, community, and parenting platforms.
• Contribute to assessments, surveys, data quality reviews, programme reviews, and evidence-generation exercises as required.
• Use programme evidence to identify implementation gaps, inform corrective actions, and support evidence-based decision-making by UNICEF, government counterparts, and implementing partners.

D. Partnerships, Capacity Building and Peer Learning (20%)

• Provide expert technical support to Zanzibar counterparts to operationalize national and Zanzibar-specific guidelines, strategies, and standards for maternal, child, adolescent nutrition, and early childhood development.
• Support capacity strengthening of health service providers, ECD care workers, community health volunteers, teachers, school workers, and community structures on priority child nutrition and development interventions.
• Facilitate peer learning, exchange, and documentation across districts and between Unguja and Pemba, including lessons from school health and nutrition, maternal nutrition, community-based platforms, parenting support, childcare, and integrated ECD approaches.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with government institutions, UN agencies, NGOs, civil society organizations (CSOs), faith-based organizations (FBOs), academia, private sector actors, and community groups supporting child nutrition and development outcomes in Zanzibar.

11. Results/Expected Outputs:

• Improved planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of UNICEF-supported child nutrition and development interventions in Zanzibar.
• Strengthened capacity of government counterparts, service providers, schools, and community structures to deliver quality maternal, child, and adolescent nutrition and ECD services.
• Improved use of data (routine and surveys), assessments, and programme evidence for decision-making, learning, and course correction on nutrition and child development priorities.
• Documented best practices, lessons learned, human-interest stories, and visibility materials on Zanzibar child nutrition and development programming.
• Strengthened multisectoral coordination and partnership engagement for the implementation of the Zanzibar nutrition and ECD agenda.

Eligibility criteria

Age: 18 - 80

Required experience: 3 years

Nationality: Candidate must be a national, legal resident or hold refugee status in the country of assignment.

Assignment requirements

Relevant experience: 3 years

Languages:

• English, Level: Fluent, Required
• Swahili, Level: Fluent, Desirable

Required education level: Bachelor's degree in Nutrition, public health nutrition, nutritional epidemiology, global or international health and nutrition, health sciences, food and nutrition policy, or another relevant nutrition-related field is required.

Competencies and values:

• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness.
• Works collaboratively with others.
• Builds and maintains partnerships.
• Innovates and embraces change.
• Thinks and acts strategically.
• Drives to achieve impactful results.
• Manages ambiguity and complexity

Skills and experience:

Experience in nutrition, public health nutrition, nutrition planning and management, maternal, infant, young child, and adolescent nutrition, community nutrition, multisectoral nutrition, and/or early childhood development programming is required.

• Demonstrated experience providing expert technical support for child nutrition and development programme design, implementation, monitoring, quality assurance, and reporting at the national or sub-national level is required.
• Demonstrated experience integrating gender equality considerations into nutrition, parenting, early childhood development, or community-based programming, including promotion of male engagement, shared caregiving, and equitable gender norms, is highly desirable.
• Experience working with government institutions, United Nations (UN ) agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society organizations, or community structures is an asset.
• Experience in monitoring, reporting, documentation, knowledge management, or data use for programme improvement is an added advantage.

Skills

• Strong expert-level technical understanding of maternal, infant, young child, and adolescent nutrition programming.
• Strong understanding of the links between nutrition, responsive caregiving, early stimulation, nurturing care, and early childhood development.
• Strong programme planning, coordination, monitoring, reporting, and quality assurance skills.
• Strong writing, documentation, communication, and presentation skills.
• Good analytical skills and ability to use routine programme data for monitoring, reporting, and decision-making.
• Ability to work collaboratively with multiple stakeholders and undertake regular field travel within Zanzibar.
• Proficiency in standard computer software, digital communication tools, and data collection platforms is desirable.

Area(s) of expertise: Nutrition, Nursing, midwifery, paramedics, medical technology, Community development

Driving license: -

Other information

Volunteerism is understood as a wide range of activities undertaken of free will, for the general public good, for which monetary reward is not the principal motivating factor.

Living conditions and remarks

The UN Volunteer will be based in Zanzibar, a family duty station with adequate amenities, including health services, communication networks, banking services, markets, schools, transport and accommodation. The assignment may require regular travel within Unguja and Pemba and occasional travel to Dar es Salaam or other locations for program coordination, monitoring and learning activities

Inclusivity statement

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Reasonable accommodation

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for UN Volunteers with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process and afterwards in your assignment.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements

In addition to duty station-specific vaccine requirements, appointments are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the appointment. It does not apply to UN Volunteers who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their contracts.

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