Consultancy to provide technical support to advance large-scale food fortification (LSFF) and iodine nutrition agenda in West and Central Africa (WCAR)

Office based in Abuja, Nigeria (with travel across West Africa / Member States)

10 months

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to nutrition

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF seeks an experienced consultant to deliver a defined package of high-level technical, policy and coordination outputs in support of the relevant Regional Economic Communities and Member States to accelerate progress on large-scale food fortification (LSFF), including universal salt iodization (USI), and related nutrition policy priorities across the West and Central Africa Region (WCAR).

The consultant will prepare technical products and draft frameworks to support the RECs efforts related to strengthening institutional capacity, advancing regional standards and regulatory frameworks, preparing operational recommendations in selected Member States, and preparing consultation outputs and technical documentation supporting regional LSFF commitments, including USI.

The consultant will also contribute to the broader food systems transformation agenda, including the First Foods Africa initiative, and deliver technical outputs supporting policy reform, standards harmonization, technical specifications for strengthening of ECOQMARK and monitoring systems, and draft country-specific implementation roadmaps for institutional review of LSFF programmes, including USI.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here: ToRTMC0007054.pdf

Minimum requirements:

Education: Masters in Nutrition, Partnerships, Advocacy, Development, Communications, Economics
Work Experience: 10-15 years of progressively responsible professional experience in public nutrition, food systems, public health or related development programming, with substantial experience in LSFF, USI or micronutrient deficiency prevention.

Demonstrated experience supporting regional or multi-country programmes in Africa, preferably within WCAR.
Proven track record of working with inter-governmental bodies such as ECOWAS, African Union, Regional Economic Communities, governments, UN agencies, development partners, academia and/or private sector stakeholders.
Strong experience in policy reform, standards development, regulatory frameworks, trade facilitation or programme implementation in low- and middle-income countries.
Experience in planning and facilitating high-level consultations, ministerial meetings, technical working groups and multi-stakeholder platforms.
Strong communication, negotiation, diplomacy and stakeholder management skills.

Skills: Strong technical knowledge of LSFF, USI, food systems, food standards, quality assurance/control systems, premix supply systems, regulatory monitoring and compliance mechanisms.

Good understanding of regional trade systems, including certification and cross-border regulatory frameworks

Language Requirements: Fluency in written and oral French and English is required. Fluency or working knowledge of Portuguese is desirable.
Desirables:

Previous experience working with RECs or any other African Regional Economic Communities.
Experience in West African francophone countries.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):

An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
Cover letter
A separate financial proposal (only acceptable in the format of the linked template) Financial proposal TMC0007054.docx

Remarks:

If the TOR or financial proposal documents are not visible on certain recruitment platforms, please visit our official page Vacancies | UNICEF Careers.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Consultancy to provide technical support to advance large-scale food fortification and iodine nutrition agenda in WCAR, Office based in Abuja, Nigeria with travel, 10 months, # 596210