POSITION: Senior Consultant – Health and Nutrition
LOCATION: Mumbai
DURATION: 1 June 2026 – 31 December 2027 (19 months)
CLOSING DATE: 30th April 2026
Background & Purpose of Assignment:
Purpose of Activity/Assignment:
Under the UNICEF Country Programme Document (CPD) 2023–2027, UNICEF is strategically positioned to strengthen primary health care (PHC) systems with a focus on equity, resilience, quality, and sustainability. The programme emphasizes integrated, risk-informed, and climate-sensitive approaches to ensure continuity of essential services, particularly for the most marginalized populations, including urban poor, tribal communities, adolescents, and other vulnerable groups. UNICEF’s theory of change envisions that by 2027, every woman of reproductive age and every child—especially the most disadvantaged—survives, thrives, and is empowered to access quality health, nutrition, sanitation, education, and protection services.
In this context, UNICEF field offices play a catalytic role through three core pillars: (i) strengthening government capacity for design, implementation, and monitoring of integrated programmes; (ii) enhancing community engagement and demand for quality services; and (iii) enabling government systems, partners, and civil society to deliver convergent, people-centres services addressing the social determinants of health. UNICEF Maharashtra continues to operationalize this approach by demonstrating scalable, convergent PHC models—integrating nurturing care and Early Childhood Development (ECD) within the continuum of care (HBNC/HBYC), strengthening frontline systems, and fostering multi-sectoral convergence across health, nutrition, ICDS, urban systems, and allied departments.
Building ongoing programmatic efforts including urban nutrition initiatives, strengthening of Vatsalya and Vatsalya Plus, perinatal mental health integration, ECD scale-up, and convergence with sectors such as agriculture, education, and local governance—this consultancy aims to provide high-quality technical and programmatic support to the state. The focus will be on improving coverage, continuity, intensity, and quality of health, nutrition, and food security interventions through strengthened convergence, evidence-based planning, robust monitoring systems, and strategic advocacy. The Government of Maharashtra is implementing key initiatives such as Vatsalya, Vatsalya Plus, and Aarambh (Early Childhood Development), with a focus on the continuum of care from adolescence and preconception through the first 1,000 days and early childhood. There is a need for senior-level technical support to strengthen programme design, convergence across sectors, scale-up of proven models, and effective use of data for decision-making—particularly in tribal, urban, and climate-vulnerable contexts
The consultant will support enhanced coordination across departments such as Health, ICDS, Tribal Development, Urban Development, Minority Affairs, and Agriculture, while facilitating program reviews, supportive supervision, documentation of best practices, and systems strengthening for sustained impact at scale.
Scope of Work (Include Background/Rationale/Key Objectives of the Assignment):
To provide high-level technical assistance to Government counterparts and UNICEF Maharashtra Field Office in strengthening, scaling, and monitoring nutrition and ECD programmes, with a focus on improving maternal and child nutrition outcomes.
Policy and Programme Support
- Support development/revision of state strategies, guidelines, and Government Resolutions.
- Provide technical input to strengthen Vatsalya, Vatsalya Plus, and Aarambh.
Strengthening flagship initiatives:
- Vatsalya / Vatsalya Plus (maternal continuum + occupational risk lens)
- Aarambh (ECD) integration with nutrition outcomes.
- Translate global evidence (FOAD/DOHaD, nurturing care) into state-operational models.
- Support Government Resolutions (GRs), SOPs, and policy notes.
Convergence and Systems Strengthening
- Facilitate coordination across Health, ICDS, Agriculture, and allied sectors.
- Strengthen district/block level review and convergence mechanisms.
Programme Implementation and Scale-up
- Support scale-up of priority interventions (maternal nutrition, IYCF, SAM, U6M, ECD).
- Develop district implementation plans with defined targets and indicators.
Monitoring, Data and Analytics
- Strengthening use of HMIS/ICDS data and programme dashboards.
- Support data analysis, validation, and use for programme improvement.
Capacity Building
- Support development of training modules and capacity-building plans.
- Facilitate training for frontline workers and supervisors.
Advocacy and Partnerships
- Prepare technical briefs, policy notes, and presentations for senior leadership.
- Support engagement with development partners, academia, and private sector.
Documentation and Reporting
- Document best practices and lessons learned.
- Support preparation of programme reports and donor updates.
Duty Station: Mumbai
Official travel: The consultant will need to undertake District travel within the State, travel to UNICEF supported districts of Pune, Nashik, Thane, Solapur, Nagpur, Aurangabad, and selected POSHAN districts/corporations based on program need.
Qualification/Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:
- Min 10+ years of state level experience is mandatory.
- Masters in following stream: Public Health/Home Science/Administration/ Operations Research / Demography / Population Studies / Economics / Social Sciences / Anthropology / Development studies / Public Health from recognized institutions
- High level of computer proficiency, specifically -familiarity with commonly used Windows, MS Office software and software packages.
- Experience in designing tools and strategies for data collection, analysis, and production of reports.
- Proficiency in data analysis using software tool like SAS, data triangulation, performance, knowledge of public health, demographics, population etc.
- Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team environment.
- Experience in maternal and child nutrition and/or ECD programmes
- Proven experience working with Government systems and large-scale programmes
- Experience in policy development, programme implementation, and convergence
Application Procedures
(1) Qualified female/male candidates are requested to please indicate their ability and availability to undertake the terms of reference above.
(2) We request you to please inform us where you have seen this advertisement.
(3) Your application should be sent to mumbai.consultants@unicef.org by COB 30th April 2026 with subject line "Senior consultant - Health and Nutrition" in separate files consisting of:
- Cover letter
- CV (clearly mentioning relevant experience and any experience with UN/International/ Bilateral agencies)
- The General Terms and Conditions of Contract (Consultants) GTC.pdf
- P11 Form Personal History P11 Form.docx
- A financial proposal in PDF format indicating deliverable based fee as per template attached. Please mention your name in the file name while saving.
(4) The selection will be based on technical evaluation & financial proposal in the ratio of 75:25. The technical criterion for evaluation is as follows:
- Educational Qualifications (20)
- Relevant Experience (25)
- Technical Interview (30)
Total Score is 75.
- Minimum overall qualifying score should be 56.
(5) The financial proposals of only those candidates, who are found technically responsive, will be opened.
(6) Any attempt to unduly influence UNICEF’s selection process will lead to automatic disqualification of the applicant.
(7) Joint applications of two or more individuals are not accepted.
(8) Please note, UNICEF does not charge any fee during any stage of the process.