Consultant for Behavioural Science Support

Job Posting Organization:
UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, operates in over 190 countries and territories, focusing on saving children's lives, defending their rights, and helping them fulfill their potential from early childhood through adolescence. Established to promote the rights of every child, UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion, offering a supportive environment for professional and personal development. The organization is known for its passionate workforce dedicated to making a difference in the lives of children and communities worldwide, and it provides an attractive compensation and benefits package to its employees.

Job Overview:
The position involves providing on-demand behavioural science support to UNICEF Country Offices, Regional Offices, and Centres of Excellence. The role is crucial in enhancing UNICEF's Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) programming, which is essential for improving outcomes for children and communities. The consultant will engage in empirical, methodologically plural, and context-sensitive behavioural science work, focusing on generating evidence, designing interventions, and advising decision-makers. The consultant will work alongside UNICEF teams globally, contributing to the quality, cost-effectiveness, and scalability of programming across various sectors. The role requires a deep understanding of behavioural science and the ability to apply advanced analytical methods to programme data, ensuring that interventions are evidence-based and contextually relevant.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The consultant will be expected to deliver a range of services across four primary categories: Research, Design, Evaluation, and Advisory. Specific tasks may include conducting rigorous behavioural diagnosis, designing and testing evidence-based interventions, applying advanced analytical methods, and translating behavioural findings into actionable recommendations. The consultant may also be required to travel to UNICEF offices for on-site or in-country support, manage multiple workstreams, and collaborate with diverse stakeholders to ensure high-quality outputs are delivered on time. The consultant will need to document and communicate methodological choices clearly and produce high-quality written outputs such as research protocols, analytical reports, and evaluation reports.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess strong proficiency in quantitative research methods, including regression analysis, experimental design, and causal inference. They should have practical experience in designing and conducting randomised controlled trials or rigorous quasi-experimental evaluations of behaviour-change interventions. The consultant should also demonstrate the ability to translate complex behavioural data into clear recommendations for diverse audiences and have familiarity with ethical standards for research involving human subjects. Strong project management skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with various stakeholders are essential.

Educational Background:
An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in behavioural science, psychology, public health, economics, social or political science, statistics, data science, or a closely related field is required. Alternatively, an exceptional combination of relevant academic qualifications at the bachelor level and four years of demonstrated practical experience may be considered in lieu of a higher degree.

Experience:
At least eight years of demonstrated expertise in behavioural science applied to development, public health, or comparable contexts is required. Candidates should have substantive experience in at least one cell of the Scope of Work matrix at the Lead level, independently leading work end-to-end on real projects.

Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory. Additional languages, particularly other United Nations languages such as Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, or Portuguese, are highly desirable and can enhance a candidate's profile.

Additional Notes:
The Long-Term Agreement (LTA) will be for a duration of three years, with the possibility of providing services to UNICEF Regional and Country offices. The consultant will be compensated based on a fixed fee rate reflecting deliverables, and payment will be made after the completion of deliverables and submission of invoices. The application process requires candidates to submit a cover letter, CV, financial proposal, and copies of educational qualifications. UNICEF promotes diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all qualified candidates, including those with disabilities.