Child Nutrition & Development Specialist, Islamabad

General

Description of assignment title

Child Nutrition & Development Specialist

Assignment country

Pakistan

Duty stations

Islamabad

Work location

On UN premises

Expected start date

12/01/2026

Duration

12 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

Pakistan was the sixth country in the world to sign and ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child, less than one year after it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989. However, children and adolescents living in Pakistan still face acute challenges.

UNICEF supports the Government of Pakistan to accelerate progress for children, work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and help children realize their rights under the Convention on the Rights of Children. This will be made through, among others things, strong partnerships with provincial authorities, teachers and health professionals, frontline workers and social mobilisers, communities and families, and of course the children and adolescents themselves.

In particular, UNICEF will work so that:

• Every child survives and thrives -- being in good health, immunised, protected from polio and accessing nutritious food.
• Every child learns.
• Every child is protected from violence and exploitation, and registered at birth.
• Every child lives in a safe and clean environment, with access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.

Context

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to protect and promote the rights of every child. For more than 70 years, UNICEF has partnered with governments, communities, and development partners to help children survive, thrive, and reach their full potential. In Pakistan, UNICEF collaborates with federal and provincial governments, donors, NGOs, civil society organizations, and the private sector to improve the lives of children and women.

The organization is guided by its commitment to child rights, equity, and inclusion. UNICEF prioritizes the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children, ensuring they have equal opportunities to survive, develop, and succeed. Evidence shows that investing in the health, nutrition, education, and protection of vulnerable populations not only improves individual outcomes but also contributes to sustainable national development.

The Child Nutrition and Development Programme aims to ensure that by 2027, children, adolescents, and women in Pakistan, particularly the most vulnerable, have access to quality, equitable, gender-responsive, and sustainable nutrition services and adopt healthy nutrition and care practices. This contributes to optimal growth, development, and the reduction of all forms of malnutrition.

The programme focuses on three strategic areas:

1. Governance, Multisectoral Coordination, and Stronger Systems for Nutrition and Early Childhood Development (ECD): Strengthening policies, governance structures, coordination mechanisms, and programme implementation to address malnutrition and developmental challenges.
2. Early Childhood Nutrition: Improving nutrition services, practices, and dietary outcomes for children aged 0-5 years, including in humanitarian settings, to support survival, growth, and development.
3. Middle Childhood, Adolescent, and Maternal Nutrition: Enhancing nutrition services, interventions, and healthy practices for school-age children, adolescents, and mothers.

The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (MoNHSR&C) is a key UNICEF partner under the Multi-Year Work Plan (MYWP). UNICEF supports the Ministry in the design, implementation, and coordination of nutrition interventions within the health system, covering early childhood, adolescent, and maternal nutrition. This support was previously provided through an NOC-level consultant. Following a programme and management review, it was agreed that support would continue through the United Nations Volunteer (UNV) mechanism as a more cost-effective approach until the government is able to fully transition and assume ownership of these initiatives.

Task description

• The UNV will be responsible for the following to support MoNHSR&C:

1. Management and Coordination SupportProvide technical and coordination support to the Director General Health and Director Nutrition on child nutrition and development. Facilitate multisectoral collaboration with relevant partners and support implementation of nutrition interventions in both development and humanitarian contexts. Contribute to the preparation of technical briefs and support the development and implementation of national policies, strategies, and guidelines related to maternal, adolescent, infant, and young child nutrition (MAIYCN), including oversight of nutrition components of the Multisectoral National Nutrition Action Plan and BMS legislation monitoring.
2. Program Development, Planning, and MonitoringSupport cross-sectoral coordination with government counterparts and development partners for effective programme implementation. Assist collaboration with MoPDSI and UNICEF on ECD initiatives aligned with the Nurturing Care Framework. Facilitate integration and scale-up of wasting treatment within UHC services and support implementation of federal SBC activities under MAIYCN. Contribute to the rollout and strengthening of DHIS-2 health and nutrition modules and support implementation of Vitamin A Supplementation strategies.
3. Advocacy, Networking, and Partnership BuildingStrengthen partnerships with BISP and relevant stakeholders to improve delivery of nutrition services. Support organization of Technical Advisory Group meetings and national nutrition events. Build and maintain collaborative relationships with ECD and nutrition partners at national and provincial levels and facilitate coordination of ECD and MAIYCN activities. Provide technical input to knowledge-sharing initiatives and perform additional duties as assigned to support child survival and nutrition Programmes.
4. Support Information and Knowledge ManagementSupport implementation and monitoring of the DHIS-2 nutrition module. Coordinate monthly nutrition data collection and reporting with provinces, the Ministry, and UNICEF. Contribute to knowledge management activities, including documentation, research, and evidence generation.

Comments

Perform any additional tasks assigned by the supervisor. The consultant will report physically to the UNICEF office two days per week or as required.

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

1 year

Languages

English, Level: Working knowledge, Desirable

Urdu, Level: Native language, Desirable

Required education level

Bachelor's degree in Human Nutrition, Public Health Nutrition, or MBBS with MPH (Nutrition focused) or a relevant field

Competencies and values

• Builds and Maintains Partnerships
• Demonstrates Self-Awareness and Ethical Awareness
• Drive to Achieve Results for Impact
• Innovates and Embraces Change
• Manages Ambiguity and Complexity
• Thinks and Acts Strategically
• Works Collaboratively with Others

Skills and experience

• Relevant professional experience in Nutrition Health, and development sector with specific experience within in health sector on a broad range of nutrition-specific interventions is required.
• Previous experience with government/development partners at senior levels is an asset.

Area(s) of expertise

Nutrition

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

As this is a national UNV assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials.

UNV Field Unit will help you open a Pak rupee bank account with Standard Chartered Bank or any other local bank at your duty station.

Assignment remarks:

This is a national UNV assignment, and a Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) of PKR 131,371 is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities and normal cost of living expenses. Life health and permanent disability insurance are included (health insurance for up to 3 dependents), as well as final repatriation (if applicable) and resettlement allowance for satisfactory service.

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.

Scam warning

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