Nutrition Coordinator

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

14 November 2026-23:59-GMT+02:00 South Africa Standard Time (Maseru)

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of extreme weather shocks.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.

WHY JOIN WFP? 

• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.
• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.
• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.
• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

The Nutrition Coordinator will support the Resident Coordinator and the Government of Lesotho in accelerating implementation of the national nutrition agenda by strengthening coordination, resource mobilization, stakeholder engagement, and accountability mechanisms across sectors and levels of governance.

The Nutrition Coordinator will be based in Maseru and under the supervision of the Resident Coordinator. (For Lesotho nationals only)

Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic advice to the Resident Coordinator on nutrition priorities, policies, and interventions to ensure nutrition is effectively integrated into national development processes, UN programming, and implementation of the Food and Nutrition Strategic Framework (2026-2031) and Lesotho's Nutrition for Growth (N4G) commitments.
• Strengthen multisectoral coordination under the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement, including engagement with government coordination mechanisms, the UN Nutrition Network, development partners, civil society, academia, and private sector platforms.
• Support the integration and operationalization of the Chiefs' nutrition commitments within the Food and Nutrition Strategic Framework (2026-2031) and N4G commitments.
• Facilitate resource mobilization and strategic partnerships to advance implementation of nutrition priorities and commitments.
• Promote constructive engagement between public and private sector stakeholders to support nutrition-sensitive investments and partnerships.
• Support evidence-based advocacy by documenting, disseminating, and promoting good practices, lessons learned, and success stories, while developing strategic communication, advocacy, and resource mobilization materials.

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

The incumbent will:

Support coordination and Partnership Building

• Support the Resident Coordinator in reactivating and operationalizing SUN platforms, including the UN, civil society, donor, private sector, and academia networks.
• Strengthen multisectoral coordination by working closely with FNCO and facilitating collaboration among government institutions, traditional leadership structures, UN agencies, development partners, civil society organizations, academia, and the private sector.
• Establish and maintain effective coordination mechanisms between the Resident Coordinator's Office, FNCO, SUN platforms, and other key stakeholders to ensure alignment around national nutrition priorities.
• Develop and maintain a stakeholder coordination and monitoring system to track commitments, follow-up actions, partnership performance, and implementation progress.

Support to Traditional Leadership Engagement

• Support engagement between the Resident Coordinator, the College of Chiefs, and relevant stakeholders on nutrition priorities.
• Organize quarterly coordination meetings with the College of Chiefs, including preparation of agendas, briefing materials, meeting documentation, and follow-up actions.
• Facilitate linkages between Chiefs and SUN platforms to mobilize technical and financial support for implementation of Chiefs' commitments.
• Collaborate with UN agencies and government partners to document and disseminate successful examples of Chiefs serving as nutrition champions.
• Work with the UN Nutrition Network and relevant government technical working groups to ensure Chiefs receive appropriate technical guidance and advocacy support.

Resource Mobilization and Advocacy

• Support the Resident Coordinator in convening development partner and private sector forums to mobilize financial and technical resources for implementation of the Food and Nutrition Strategic Framework and N4G commitments.
• Prepare resource mobilization and advocacy materials, including concept notes, funding proposals, briefing notes, donor presentations, and partnership documents.
• Support strategic engagement with development partners, IFIs, philanthropic organizations, and private sector actors to increase investment in nutrition.

Communication, Learning and Youth Engagement

• Support the documentation and dissemination of lessons learned, success stories, and good practices related to nutrition leadership and community action.
• Support the Resident Coordinator in leveraging existing platforms, including Sebabatso, to promote youth engagement and participation in nutrition initiatives.
• Develop advocacy and communication materials that strengthen public awareness and promote nutrition-sensitive action.

Reporting and Advisory Support

• Provide periodic briefings and analytical updates to the Resident Coordinator on progress, opportunities, risks, and emerging issues related to nutrition coordination and stakeholder engagement.
• Produce regular coordination monitoring reports highlighting achievements, bottlenecks, stakeholder commitments, and recommendations for corrective action.
• Perform any other duties as assigned by the Resident Coordinator.

Deliverables

• A detailed annual workplan, including key performance indicators (KPIs), milestones, outputs, and expected outcomes, developed within the first month of assignment and approved by the Resident Coordinator.
• SUN platforms (UN, civil society, donor, private sector, and academia) reactivated and operational, with regular meetings convened and action points monitored.
• Effective coordination mechanism established and functioning between the Resident Coordinator's Office, FNCO, SUN platforms, and key nutrition stakeholders.
• Stakeholder consultation and validation processes facilitated, with feedback incorporated into implementation plans and stakeholder engagement strategies.
• Quarterly coordination meetings with the College of Chiefs convened, documented, and followed up.
• Development partner and private sector engagement forums convened to support nutrition financing and partnership development.
• Resource mobilization and advocacy materials, including concept notes, briefing papers, partnership proposals, and funding submissions, developed and disseminated.
• Advocacy and communication materials developed to support nutrition awareness, youth engagement, and stakeholder mobilization.
• Case studies, success stories, and knowledge products documenting nutrition leadership and community action produced and disseminated.
• Regular briefing notes and progress reports prepared for the Resident Coordinator.
• Coordination monitoring reports produced, highlighting implementation progress, stakeholder commitments, challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Advanced degree in Business/Public Management, Social policy, Public Health, Nutrition, Economics, Development Studies, or related field or First University degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses.

Knowledge & Skills: Minimum 7 years’ experience in multi-sector coordination, policy advocacy, or programme management with proven experience working with traditional leadership structures and government institutions.  Good planning and project management skills coupled with strong facilitation, negotiation, and communication skills. Familiarity with UN coordination mechanisms and nutrition governance frameworks.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact:  [email protected]

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruiting system. We do not consider CVs or applications sent by email, LinkedIn, or any other channel.

• We strongly recommend that your Workday profile is accurate and complete, and that all sections are filled in, including your employment history, academic qualifications, language skills, and UN grade (if applicable). Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.

• If you experience technical issues while submitting your application, you may contact us at [email protected]. Please note that this email is only for technical issues with an application - unsolicited applications or documents sent to this inbox will not receive a reply.

• At the application stage, the only required documents are your CV and Cover Letter. Additional documents (passport, certificates, recommendation letters, etc.) may be requested later in the process.

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.