Nutrition Specialist (Health)

The Nutrition Specialist (Health) supports programme development, planning, management, monitoring, and delivery of nutrition results in Sri Lanka. The role provides technical and operational support to programme implementation, builds partnerships, fosters innovation, and strengthens capacity to promote maternal, infant, young child and adolescent nutrition aligned with UNICEF strategies and national priorities.

Responsibilities

• Support to programme development and planning.
• Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results.
• Technical and operational support to programme implementation.
• Networking and partnership building.
• Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building.

Requirements

• Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in nutrition, public health, nutritional epidemiology, global/international health and nutrition, health/nutrition research, policy and/or management, health sciences, nutritional epidemiology, or another health-related science field.
• A minimum of five years of professional experience in a developing country in one or more of the following areas is required: nutrition, public health, nutrition planning and management, or maternal, infant, and child health/nutrition care or any other related field.
• Ability to lead the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of nutrition programmes, ensuring alignment with national priorities, UNICEF strategies and results-based management principles.
• Strong understanding of maternal, infant, young child and adolescent nutrition, with the ability to support policy development, strengthen health and nutrition systems, and promote sustainable service delivery.
• Ability to generate, analyze and utilize evidence from surveys, assessments, monitoring systems and evaluations to inform programme design, policy dialogue and resource allocation.
• Proven ability to build and maintain effective partnerships with government institutions, development partners, donors, civil society organizations, academia and UN agencies to advance nutrition outcomes.
• Ability to translate technical evidence into policy recommendations, advocate for nutrition priorities, and influence decision-makers to strengthen investments and commitments for children and women.
• Ability to oversee programme performance, manage resources effectively, ensure compliance with organizational standards, and deliver high-quality reporting and accountability for results.
• Ability to strengthen institutional and partner capacities, promote innovation, and facilitate the generation and sharing of knowledge and best practices.
• Ability to provide technical leadership, coordinate multidisciplinary stakeholders, foster collaboration, and guide teams toward achieving programme objectives.
• English - Proficient/Fluent
• Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language (fluency in Sinhala and/or Tamil) is desirable.
• Experience leading the design, implementation, monitoring and management of nutrition and/or public health programmes, particularly in maternal, infant, young child and adolescent nutrition is desirable.
• Demonstrated experience strengthening health and nutrition systems, policies, strategies and service delivery platforms at national and/or sub-national level is desirable.
• Experience generating and utilizing evidence, including nutrition assessments, surveys, evaluations and routine information systems, to inform programme and policy decisions is desirable.
• Experience working with senior government counterparts, development partners, donors and other stakeholders to advance nutrition and child development priorities is desirable.
• Experience in developing and managing health or nutrition programmes within a UN agency, international organization or development partner setting is an asset.
• Experience in health systems strengthening is particularly desirable.
• Experience supporting emergency preparedness, humanitarian response and resilience-building initiatives is an asset.
• Demonstrated experience in resource mobilization, donor engagement and partnership development is an asset.
• Knowledge of Sri Lanka's health, nutrition and social sector systems and policy environment is desirable.
• Fluency in Sinhala and/or Tamil is an asset.
• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

Skills

• Nutrition Program Design
• Nutrition Program Implementation
• Nutrition Programme Monitoring
• Nutrition Program Evaluation
• Maternal Nutrition
• Infant Nutrition
• Young Child Nutrition
• Adolescent Nutrition
• Nutrition Policy
• Public Health Systems Strengthening
• Nutrition Analysis
• Survey Data Utilization
• Evidence-based Policymaking
• Resource Mobilization
• Donor Engagement Strategies
• Partnership Development
• Technical Leadership
• Multi-disciplinary Coordination
• Result-Based Management
• Accountability Reporting

Languages

English