UNICEF, guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, works together with partners in 190 countries and territories to promote and advocate for the protection of the rights of every child.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, help.

Breastfeeding is one of the most powerful interventions for child survival, growth, and development. In Kiribati, where malnutrition remains a critical concern, strengthening breastfeeding practices is essential. With high rates of stunting, anemia, and childhood obesity, the need for systemic, sustainable change is urgent.

UNICEF Pacific, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), is committed to transforming health systems and communities to better support breastfeeding. This consultancy will play a pivotal role in revitalizing Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) implementation in Kiribati, ensuring that health facilities and communities are equipped to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding.

How can you make a difference? 

As the BFHI Consultant, you will;

• Assess and identify bottlenecks in current BFHI implementation.
• Design actionable solutions to address these gaps, in close consultation with MHMS.
• Develop a tailored capacity-building plan for health workers, incorporating coaching, mentorship, and sustainable training models.
• Support institutional integration of BFHI into quality improvement frameworks and pre-service training platforms.

Expected outcomes:

1. A strengthened training program for healthcare providers.
2. Increased hospital leadership engagement in BFHI.
3. Enhanced community-based support for breastfeeding mother’s post-discharge.

Please refer to the full Term of Reference ( TOR Nutrition BFHI.pdf) for further information on the deliverables and the timelines. 

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

• Education: Advanced degree in nutrition, public health, midwifery, pediatric or family health, or a related field.
• Experience: At least 5 years in breastfeeding-related work, including clinical experience. BFHI training and mentorship experience required. Certification from IBFAN or equivalent preferred.
• Skills: Strong training, analytical, and communication skills. Proven ability to work independently in challenging environments.
• Language: Fluency in English required; knowledge of local languages is an asset.
• Desirable: Experience in the Pacific Islands and/or with UNICEF or other UN agencies.

Guide for Applicants
Submit the following documents:

• Cover letter detailing your suitability
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Technical proposal
• Financial offer (as a separate attachment) includes:
  • Daily fees (based on deliverables)
  • Travel and living allowances (if relocation is required)
  • Miscellaneous costs (visa, insurance, communications, etc.)

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about children’s rights and making a lasting difference on children’s lives, one of the global leading entities on children’s rights would like to hear from you.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Sustainability (CRITAS), and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

UNICEF is also proud of a diverse workforce who are profoundly committed to supporting the full realization of children’s rights, and in uplifting a rights-based approach in all that we do.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

[add the 8^th competency (Nurtures, leads and manages people) for a supervisory role]. 

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

[Remove the following paragraph if not a child safeguarding elevated risk role] This position has been assessed as an elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes as it is either a role with direct contact with children, a role that works directly with identifiable children’s data, a safeguarding response role, or an assessed risk role. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) apply.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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 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.