Description

The global programme Knowledge and Policy Coherence for Nutrition (KPCN) supports the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Commission (EC) in developing coherent nutrition policies that are climate-sensitive, gender-transformative, and anchored in global strategies. KPCN further assists the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement member countries in designing and implementing evidence-based nutrition policies and supports civil society, academia and think tanks to actively participate in political processes at all levels, positioning themselves regarding integrated, gender- and climate-sensitive nutrition strategies. The aim is to ensure that nutrition remains a political priority at the national, regional, and global levels.

KPCN operates at the global and regional levels and has an indirect impact on the national level. The primary target group are SUN member countries, which is why close collaboration with the SUN Secretariat and the SUN Regional Hubs in Kenya, Senegal, and Thailand is pursued. SUN countries covered by the Anglophone Africa Hub are Botswana, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Gambia, Ghana, Lesotho, Liberia, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The central implementation instruments are technical assistance and capacity development. Depending on the topic, technical assistance and capacity development assignments in these countries will be led by a specialist advisor or an external consultant, who may be based in another programme office. Key entry points for implementation are existing national, regional, and global structures and initiatives. In Africa these include, among others, the National Information Platforms for Nutrition (NIPN) the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).

Responsibilities

Oversee and maintain existing partnerships and develop new strategic relationships, including with regional organisations, academia, civil society, the private sector, the SUN Movement (in particular the Anglophone Africa Hub, but also SUN countries, SUN Focal Points and networks), and other development partners, and facilitate coordination.

Tasks

Under the overall supervision of the Project Manager, you will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Strengthen the exchange of information and coherence between all KPCN programme structures and ensure complementarity and synergies with other GIZ programmes in the region.
• Assist SUN countries covered by the Anglophone Africa Hub, including those with an existing NIPN, in translating global and regional policy outcomes into practical guidance for national implementation and reforms and transmitting national experiences back into global learning and policy processes, producing briefing notes, presentations, speaking points, position papers and orientation guidelines.
• Ensure close coordination with the Anglophone Africa Hub and other SUN technical assistance providers.
• Collaborate with the SUN Anglophone Africa Hub in selected partnership management, networking tasks and in the convening and organization of relevant regional events.
• Support civil society networks in SUN member countries covered by the Anglophone Africa Hub to engage in policy processes, advocate for integrated nutrition strategies, and build national capacity to participate in global/regional level dialogues.
• Provide technical support to promote positions on the interlinkages between nutrition and climate or nutrition and gender in regional processes (e.g. CAADP).
• Monitor, analyze and synthesize emerging regional trends and evidence in nutrition, gender, climate and policy coherence, producing policy briefs, reports and presentations.
• Contribute to reporting and knowledge management, including documentation of good practices, lessons learned and support for the monitoring and evaluation of programme activities.

Required qualifications, competences, and experience

Qualifications

• University degree in public policy, international development, nutrition, food and nutrition security, public health or equivalent is essential.

Professional experience

• Several years of relevant professional experience in development cooperation programmes in the field of nutrition, food and nutrition security, agriculture or public health, preferably with GIZ projects, and familiarity with multi-country/regional contexts is essential.
• Several years of experience of working in complex cooperation systems, especially with the SUN Movement, advising political and strategic decision-makers and institutions at relevant levels is a strong asset.
• Excellent stakeholder management, partnership building and communication skills; ability engagingly present complex policy issues to diverse audiences.
• Proven ability to work across global-regional-national levels in Africa, translate policy into practice and navigate different institutional contexts (donors, governments, academia, private sector), and comfortable with travels.
• An excellent understanding of the linkages between all forms of malnutrition, and the nutrition-climate or nutrition-gender nexus or nutrition information systems in development cooperation is essential.
• Strong analytical, research and writing skills are essential: able to produce high-quality policy briefs, reports and presentations based on evidence and data.
• Team orientation, flexibility within a rapidly changing environment, with a high degree of intrinsic motivation to achieve results and to deliver goal-oriented results on time are desirable.
• Regional experience in Anglophone Africa, especially with countries covered by SUN Regional Hub.
• Excellent language skills in English (C2) are essential and working knowledge of German is an advantage.

Other knowledge, additional competence

• Strong interpersonal and networking skills and a willingness to cooperate effectively with colleagues and partners
• Strong analytical, research and writing skills are essential: able to produce high-quality policy briefs, reports and presentations based on evidence and data.
• Team orientation, flexibility within a rapidly changing environment, with a high degree of intrinsic motivation to achieve results and to deliver goal-oriented results on time are desirable.
• Regional experience in Anglophone Africa, especially with countries covered by SUN Regional Hub.
• Excellent language skills in English (C2) are essential and working knowledge of German is an advantage.
• Profound Office 365 skills, especially Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.

Duration of Assignment: 2 years. The contract will run from 01/04/2026 until 31/03/2028 (with possibility for extension)

Duty Station: Nairobi

• Strengthen the exchange of information and coherence between all KPCN programme structures and ensure complementarity and synergies with other GIZ programmes in the region.
• Assist SUN countries covered by the Anglophone Africa Hub, including those with an existing NIPN, in translating global and regional policy outcomes into practical guidance for national implementation and reforms and transmitting national experiences back into global learning and policy processes, producing briefing notes, presentations, speaking points, position papers and orientation guidelines.
• Ensure close coordination with the Anglophone Africa Hub and other SUN technical assistance providers.
• Collaborate with the SUN Anglophone Africa Hub in selected partnership management, networking tasks and in the convening and organization of relevant regional events.
• Support civil society networks in SUN member countries covered by the Anglophone Africa Hub to engage in policy processes, advocate for integrated nutrition strategies, and build national capacity to participate in global/regional level dialogues.
• Provide technical support to promote positions on the interlinkages between nutrition and climate or nutrition and gender in regional processes (e.g. CAADP).
• Monitor, analyze and synthesize emerging regional trends and evidence in nutrition, gender, climate and policy coherence, producing policy briefs, reports and presentations.
• Contribute to reporting and knowledge management, including documentation of good practices, lessons learned and support for the monitoring and evaluation of programme activities.

• Excellent stakeholder management, partnership building and communication skills; ability engagingly present complex policy issues to diverse audiences.
• Proven ability to work across global-regional-national levels in Africa, translate policy into practice and navigate different institutional contexts (donors, governments, academia, private sector), and comfortable with travels.
• An excellent understanding of the linkages between all forms of malnutrition, and the nutrition-climate or nutrition-gender nexus or nutrition information systems in development cooperation is essential.
• Strong analytical, research and writing skills are essential: able to produce high-quality policy briefs, reports and presentations based on evidence and data.
• Team orientation, flexibility within a rapidly changing environment, with a high degree of intrinsic motivation to achieve results and to deliver goal-oriented results on time are desirable.
• Strong interpersonal and networking skills and a willingness to cooperate effectively with colleagues and partners
• Profound Office 365 skills, especially Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.

• University degree in public policy, international development, nutrition, food and nutrition security, public health or equivalent is essential.