Individual Consultant as Behavioural Scientist, Social and Behaviour Change

UNICEF is establishing Long-Term Agreements for Individual Consultants to provide on-demand behavioural science support for Social and Behaviour Change programming globally. Consultants will support research, design, evaluation, and advisory services to improve outcomes for children and communities through evidence-based behavioural interventions.

Responsibilities

• Provide on-demand technical support in behavioural science for Social and Behaviour Change programming across UNICEF Country Offices, Regional Offices, and Centres of Excellence.
• Conduct research, design, evaluation, and advisory services using both Core and Computational behavioural science methods.
• Generate behavioural evidence, design interventions, and advise decision-makers to inform operational, programmatic, and policy decisions.
• Translate behavioural findings into actionable programme decisions to strengthen quality, cost-effectiveness, and scalability of programming.
• Collaborate with UNICEF teams globally to apply rigorous behavioural diagnosis and advanced analytical methods.
• Support capacity-building and decision-maker advisory services as required.
• Travel to UNICEF offices for on-site or in-country support as needed, with travel arrangements and reimbursements managed according to UNICEF policies.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in behavioural science, psychology, public health, economics, social or political science, statistics, data science, or a closely related field. An exceptional combination of relevant academic qualifications at bachelor level and 4 years of demonstrated practical experience may be considered in lieu of a higher degree.
• At least 8 years of demonstrated expertise in behavioural science applied to development, public health, or comparable contexts, beyond academic qualifications with substantive experience in at least one cell of the Scope of Work matrix at the Lead level (independently leading work end-to-end on real projects).
• Strong proficiency in quantitative research methods, including at least two of: regression analysis, structural equation modelling, factor analysis, experimental design, causal inference, time-series analysis, network analysis, geospatial analysis, multilevel modelling, or causal machine learning.
• Practical experience designing and conducting randomised controlled trials or rigorous quasi-experimental evaluations of behaviour-change interventions, or contributing substantively to such evaluations under another lead.
• Proficiency in at least one analytical platform such as R, Stata, Python, or comparable, with the ability to document and communicate methodological choices clearly.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex behavioural data and research findings into clear, actionable recommendations for diverse audiences including programme staff, government partners, and donors.
• Experience producing high-quality written outputs such as research protocols, analytical reports, technical guidance, theories of change, or evaluation reports.
• Familiarity with ethical standards for research involving human subjects, including data protection and informed consent.
• Strong ability to manage multiple workstreams, collaborate with diverse stakeholders, and deliver high-quality outputs on time in complex environments.
• Fluency in English is required.
• Recognised expertise (peer-reviewed publications, framework development, methodological contributions, or extensive mentoring) in one or more cells of the Scope of Work matrix.
• Demonstrated experience with computational behavioural-science methods, including machine learning, NLP/LLM-assisted analysis, agent-based or generative-agent simulation, adaptive experimentation, or causal ML.
• Experience working with UNICEF, other UN agencies, governments, or international NGOs on SBC, behaviour-change communication (BCC), or related programming.
• Experience designing and delivering behavioural-science capacity-building or advisory programmes for governments, multilateral organisations, or applied centres.
• Fluency in another United Nations language (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish) or Portuguese, or another language being used in UNICEF operational contexts are highly desirable.

Skills

• Behavioural Science Research
• Quantitative Research
• Regression Analysis
• Structural Equation Modelling
• Factor Analysis
• Experimental Design
• Causal Inference
• Time-Series Analysis
• Network Analysis
• Geospatial Analysis
• Multilevel Modelling
• Causal Machine Learning
• Randomised Controlled Trials
• Quasi-Experimental Evaluations
• STATA
• Python
• Research Protocol Development
• Analytical Report Production
• Technical Guidance
• Theory of Change
• Evaluation Reporting
• Ethical Research Standards
• Data Protection
• Informed Consent
• Computational Behavioural Science
• Machine Learning
• NLP Analysis
• Agent-Based Simulation
• Generative-Agent Simulation
• Adaptive Experimentation
• Behavioural-Science Capacity Building
• Behaviour-Change Communication
• Stakeholder Engagement

Languages

English