Mental Health Measurement Consultant, remote, 1 year, open for both international and national consultants

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.

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

 Purpose of Assignment:

Efforts to improve the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of children and adolescents are critically constrained by the absence of robust, reliable, and actionable approaches to measurement, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where over 90 per cent of children reside. While global attention to child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) has increased, existing data systems remain fragmented, under-coordinated, and insufficiently contextualized, resulting in a partial and often underestimated picture of mental health needs, determinants, and outcomes.

Available evidence indicates that more than 13 per cent of adolescents aged 10–19 live with a diagnosed mental disorder, with anxiety and depression accounting for approximately 40 per cent of cases. Suicide and self-harm remain among the leading causes of death among adolescents globally, while behavioral, anxiety, and depressive disorders account for millions of years lived with disability. Despite this burden, mental health data are frequently underutilized in decision-making, poorly integrated across sectors, and inconsistently communicated to policymakers and practitioners.

UNICEF is uniquely positioned to address these challenges. Through its global presence, long-standing partnerships with governments, and leadership in population-based data collection, including the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), UNICEF has demonstrated its capacity to generate and translate high-quality data into action. The Measuring Mental Health among Adolescents and Young People at the Population Level (MMAPP) initiative exemplifies this role, providing validated, culturally adaptable tools developed in partnership with young people and country teams.

As global momentum builds toward the post-SDG agenda, the Data & Analytics Section within UNICEF Office of Strategy and Evidence – Innocenti (OSE) is seeking to strengthen leadership in CAMH measurement to ensure that mental health data are systematically generated, harmonized, and used to drive policy, programming, and investment.

Under the supervision and guidance of Statistics and Monitoring Specialist, the Mental Health Measurement Consultant will provide strategic, technical, and coordination leadership for UNICEF’s global CAMH measurement agenda, with a particular focus on MMAPP and related tools. The role will ensure scientific rigor, methodological coherence, and effective integration of mental health data across UNICEF platforms and partnerships, while strengthening country and regional capacity for data use.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy's scope of work and expected deliverables, please review the complete Terms of Reference here: Download File TMC0001569 TOR.pdf

Minimum requirements: (QUALIFICATIONS / SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE / EXPERIENCE)

• Education:

  • Advanced university degree (PhD) in epidemiology, statistics, public health, mental health, psychology, or a related field.
  • A Master’s degree with working experience in the field of mental health measurement, monitoring and evaluation of mental health programs for at least three additional years may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.

• Work Experience:

  • Minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible professional experience in mental health measurement, public health data, epidemiology, or related fields.
  • Demonstrated experience managing or contributing to large-scale data collection initiatives, preferably in LMIC contexts.
  • Familiarity with global mental health metrics, frameworks, and survey methodologies.
  • Proven experience engaging with governments, donors, academic partners, and UN agencies.

• Skills:

  • Strong quantitative and analytical skills; proficiency in statistical software (e.g. R, Stata, SPSS).
  • Excellent technical writing skills, with experience producing reports, guidance, or peer-reviewed publications.
  • Strong understanding of ethical standards for mental health data involving children and adolescents.

• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.

Desirables:

  • Experience across development and humanitarian contexts is an asset.
  • Familiarity with qualitative and mixed-methods approaches is desirable.
  • Knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

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, TMS (Talent Management System):

  • An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
  • Cover letter
  • A separate financial proposal (upload the financial template to be completed) Download File TMC0001569 Financial proposal.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.

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Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.