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Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, hope!

Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

Consultancy Title: Statistician/demographer/epidemiologist - Supporting child mortality estimation and analysis consultant Cosultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: Division of Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring (DAPM & D&A), NYHQ

Duration: July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026

Home/ Office Based: REMOTE 

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. 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. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/Assignment: 

The main objective of this consultancy is to provide support to the mortality estimation work, UN IGME report production, the launch of the estimates and reports as well as the production of online learning tools on data and estimation work, under the supervision of the Statistics Specialist in the Division of Data, Analytics, Planning & Monitoring.

Scope of Work

•     Support database updates and management work for empirical data on stillbirths and child, adolescent and youth mortality.

•     Support the update of inputs for crisis and HIV/AIDS adjustments for child mortality estimation.

•     Support the modelling work for stillbirths, child, adolescent and youth mortality indicators.

•     Support capacity building including the country consultation process.

•     Support the UN IGME report production process.

•     Support data compilation and analysis on excess mortality.

For detailed task and deliverables see table below.

Terms of Reference / Specific Deliverables           

Support updates of national and disaggregated child mortality empirical databases for 2025 round of estimation

• Updated child mortality databases and Written summary of changes made and data sources added
• Updated processing code and documentation

31 August 2025

Support update of inputs for crisis and HIV/AIDS adjustments for child mortality estimation

• Updated crisis event database and computed crisis adjustments by age and sex for 2025 round
• Compiled crisis data for 4 specific recent conflicts
• Applied crisis adjustments to draft estimates for mortality indicators using revised methods
• Implemented HIV adjustments for 17 countries

30 September 2025

Technical support for modelling work for child, adolescent and youth mortality indicators

• Data quality assessments for empirical data and quality checks of estimates by code (internal consistency, consistency to previous rounds for median and trajectories)

31 November 2025

Support capacity building including the country consultation process

• Updated country consultation materials (explanatory notes including subnational, data collection forms)
• Production of country consultation profiles
• Updated country consultation overview and tracking country responses
• Finalized country consultation report with visualisation and code

31 December 2025

Support the UN IGME report production process on child mortality indicators and other flagship publications

• Production of new subnational analysis, drafted key messages, charts, infographics, and respective code for child mortality report and other flagship publications
• Quality control of numbers and statements in reports and proof reading for reports and documents

31 January 2026

Support data compilation and analysis on excess mortality         

• Compiled data from administrative source and surveillance sites on monthly mortality rates to analyze cuts in ODA assistance
• Production of excess mortality analysis and report         

28 February 2026

Support updates of national and disaggregated child mortality empirical databases for 2026 round of estimation

• Updated child mortality and stillbirth databases and summary of changes made and data sources added
• Updated processing code and documentation

31 April 2026

Technical support for modelling work for stillbirths, child, adolescent and youth mortality indicators

• Data quality assessments for empirical data and quality checks of estimates by code (internal consistency, consistency to previous rounds for median and trajectories)

31 May 2026

Support capacity building including the country consultation process.

• Updated country consultation materials (explanatory notes, data collection forms)
• Production of country consultation profiles
• Updated country consultation overview and tracking country responses  

30 June 2026

Qualifications

(1) Education

• Advance university degree (Master’s or higher) Advance University degree in Statistics, Demography, or related disciplines based on quantitative methods

(2) Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in the area of demographic and statistical analysis.
• Knowledge of methods of demographic analysis and mortality estimation.
• Advanced experience in statistical programming with R.
• Excellent communication and writing skills.
• Detail-oriented.
• Ability to take initiatives and work independently.
• Creativity and enthusiasm.
• Ability to work well in a team environment.
• Fluent in English.

Requirements: 

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and

• Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :
  • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors 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 selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check. 

Remarks:  

Individuals engaged under a consultancy will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants. Consultants are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates 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 assignment. It does not apply to consultants 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 consultancy contracts.