Child Nutrition and Development Specialist – Job Vacancy at UNICEF, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Host Organisation: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
Assignment Country: United Republic of Tanzania
Duty Station: Zanzibar (Unguja and Pemba)
Assignment Type: National UN Volunteer – Specialist UCoS (from April 2026)
Work Modality: Onsite
Work Schedule: Full-time
Duration: 4 months, with possibility of extension
Expected Start Date: 1 December 2026
Number of Positions: 1
Application Deadline: 13 November 2026 at 03:00
Minimum Relevant Experience: 3 years

About UNICEF

For 70 years, UNICEF has worked in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, access to safe water and sanitation, quality basic education, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation and AIDS.

UNICEF is funded entirely through voluntary contributions from individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

Background and Context

UNICEF Tanzania supports the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar in advancing evidence-based, systems-strengthening and multisectoral approaches to improve nutrition and development outcomes for children, adolescents and women.

Through its Child Nutrition and Development Programme, UNICEF works with national and sub-national authorities to strengthen policies, service delivery platforms, community systems, data use, social and behaviour change, and partnerships for improved maternal, infant, young child and adolescent nutrition and development.

In Zanzibar, the programme promotes equitable access to quality services, healthy diets and nurturing care practices that support optimal nutrition, growth and development. It encourages collaboration across health, education, WASH, food systems, social protection and community platforms while strengthening government ownership, multisectoral coordination, data systems and community engagement.

The National UN Volunteer Nutrition and ECD Specialist will support UNICEF’s Child Nutrition and Development Programme in Zanzibar by providing technical, strategic, coordination, monitoring and documentation support for priority nutrition and early childhood development (ECD) interventions across Unguja and Pemba.

The assignment will contribute to the implementation of:

• Zanzibar Multisectoral Nutrition Strategic Action Plan 2024/25–2028/29.
• Zanzibar Multisectoral Early Childhood Development Programme 2026/27–2030/31.

Key programme priorities include:

• Improving maternal nutrition services through antenatal care (ANC), postnatal care (PNC) and community platforms.
• Supporting the scale-up of multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) and its integration into health information systems.
• Strengthening infant and young child feeding (IYCF) and responsive caregiving counselling.
• Integrating early stimulation and nurturing care into health facilities, community and parenting platforms.
• Strengthening adolescent nutrition through school-based and community platforms, including weekly iron and folic acid supplementation (WIFAS).
• Improving the prevention, early detection and treatment of wasting.
• Enhancing food environments and food fortification.
• Strengthening nutrition-sensitive water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and climate-related interventions in priority districts.

The assignment will also support technical coordination, programme quality assurance, monitoring, documentation, partner reporting, learning and the scale-up of interventions.

Purpose of the Assignment

The assignment will provide expert technical, strategic, operational and coordination support to UNICEF-supported child nutrition and development programming in Zanzibar.

The specialist will contribute to programme planning, implementation, monitoring, reporting, quality assurance, knowledge management, evidence generation and partnership engagement to improve nutrition and early childhood development outcomes among children, adolescents and women.

The successful candidate will be based in Zanzibar and work under the supervision of the Chief of Zanzibar Field Office, with matrix management by the Chief of Child Nutrition and Development.

The role will involve close collaboration with the Ministry of Health Zanzibar, Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, relevant line ministries, local government authorities, implementing partners and community structures.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

A. Programme Planning, Implementation and Monitoring (40%)

• Provide technical support for the planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of priority child nutrition and development interventions in Zanzibar. These include maternal nutrition, micronutrient supplementation (MMS), infant and young child feeding (IYCF), early childhood development (ECD), prevention and management of wasting, adolescent nutrition, school health and nutrition, nutrition-sensitive WASH, food environment and food fortification initiatives.
• Support priority ECD interventions, including market-based ECD centres, Tutu centres, parenting support, and the integration of responsive caregiving and early stimulation into health, nutrition and community platforms.
• Provide technical and operational guidance to government counterparts to strengthen the quality, coverage and integration of nutrition and ECD services across health facilities, schools and community platforms.
• Provide technical oversight and operational support to implementing partners, ensuring timely implementation of agreed activities, quality assurance, partner reporting, documentation of results and alignment with UNICEF workplans and Zanzibar priorities.
• Support multisectoral nutrition and ECD coordination structures, technical working groups and partner platforms to strengthen alignment, accountability and delivery of Zanzibar’s child nutrition and development priorities.
• Conduct regular field monitoring and supportive supervision visits, identify implementation bottlenecks, document agreed corrective actions with partners and provide follow-up support.
• Review programme workplans, budgets, fund utilisation and liquidation documentation to ensure alignment with UNICEF procedures, donor commitments, government priorities and expected programme results.

B. Documentation, Visibility and Knowledge Management (20%)

• Support documentation of programme results, human-interest stories, case studies, best practices and lessons learned from Zanzibar’s child nutrition and development programmes.
• Support the preparation of high-quality programme updates, donor briefs, presentations, newsletters and visibility materials for internal and external audiences.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing between Zanzibar and Mainland Tanzania programmes, including learning on priority interventions.
• Promote the visibility of UNICEF-supported child nutrition and development work through advocacy dialogue, communication, networking and participation in relevant forums.

