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Consultancy Title: Epidemiologist Consultant
Section/Division/Duty Station: Health Section , Programme Division, NYHQ
Duration: July 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025
Home/ Office Based: Geneva
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 over 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.
Purpose of Activity/Assignment
UNICEF contributes to Public Health Emergency (PHE) preparedness and response through its unique role in addressing the specific needs of children and women. It simultaneously tackles both the causes of health emergencies—supporting control efforts—and the socio-economic consequences that follow. UNICEF plays a leading role in areas critical to outbreak prevention and control, such as infection prevention and control (IPC), water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), risk communication and community engagement (RCCE), immunization, supply and logistics, as well as the continuity of essential social services and mental health and psychosocial support.
UNICEF's contribution to the continuity of essential services is part of its multi-sectoral response to the socio-economic impact of public health emergencies. This includes, but is not limited to, nutrition, child protection, prevention and response to gender-based violence (GBV) and other forms of violence against children, social protection, and education. UNICEF’s response in health emergencies is anchored in approaches that strengthen health systems and build resilience.
To deliver on its mandate, the UNICEF PHE team is looking for an Epidemiologist to reinforce the Intelligence gathering and analytics for public health event and infectious disease outbreaks that has the potential to result in a Public Health Emergency. The consultancy will have a close working relationship with two focal points in the UNICEF Immunization team and UNICEF Supply Division, with an emphasis on emerging and re-emerging pathogens to support the work of an infectious disease outbreak response cell.
Scope of Work
Surveillance and Monitoring:
- Maintain the public health threats database (on a weekly basis)
- Analyze epidemiological data to identify trends and outbreaks and draft reports and recommendations based on data analysis (on request, between 10 to 15 reports are anticipated)
- Facilitate UNICEF’s weekly epidemiological review based on new and monitored health emergency signals (weekly)
- Produce evidence reviews and analysis on the situation of children during outbreaks (5 to 10 Evidence reviews are anticipated)
Public Health Communication:
- Produce UNICEF’s PHE weekly newsletter, providing a focused review, summary, and analysis of the latest relevant grey and peer-reviewed literature, with the aim of informing UNICEF’s programmatic and operational response, including support for Situation Reports (weekly)
Operational and programmatic support
- Draft regional and country specific technical briefs and epidemiological updates on public health threats and emergencies, including summary analyses of the latest epidemiological trends and socio-economic impacts (5 to 10 technical briefs are anticipated)
- Conduct risk assessments and vulnerability analyses to identify potential public health threats (5 to 10 technical briefs are anticipated)
- Facilitate PHE units’ engagement with the infectious disease outbreak response cell by liaising with focal points in UNICEF’s Programme Group (PG) and Supply Division (SD) ( by weekly)
Evidence Generation
- Draft the Epidemiological and Analytics section of the Report on UNICEF response to the multi country cholera outbreaks (by September 2025)
- Facilitate an evaluation of UNICEF role in Integrated Outbreak Analytics (by December 2025)
Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:
Work Assignment Overview
Deliverables/ Outputs Delivery deadline
Surveillance and Monitoring:
- Maintain the public health threats database (with a minimum of 25 updates during the assignment period (equivalent to one update per week).
- Analyze epidemiological data to identify trends and outbreaks and produce 10 to 15 draft reports and recommendations based on data analysis (on request),
- Facilitate 25 UNICEF’s weekly epidemiological review based on new and monitored health emergency signals
- Produce 5 to 10 evidence reviews and analysis on the situation of children during outbreaks
31 December 2025
Public Health Communication:
- Produce 25 UNICEF’s PHE weekly newsletter, providing a focused review, summary, and analysis of the latest relevant grey and peer-reviewed literature, with the aim of informing UNICEF’s programmatic and operational response, including support for Situation Reports
31 December 2025
Operational and programmatic support
- Draft 5 to 10 regional and country specific technical briefs and epidemiological updates on public health threats and emergencies, including summary analyses of the latest epidemiological trends and socio-economic impacts.
- Assist in conducting 5 to 10 risk assessments and vulnerability analyses to identify potential public health threats
- Facilitate PHE units’ engagement with the infectious disease outbreak response cell by participating in 10 to 15 technical meetings with focal points in UNICEF’s Programme Group (PG) and Supply Division (SD)
31 December 2025
Evidence Generation
- Draft the Epidemiological and Analytics section of the Report on UNICEF response to the multi country cholera outbreaks (by September 2025)
- Facilitate an evaluation of UNICEF role in Integrated Outbreak Analytics (by December 2025)
31 December 2025
Travel Provide In country support to Outbreak analytics.
Qualifications
Education:
University Advanced degree (Masters) in relevant field (Epidemiology, Public Health, Social Sciences)
Language Proficiency:
Fluency in English and working level of French are required.
Work experience:
Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:
• 8-10 years of progressively responsible professional work experience at national and international levels in infectious disease and/or Public Health Emergency analytics.
• Experience working with UNICEF or other UN organization during Public health emergencies is an asset and will be strongly considered.
• Basic knowledge of the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response global health architecture and institutional knowledge of UNICEF programmes in emergencies is desirable.
• The individual should be highly proficient in a range of PC/web applications, including but not limited to: MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Outlook, and Lotus Notes.
• Strong capacity to engage with partners and work with people is required
• Fluency in English and working level of French are required.
Requirements:
Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and
- Upload copy of academic credentials
- Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :
o the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
o travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
o Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
o 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 values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).
To view our competency framework, please visit here.
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.
According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.
UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.
Remarks:
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract 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 and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors 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.