Contract Duration: 8 months

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. 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 professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

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For every child, education

Purpose of Assignment:

Safe Online – in collaboration with the World Health Organization – is pioneering Weave Wellbeing: a $100 million collaborative fund addressing the urgent intersection of digital technologies and youth mental health. Weave Wellbeing brings together governments, philanthropy, the technology sector, and impact investors to protect and foster the mental health of children and adolescents in the digital age.

This consultancy provides the anchor technical expertise to ground the Weave Wellbeing initiative in the science, evidence, and clinical understanding of mental health challenges facing children and adolescents in the digital age. The consultant will serve as the principal technical resource within the Safe Online team, ensuring that the fund’s strategy, products, partnerships, and monitoring frameworks are rooted in the latest research and a public-health approach to child and adolescent mental health. Weave Wellbeing is at a pivotal stage: the priority through end of 2026 is to crystallise the fund’s strategy, establish its scientific credibility, develop compelling fundraising and visibility assets, and secure the partnerships and funding commitments needed to launch at scale. This consultancy will provide the scientific and technical expertise needed to deliver these priorities, working at approximately 2.5–3 days per week.

The main objective of this consultancy, managed by Safe Online, is to provide expert technical and scientific input in support of the Weave Wellbeing initiative. The consultant will contribute to four concrete workstreams: (1) Scientific & technical input to Fund strategy; (2) Science partnerships & evidence synthesis; (3) Fundraising & visibility assets; and (4) Latest developments.

The consultant will report to and work under the direction of Safe Online’s designated supervisor. Deliverables will be developed collaboratively with the Safe Online team, with Safe Online retaining approval authority over all outputs.

The consultant will be expected to work proactively, manage competing priorities across workstreams, and deliver high-quality products suitable for international audiences and senior-level stakeholders.

Scope of Work:

The consultant will contribute across four interconnected workstreams: For details, please refer to the TOR.

1. Scientific & Technical Input to Fund strategy
2. Science Partnerships & Evidence Synthesis
3. Latest Developments & Cross-Cutting Support
4. Fundraising & Visibility Assets

How can you make a difference? 

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the Terms of Reference here:   ToR Technical Consultant – Weave Wellbeing Fund Strategy TMS.pdf

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

Minimum requirements: (Qualifications/Experience/ Knowledge/Expertise/Skills)

Education: Master’s degree in clinical or organizational psychology, mental health, public health, child protection, or a closely related field.

Work Experience: 

• Over 10 years relevant experience working with children and youth mental health and wellbeing

• Demonstrated expertise in child and adolescent mental health, including knowledge of the evidence on digital technology impacts.

• Experience synthesizing scientific evidence and translating it for non-specialist audiences (funders, policymakers, senior leaders).

• Experience working across disciplines, such as public health, clinical practice, and policy.

• Desirables:

• Clinical expertise in child/adolescent mental health.

• Prior experience at the World Health Organization or comparable multilateral/public-health institution.

• Experience working with philanthropic partners and science funders (e.g. Wellcome Trust).

• Familiarity with online child safety and violence prevention.

• Track record of coordinating multistakeholder groups, including tech-industry audiences.

Language Requirements: Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

For every Child, you demonstrate Care

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

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.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

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.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal (Talent Management System):

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter 
• A separate financial proposal  Financial proposal Technical Consultant Weave Wellbeing Fund Strategy.docx

Remarks:  If the TOR or financial proposal documents are not visible on certain recruitment platforms, please visit our official page Vacancies | UNICEF Careers.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.