C. Evidence Generation and Data Use (20%)

• Support the collection, verification, analysis and use of routine data for child nutrition and development programmes in Zanzibar, including IYCF, ECD, maternal nutrition, adolescent nutrition, school health and nutrition, and community-based interventions.
• Provide advisory support on integrating and using nutrition and ECD indicators and reporting tools within Zanzibar’s health, ECD, education and other relevant information and monitoring systems, where feasible.
• Contribute to learning and evidence-generation exercises on the delivery of integrated services through ECD and Tutu centres, health facilities, community and parenting platforms.
• Contribute to assessments, surveys, data quality reviews, programme reviews and other evidence-generation exercises as required.
• Use programme evidence to identify implementation gaps, inform corrective actions and support evidence-based decision-making by UNICEF, government counterparts and implementing partners.

D. Partnerships, Capacity Building and Peer Learning (20%)

• Provide expert technical support to Zanzibar counterparts in operationalising national and Zanzibar-specific guidelines, strategies and standards for maternal, child and adolescent nutrition and early childhood development.
• Support capacity strengthening for health service providers, ECD care workers, community health volunteers, teachers, school workers and community structures on priority child nutrition and development interventions.
• Facilitate peer learning, exchange and documentation across districts and between Unguja and Pemba, including lessons from school health and nutrition, maternal nutrition, community-based platforms, parenting support, childcare and integrated ECD approaches.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with government institutions, UN agencies, NGOs, civil society organisations (CSOs), faith-based organisations (FBOs), academia, private sector actors and community groups supporting child nutrition and development outcomes in Zanzibar.

Expected Results and Outputs

The successful candidate is expected to contribute to the following results:

• Improved planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of UNICEF-supported child nutrition and development interventions in Zanzibar.
• Strengthened capacity of government counterparts, service providers, schools and community structures to deliver quality maternal, child and adolescent nutrition and ECD services.
• Improved use of routine data, surveys, assessments and programme evidence for decision-making, learning and course correction on nutrition and child development priorities.
• Documented best practices, lessons learned, human-interest stories and visibility materials on Zanzibar’s child nutrition and development programming.
• Strengthened multisectoral coordination and partnership engagement for implementation of Zanzibar’s nutrition and ECD agenda.

Eligibility Criteria

Age: 18–80 years.

Nationality: Candidates must be nationals, legal residents or hold refugee status in the country of assignment.

Relevant Experience: At least 3 years.

Required Education:

A Bachelor’s degree in any of the following fields is required:

• Nutrition.
• Public Health Nutrition.
• Nutritional Epidemiology.
• Global or International Health and Nutrition.
• Health Sciences.
• Food and Nutrition Policy.
• Another relevant nutrition-related field.

Language Requirements

• English: Fluent – required.
• Swahili: Fluent – desirable.

Required Skills and Experience

Experience in nutrition, public health nutrition, nutrition planning and management, maternal, infant, young child and adolescent nutrition, community nutrition, multisectoral nutrition and/or early childhood development programming is required.

Candidates should demonstrate:

• Experience providing expert technical support for child nutrition and development programme design, implementation, monitoring, quality assurance and reporting at national or sub-national level.
• Experience integrating gender equality considerations into nutrition, parenting, early childhood development or community-based programming, including promotion of male engagement, shared caregiving and equitable gender norms. This is highly desirable.
• Experience working with government institutions, United Nations agencies, NGOs, civil society organisations or community structures. This is an asset.
• Experience in monitoring, reporting, documentation, knowledge management or data use for programme improvement. This is an added advantage.

Technical Skills

• Strong expert-level technical understanding of maternal, infant, young child and adolescent nutrition programming.
• Strong understanding of the links between nutrition, responsive caregiving, early stimulation, nurturing care and early childhood development.
• Strong programme planning, coordination, monitoring, reporting and quality assurance skills.
• Strong writing, documentation, communication and presentation skills.
• Good analytical skills and the ability to use routine programme data for monitoring, reporting and decision-making.
• Ability to work collaboratively with multiple stakeholders and undertake regular field travel within Zanzibar.
• Proficiency in standard computer software, digital communication tools and data collection platforms is desirable.

Competencies and Values

Candidates are expected to demonstrate the following competencies:

• Self-awareness and ethical awareness.
• Ability to work collaboratively with others.
• Ability to build and maintain partnerships.
• Innovation and openness to change.
• Strategic thinking and action.
• Drive to achieve impactful results.
• Ability to manage ambiguity and complexity.

Area of Expertise

• Nutrition.
• Nursing, midwifery, paramedics and medical technology.
• Community development.

Driving Licence: Not specified.

Living Conditions and Other Information

The UN Volunteer will be based in Zanzibar, which is a family duty station with adequate amenities, including health services, communication networks, banking services, markets, schools, transport and accommodation.

The assignment may require regular travel within Unguja and Pemba, as well as occasional travel to Dar es Salaam or other locations for programme coordination, monitoring and learning activities.

Inclusivity and Equal Opportunity

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. It is committed to achieving diversity and promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity without discrimination based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Reasonable Accommodation

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for UN Volunteers with disabilities. This may include accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants.

Applicants are encouraged to disclose a disability during the application process if they require reasonable accommodation during recruitment or the assignment.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements

In addition to duty-station-specific vaccine requirements, appointments are subject to confirmation of full vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) with a World Health Organization-endorsed vaccine before taking up the appointment.

This requirement does not apply to UN Volunteers working remotely who are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations, interact directly with communities served by UNICEF or travel to perform their functions during the contract period.

Important Notice on Recruitment Scams

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process.

Applicants should disregard any request for payment and exercise caution when submitting personal information online, as emblems, logos, names and addresses can be copied and reproduced.

Application Instructions

Interested and qualified candidates should submit their applications through the official United Nations Volunteers recruitment platform.

Application Deadline: 13 November 2026 at 03:00.

Expected Assignment Start Date: 1 December 2026.

Official Application Portal: https://app.unv.org/

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