Consultancy Title: Supply Chain Consultant - Big Catch-Up

Section/Division/Duty Station: Programme Group, Health Section/Immunization

Duration: 01 March 2026 – 31 August 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. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, 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:

UNICEF, in collaboration with Alliance partners through the Big Catch-Up (BCU) initiative, is supporting dose reconciliation and accountability across participating countries. This requires the consolidation, validation, and reclassification of BCU vaccine doses into routine supply where applicable.

Due to staggered implementation timelines, extended close-out phases, and delays in final utilization reporting, the reconciliation activities and formal validation processes now extend into 2026. As such, this amendment extends the consultancy duration to 31 August 2026 to ensure the complete execution of reconciliation activities across countries that intend to close out in Q4 2025 and Q1 2026 thereby maintaining continuity of technical support and ensuring data integrity.

The purpose of this contract is to provide technical support through 31 August 2026 for global monitoring, evaluation, learning, documentation, and accountability related to the final phase of the Big Catch-Up (BCU) initiative. The assignment will support completion of BCU dose reconciliation and accountability activities., including data analysis, validation, and review of country and regional submissions. The contract will also support consolidation of evidence, development of case studies and knowledge products, and documentation of results and lessons learned to inform programme close-out, institutional learning, and future immunization recovery efforts, while ensuring continuity and adequacy of technical support across all BCU-implementing countries.

Specifically, the consultant will:

• Provide technical support for dose reconciliation, data validation, and analytical review of country and regional submissions.
• Consolidate and synthesize cross-country evidence related to vaccine supply  and lessons learned;
• Support programme close-out, institutional learning, and future immunization recovery efforts;
• Support coordination and quality assurance to ensure consistent, accurate, and credible reporting of BCU results.

Scope of Work:

The consultant will work with the team in  all Big Catch Up (BCU) implementing countries to carry out:

• Dose Reconciliation & Validation; Finalize comprehensive dose reconciliation for each country and validate balances through national review mechanism
• Confirm delivery stock and utilization: Confirm alignment between delivery, stock, and consumption totals and prepare reconciliation reports for RWG and Alliance level review
• Stock & Distribution Accountability: Monitor stock utilization and distribution patterns of remaining doses amongst BCU implementing countries 4.
• Resolve Discrepancies: Resolve discrepancies during reconciliation and validate remaining stocks for reclassification. Also track distribution and identify wastage or losses
• Forecasting & Supply Planning: Ensure accurate post-BCU stock positioning and advise on replenishment and planning for routine integration
• Documentation & Learning: Document supply chain bottlenecks and corrective actions and generate technical recommendations on sustainability and integration
• Support the integration of BCU stock into Thrive 360: Support Countries in providing BCU and RI stock balances with expiry dates through Thrive 360 reporting platform
• Final BCU supply and close out report: Finalize BCU supply and utilization report for all countries and ensure close out of all countries by Q3 2026 with Completed dose reconciliation report, updated stock dashboard with RI and BCU stock incorporated and stock positioning report

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Travel - In Country Mission Travels - Estimated $28,750

Qualifications

Education:

• Advanced university degree in one or more of the following areas: Supply Chain Management, Engineering, logistics management or related areas

Work experience:

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *:

• Strong knowledge of immunization supply chain systems, including vaccine delivery, stock management, utilization, wastage, and expiry monitoring.
• At least 5 years’ experience in Effective Vaccine Management (EVM), supply chain monitoring, and programme close-out for multi-country initiatives.
• Demonstrated expertise in immunization supply chain management in resource-limited settings, including support to governments and Alliance-level processes.
• Familiarity with forecasting, supply planning, and post- campaign stock integration, as well as global immunization partners and reporting requirements
• Proven analytical and quantitative skills to reconcile complex vaccine supply, stock, and utilization datasets and resolve discrepancies.
• Ability to validate data with national programmes, coordinate multi-country processes, and ensure accurate and timely reporting.
• Language Proficiency: Fluency in spoken and written English is a requirement. Working knowledge of French or Portuguese will be an asset.

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.