Child Nutrition and Development Specialist (UN Volunteer)

About the role

UNICEF Tanzania is seeking a National UN Volunteer Child Nutrition and Development Specialist in Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania. The assignment supports UNICEF's Child Nutrition and Development Programme in strengthening nutrition and early childhood development (ECD) services for children, adolescents and women across Unguja and Pemba. Working with the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar and implementing partners, the volunteer contributes to the Zanzibar Multisectoral Nutrition Strategic Action Plan 2024/25-2028/29 and the Zanzibar Multisectoral Early Childhood Development Programme 2026/27-2030/31.

Key responsibilities

• Support the planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of child nutrition and ECD programmes across Zanzibar.
• Provide technical assistance for maternal nutrition, micronutrient supplementation, IYCF, adolescent nutrition and prevention and management of wasting.
• Strengthen integration of ECD, responsive caregiving and early stimulation into health facilities, community programmes, parenting platforms and ECD centres.
• Support school-based nutrition initiatives, including micronutrient supplementation, nutrition-sensitive WASH and food fortification.
• Give technical guidance to government institutions and partners to improve the quality, coverage and integration of nutrition and ECD services.
• Conduct field monitoring visits, identify challenges and support corrective actions.
• Support multisectoral coordination, technical working groups and partnerships across health, education, social protection, WASH and food systems.
• Collect, verify and analyse programme data, document achievements and prepare updates, donor briefs and presentations.
• Support capacity building for health workers, teachers, ECD caregivers and community health volunteers, and facilitate peer learning between Unguja, Pemba and Mainland Tanzania.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in a nutrition-related field such as Nutrition, Public Health Nutrition, Global Health and Nutrition, Health Sciences or Food and Nutrition Policy.
• At least 3 years of relevant professional experience in nutrition, maternal and child nutrition, community nutrition or ECD programming.
• Demonstrated experience providing technical support for programme design, implementation, monitoring, quality assurance and reporting at national or subnational level.
• Fluent English required; fluent Swahili is an additional, non-mandatory language.
• Experience with government institutions, UN agencies, NGOs or community structures, and experience in monitoring, knowledge management and data use are assets.

Required skills

• Strong technical knowledge of maternal, infant, young child and adolescent nutrition programming.
• Good understanding of the link between nutrition, responsive caregiving, early stimulation and ECD.
• Programme planning, coordination, monitoring, reporting and quality assurance skills.
• Analytical, communication, documentation and presentation skills, including using programme data for decisions.
• Desirable: computer applications, digital communication tools and data collection platforms.

What we offer

• A benefits package including a monthly Volunteer Living Allowance, health and life insurance, disability coverage and other entitlements under UNV Conditions of Service.