Private Sector and Food Systems Specialist

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments

Côte d’Ivoire is recognized as a regional leader in nutrition, with a robust multisectoral strategy in place. While essential nutrition services have been introduced at the health facility level, challenges persist in service quality and dietary behaviors. Factors such as climate change, rapid urbanization, and the widespread promotion of unhealthy foods continue to hinder efforts to prevent malnutrition among women, children, and adolescents. Currently, only 25.3% of infants are exclusively breastfed for the first six months, and nearly 79% of children lack a diversified diet, with 39.2% consuming unhealthy foods, particularly in urban areas. Improving children’s diets is a central focus of both the national nutrition strategy and UNICEF’s country programme in Côte d’Ivoire.
To address these challenges, UNICEF is committed to accelerating the implementation of the 1st Foods Africa initiative in Côte d’Ivoire, aiming to make a significant contribution to strengthening food systems and improving nutrition outcomes. The UN Volunteer (UNV) will play a critical role in supporting the accelerated implementation of the nutrition programme, with a particular focus on nutrition-sensitive food systems and the 1st Foods Africa initiative, enhancing the Nutrition Section’s capacity to ensure technical excellence and high-quality programming in food systems.
Overall, this position will provide essential support to UNICEF’s enhanced commitment to preventing malnutrition through improved food systems and collaboration with the private sector. The UNV will offer technical expertise to advance the private sector and food systems agenda as part of the 2025–2030 UNICEF Country Programme, the Child Nutrition Fund, and the 1st Foods initiative, contributing to the achievement of the 2030 Global Nutrition Targets in Côte d’Ivoire.
In addition to duty station specific vaccine requirements, appointments are subject to confirmation of fully vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the appointment. It does not apply to UN Volunteers who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their contracts.
UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for UN Volunteers with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process and afterwards in your assignment.

Under the direct supervision of the Nutrition Specialist (Food systems), P3, the UN Volunteer responsible for nutrition-sensitive food systems for children will undertake the following tasks, with a strong focus on supporting the implementation of the 1st Foods Africa initiative, strengthening the regulatory environment, and engaging the private sector in Côte d’Ivoire:

1. Support Programme Implementation
• Assist in the planning, coordination, and execution of nutrition-sensitive food systems interventions, with a particular emphasis on scaling up the 1st Foods Africa initiative to improve the quality of children’s diets.

2. Technical Assistance and Capacity Building
• Provide technical support to government counterparts, implementing partners, and private sector actors to integrate nutrition objectives into food production, processing, and distribution systems.

3. Private Sector Engagement
• Support the identification, engagement, and capacity strengthening of local companies - particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs) - to develop, produce, and market affordable, safe, and nutritious foods for young children in alignment with the 1st Foods Africa initiative.

4. Support to Regulatory Frameworks
• Contribute to the review, development, and implementation of policies, standards, and regulations that promote nutrition-sensitive food systems, including food safety, labeling, marketing of foods for children, and quality assurance mechanisms.

5. Data Collection and Analysis
• Contribute to the collection, analysis, and use of data related to food systems and child nutrition, including monitoring the progress and impact of the 1st Foods Africa initiative and regulatory improvements.

6. Partnership and Coordination
• Facilitate cross-sectoral collaboration (e.g., agriculture, education, WASH, social protection) and foster public-private partnerships to ensure the 1st Foods Africa initiative and regulatory reforms are effectively embedded within broader food systems and development efforts.

7. Advocacy and Communication
• Support the development of advocacy materials and communication campaigns to promote the goals of the 1st Foods Africa initiative and raise awareness about the importance of nutritious, safe, and affordable foods for young children.

8. Monitoring and Reporting
• Assist in tracking implementation progress, documenting lessons learned, and preparing regular reports on the 1st Foods Africa initiative, regulatory developments, and private sector engagement.

9. Innovation and Knowledge Sharing
• Identify and promote innovative practices and tools - especially those developed by local companies or supported by regulatory improvements - that enhance the effectiveness of food systems in delivering better nutrition outcomes for children.