Organizational Setting

FAO's Food and Nutrition Division (ESN) provides technical expertise and normative guidance to support Members' actions to improve access to and consumption of healthy diets to raise levels of nutrition. Priorities include the generation and consolidation of data and evidence for decision-making, the development and mobilization of up-to-date guidance and guidelines across a variety of relevant topics, and the integration of nutrition into agrifood systems policies and actions from production, through value chain and market initiatives to consumers. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) supports countries in transforming agrifood systems to deliver healthy diets for all. School-based food and nutrition programmes are a critical point for improving child nutrition, supporting local food systems, and fostering lifelong healthy eating habits.

This position is located in the Food and Nutrition Division (ESN), at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall guidance of the Director, ESN, the Nutrition and Food Systems Officer (School Food and Nutrition) reports directly to the Senior Nutrition Officer, ESN, and collaborates closely with FAO colleagues in and outside of ESN.

Technical Focus

Contribute to strengthening the design, implementation, and monitoring of school food and nutrition programmes with focus on school meals initiatives that are nutritionally adequate, culturally appropriate, and sustainable. Include provision of technical support and guidance to FAO country offices, governments, and partners to enhance the nutrition outcomes of school meals programmes and to foster healthy food practices. The incumbent will contribute to evidence generation and consolidation, capacity development, and intersectoral collaboration, ensuring alignment with FAO's strategic objectives and global commitments.

Key Results

Research and analysis of information, data and statistics, and the maintenance and updating of related tools, methodologies, and/or databases to support the delivery of programme products, projects, publications, and services.

Key Functions

• Researches and analyses [agricultural, economic, trade, market, social, environmental, nutrition/food composition and/or gender related] data, statistics and information to provide technical, statistical and/or policy related information and analysis to support the delivery of economic and social development programmes work, products, projects, publications and services.

• Produces a variety of technical reports and input for technical documents, divisional publications and/or web pages.

• Provides technical, statistical, and/or analytical services on various studies, projects, and/or assessments and provides technical backstopping to field projects.

• Participates in the development of improved/updated technical, statistical and/or analytical tools, methodologies, systems, databases, and/or key social/ economic/ environmental/ nutritional and/or early warning indicators, etc.

• Participates in multidisciplinary teams, collaborates with other Divisions/Offices/Centres and agencies on work groups and committees and promotes best practices.

• Collaborates in capacity development activities involving the planning and organizing of training workshops, seminars, and major meetings and the preparation of related information, materials, on-line tools and information kits.

• Promotes knowledge sharing and best practices at international meetings and conferences and influences partners in stakeholder consultations.

• Participates in resource mobilization activities.

Specific Functions

• Supports senior officers in providing technical assistance to countries in designing and implementing nutrition guidelines and standards to improve the nutritional quality of school food.

• Follows up on the integration of a holistic approach to enhance school children's nutrition by synergically combining local food procurement and food and nutrition education within school food initiatives.

• Contributes to the development of global, regional and national tools, guidance and manuals for school-based food and nutrition interventions.

• Contributes to the design and development of innovative training materials for diverse contexts for fostering school food and nutrition actions with high potential for nutritional impacts.

• Facilitates the organization of training workshops, webinars, and learning exchanges for government staff and stakeholders.

• Contributes to the development and dissemination of technical materials, case studies, and good practices on school meals with high potential to improve nutrition.

• Provides inputs to evidence generation and consolidation on the impact of school meals on nutrition, diet quality, food practices, local food systems, and related metrics of social and economic development.

• Supports the development of monitoring and evaluation frameworks and the selection of indicators to assess diets of school children and nutritional quality of school meals.

• Participates in meetings with UN agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academia, and the private sector to promote coordinated action for improving the nutrition impact-potential of school meals.

• Gives presentations on behalf of FAO in relevant global and regional fora.

• Monitors the integration of gender, equity, and environmental sustainability considerations into all activities aiming at improving the nutritional quality of school meals.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in nutrition, dietetics, food science, public health or a related field.

• Five years of relevant experience in nutrition programmes.

• Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Competencies

• Results Focus

• Teamwork

• Communication

• Building Effective Relationships

• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions, is desirable.

• Extent and relevance of experience in generating, analyzing, consolidating and reporting on food and nutrition in school settings.

• Familiarity with FAO's partner institutions (including UN agencies and NGOs), as well as experience in interagency coordination, is an asset.

• Demonstrable knowledge of school-based interventions that aim at improving nutrition outcomes.

• A record of publication in peer reviewed journals on topics related to school food and nutrition is an asset.

• Extent and relevance of experience in setting standards and guidelines, capacity development, and multi-stakeholder coordination.

• Excellent communication, analytical, and report-writing skills.

• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and multidisciplinary environment.

• Experience in nutritional quality of school food and meals is preferable.