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For every child, Hope.

Background:

Heavy metal contamination is a major public health concern in Bangladesh, particularly for children and pregnant women. Lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury are non-biodegradable and accumulate in the body, causing irreversible neurological damage, reduced IQ, and other health issues. Lead exposure alone is estimated to cost Bangladesh about USD 10.9 billion annually (3.6% of GDP) and results in a loss of 20 million IQ points.

According to UNICEF and Pure Earth’s Toxic Truth report, 35.5 million children have blood lead levels above WHO’s threshold, making Bangladesh the fourth most affected country globally. Recent surveillance and MICS 2025 findings confirm widespread exposure: 38.3% of children and 8% of pregnant women have elevated blood lead levels, with Dhaka, Sylhet, and Chattogram divisions most affected. Alarmingly, higher exposure was found among wealthier households.

Major sources include informal battery recycling, lead-adulterated turmeric, contaminated food, spices, cosmetics eg surma, sindoor and kajol, unsafe industrial practices, and household products eg local toys, cookware etc. To address this, UNICEF is supporting relevant government agencies to implement Market Surveys and Home-Based Assessments (HBA) to identify heavy metal contamination sources to guide awareness raising campaigns and regulatory action. These efforts will involve sampling fresh and packaged foods, consumer products, and household items and testing using portable XRF and ICP-MS analysis. Technical support is required to ensure effective coordination among government agencies, capacity building, and field-level implementation.

The objectives are to provide technical support for coordination among selected government agencies and ensure smooth implementation of the Market Survey and Home-Based Assessment for identifying sources of heavy metal exposure following MICS 2025, build capacity of field teams on sample collection, use of portable XRF machines, and safe handling of samples for ICP-MS analysis and support data management and reporting for effective monitoring and decision-making.

How can you make a difference? 

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The purpose of this consultancy is to assist IEDCR, in collaboration with UNICEF, in implementing the Market Survey and Home-Based Assessment activities. This includes coordinating with relevant government agencies, facilitating recruitment and training of field teams, ensuring proper sample collection and analysis, and providing timely updates and reporting to stakeholders. The consultant will provide technical support for field implementation of market surveys and home-based assessments to identify the sources of heavy metal poisoning in children linked to the MICS 2025.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  ToR___National Consultant_Field Implementation of Market Surveys and Home-Based Asse.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Advanced degree in Medicine, Public Health, Environmental Science, or related field

• Work Experience: At least 5 years’ experience in field coordination of surveys/assessments.
• Previous experience with large-scale nationwide heavy metal exposure assessment, sample collection, storage, transportation and laboratory analysis and protocols.
• Good background and skills in capacity building, facilitating training and workshops, and supervising survey field teams
• Familiarity with government systems for overall coordination with various sectors including health.
• Previous experience in similar activities with the UN or INGOs, government
• Strong communication, documentation and report writing skills
• Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team and support unexpected tasks.
• Language Requirements:  Fluent in Bangla and in English written and spoken

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.