Senior Un-Nutrition Coordinator

Organizational Setting
UN-Nutrition is an interagency coordination mechanism for nutrition at global and country level that brings UN Agencies together to accelerate progress for nutrition objectives and targets at all levels. UN-Nutrition is born out of the merger of the United Nations Standing Committee on Nutrition (UNSCN) and of the UN Network for Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement (UNN). UN-Nutrition aims to ensure that nutrition actions and efforts at global and country level are connected, aligned, mutually supportive, and well-coordinated and overcome fragmentation. The priorities and workplan for UN-Nutrition are set by the UN-Nutrition Steering Committee (SC) made up of a Chair and the Nutrition Leads of the five core member organizations of UN-Nutrition, i.e. the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as two additional rotational members. A Secretariat, hosted by FAO, supports the Chair and SC in carrying out the mandate of UN-Nutrition.

The UN-Nutrition Secretariat is led by the Senior UN-Nutrition Coordinator who is responsible for convening UN-Nutrition members, for the timely and quality delivery of the UN-Nutrition workplan, including effective management of the UN-Nutrition Secretariat team. 

The post is located in the Food and Nutrition Division, ESN, at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy. Frequent travel may be required to perform the tasks.

Reporting Lines
The Senior UN-Nutrition Coordinator is accountable to the UN-Nutrition SC. The direct reporting line for administrative issues is the Director of the Food and Nutrition Division (ESN) of FAO, who takes responsibility for overseeing the use of UN-Nutrition resources, financial and other reporting, the respect of FAO’s rules and regulations and the quality and timeliness of the work of the Senior UN- Nutrition Coordinator on behalf of the UN-Nutrition SC.

Technical Focus
UN-Nutrition Secretariat’s activities.

Key Results
•    The agreed workplan of the UN-Nutrition Secretariat is completed in support of the UN-Nutrition mandate in an efficient and timely manner with quality deliverables.
•    UN-Nutrition resources are planned, managed and reported on efficiently and effectively, in line with FAO policies and procedures and other reporting requirements, as needed.
•    Efficient mobilization (as needed), allocation and stewardship of resources aligned with the UN-Nutrition mandate and workplan.
•    Timely and effective support provided to the SUN Movement.
•    UN-Nutrition Chair and SC are effectively supported, through effective convenings, efficient and timely communications and putting forward potential issues that require a unified voice for nutrition in the UN system, among related results. 

Key Functions
A: Lead and manage the work of the UN-Nutrition Secretariat:
•    Leads all aspects of the management of the Secretariat including its staff and consultants; 
•    Develops the workplan based on priorities identified by the SC and oversees the timely and quality delivery of the agreed workplan;
•    Schedules and prepares effectively in advance UN-Nutrition members’ meetings ensuring regular updates to the Chair and SC members on the progress of the implementation of the workplan; 
•    Organizes and provides support to the SC meetings, including timely preparation and circulation of minutes;
•    Regularly tracks implementation and updates the Chair and SC on the status of the action points identified during the SC meetings;
•    Leads the timely and high-quality preparation of all required Economic and Social Council’s (ECOSOC) donor’s and other reports, aligned with FAO (and other as required) procedures.

B: Effective resource allocation to fulfil the UN-Nutrition workplan, including resource mobilization, as needed:
•    Leads and oversees all actions required to ensure the timely receipt and management of all agreed funding commitments from UN-Nutrition members; 
•    Leads the efficient budget planning and allocation of resources aligned with the agreed workplan, and compliant with FAO (and other as required) procedures;
•    In addition to regular follow-up with the Director, ESN, provides timely and accurate reporting on UN-Nutrition Secretariat finances to the Chair, the SC, including recommendations regarding the need for resource mobilization;
•    When agreed with the SC, leads the development of a strategy and proposals for resource mobilization including identification and stewardship of potential donors;
•    Leads preparation of quality financial reports compliant with FAO (and other as required) procedures in a timely manner. 

C: Support a common UN voice of nutrition: 
•    Supports the SC in identifying areas that require a unified voice of the UN in relation to nutrition, and at the request of the SC, drafts related documents;
•    As needed, supports UN-Nutrition members with the dissemination of joint advocacy, knowledge or other messages, documents, and related products;
•    Upon request of the UN-Nutrition Chair and/or SC, represents UN-Nutrition at meetings/discussions with international, governmental, non-governmental bodies, bilateral/multilateral agencies, the scientific community and relevant taskforces, bodies and groups; 
•    Supports the coordination and effectiveness of nutrition actions in countries, including but not limited to work through the SUN Movement;
•    As needed, fields direct requests from countries for support to enhance UN collaboration for nutrition at country level, under the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), working with the SC to identify appropriate actions with UN-Nutrition members or the Secretariat directly;
•    Liaises with and identifies areas for support and/or joint activities of the UN-Nutrition and SUN Movement Secretariates, and ensures that any such activities are embedded in the workplan, and appropriate levels of resources identified/ mobilized (if needed);
•    In consultation with the SC, ensures that UN-Nutrition is effectively represented in the SUN Movement Executive Committee and relevant SUN Movement taskforces and ad-hoc working groups.
•    Performs other related duties as required.

Minimum Requirements
•    Advanced university degree in nutrition, public health, food systems, food security, social sciences, political science, rural development, or other relevant fields.
•    At least ten years of relevant experience in nutrition, nutrition policy and programming, including experience working globally and in low- and middle-income countries.
•    Extensive work experience in leading/ managing complex, preferably global, partnerships around key issues related to nutrition.
•    Extensive experience in effective management of budgets, work planning and reporting, and team management.
•    Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish or Russian). 

Competencies
•    Results Focus
•    Leading, Engaging and Empowering
•    Communication
•    Partnering and Advocating
•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
•    Strategic Thinking

Technical/Functional Skills
•    Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions, is essential;
•    Up-to-date knowledge and deep understanding across a broad spectrum of nutrition issues, nutrition governance and nutrition global architecture;
•    Demonstrated ability to build strategic partnerships and engage in high-level negotiations; 
•    Extent and relevance of experience in interacting with government authorities, senior UN authorities and other partners at a high level of seniority, within and outside the nutrition community highly desirable;
•    Extent and relevance of experience in supporting country operations at senior management level within the UN, a non-governmental, bilateral, multilateral or donor organization is desirable;
•    Knowledge of the UN System, its functioning, processes and reporting procedures as well as other inter-agency processes and procedures, is considered an asset;
•    Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of French and/or Spanish is desirable.