Contract Duration: 12 Months

Working arrangement: Office Based

************************************************************************************

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.

For every child, the right to a Future.

How can you make a difference?

This consultancy will provide senior technical and strategic support to UNICEF India to design and operationalise the early phase of a catalytic financing facility.

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide senior technical, strategic, and partnership enablement support to:

• Develop and refine catalytic/innovative financing models tailored to the Indian context across multiple UNICEF priority functions (including but not limited to nutrition). • Strengthen UNICEF India’s ability to originate, assess and structure innovative financing opportunities through market scanning, risk/feasibility analysis, and partner mapping. • Engage with central and state government stakeholders to validate appetite, readiness, and feasible adoption pathways for staged financing approaches. • Design feasible governance, risk management, compliance and verification/learning approaches that make models credible and scalable. • Produce high‑quality, audience‑specific knowledge products, briefs and materials for internal decision‑makers and external partners to support mobilisation and positioning.

The aim is to accelerate two key priorities in India

(1) nutrition programming and

(2) multisectoral programming (nutrition, health, education, child protection and WASH) in India.

The assignment is deliverable-based, time-bound, and linked to defined outputs, consistent with UNICEF consultant modalities.

The consultancy responds to the following needs identified through internal discussions and project materials:

1. Nutrition programming

• Developing an India-specific financing approach that is feasible within India’s compliance and regulatory context to address nutrition financing gaps, including programme modeling, generation of evidence for decision making, system strengthening and behaviour change communication. • Designing and implement the operational mechanism of a staged financing approach with Option A (Pooled Grant Facility) as the core mechanism; Option B (Match/Multiplier) and Option C (Outcome-Based Financing) introduced selectively and only when systems and verification mature; Option D (Blended Finance) considered only later and only if a clear market bottleneck is demonstrated. • Ensuring all recommendations respect both Government of India compliance and regulatory context and UNICEF rules and procedures; e.g. UNICEF can host/manage pooled and match funds, but cannot host/manage repayment-based instruments (e.g., Outcome based financing/Blended finance).

2. Multisectoral programming

• Building on what has been identified for Nutrition programming, exploring India’s financing opportunities for social sectors on interest for UNICEF, including nutrition; either separately or in combination, within India’s compliance and regulatory context. • Developing examples of financial models and their potential management mechanisms either as single options or through a staged financing approach that could be considered as feasible options to address financing gaps in key social sectors; this could be for 1 sector or multiple sectors together. • Ensuring that the proposed options are in line with India’s and UNICEF’s compliance, regulatory and procedures context.

Scope of Work:

Under UNICEF supervision, the consultant will deliver outputs across the following workstreams:

1. Nutrition Programming

a. Designing the Nutrition Programming Facility based approaches and staged instrument architecture

• Propose / design financial mechanisms options that seems most adapted for Nutrition Programming (single option and/or staged), pros and cons, opportunistic timeframe for each mechanism and organizational arrangements essential for smooth operationalization both for nutrition and for all sectors. • Translate these designs into implementable operating models (windows, governance, decision gates, and criteria to move from pooled grants → match → selective Outcome-based financing) → Blended financing and consider “parallel windows” approaches if staged or mix models are not practical. • Describe independent verification, associated terms of reference and potential instruments to be used for each of the different financial mechanisms options presented. • Ensure that the designs reflect UNICEF constraints regarding hosting/management of different instruments. • Realise an appetite check mapping of donors / philanthropic / CSR partners / multilateral institutions if relevant and practical adoption pathways aligned with existing performance-linked incentive models referenced in discussions.

b. Exploring Government’s engagement and readiness (Centre + States)

• Develop a structured approach to identify and engage states/districts ready to commit to performance pathways and to sense-check feasibility with central/state counterparts. • Support mapping of potential government champions and practical adoption pathways aligned with existing performance-linked incentive models referenced in discussions.

c. Documenting donor/investor readiness and partnership mobilisation support

• Develop a user-friendly advocacy narrative package and briefing materials for high level decision makers (government and donors) explaining the different approaches proposed in simple, decision-oriented language.

d. Preparing capacity transfer and institutionalization

• Assist UNICEF in introducing and informing Government counterparts on the facility concept, staged instrument logic, and verification/learning approach.

2. Multisectoral Programming: Building on the learnings from the Nutrition design, proposing adapted models that could support multisectoral programming:

a. Multi‑sector financing strategy, modalities and pipeline

• Analyze UNICEF India priority portfolios and existing financing mechanisms to identify catalytic/innovative financing opportunities across multiple sectors/functions (nutrition plus other priorities). • Develop a multi‑sector pipeline of prospective instruments and partner pathways, with clear feasibility criteria and sequencing logic. • Conduct business/market analyses of financial markets and trends relevant to India and document key internal/external risks and mitigations for shortlisted modalities. • Undertake feasibility assessments for shortlisted instruments (what it is; where it fits; readiness assumptions to validate; risks/mitigations). • Where relevant, draw on innovative finance typologies such as impact investing, climate risk financing, sovereign‑linked instruments, and results/outcome‑linked approaches (without presuming their use) applicable to the Indian market context. • Consider how single and mixed funding sources may apply and how we may be able to integrate and activate across sources such as Government, IFI, CSR, Foundations etc.

b. Facility/vehicle design (nutrition as anchor use‑case; reusable across sectors)

• Translate the staged approach into implementable operating model components (windows, decision gates, roles, reporting and learning loops). • Ensure designs respect UNICEF operating constraints and propose partnering /structuring routes as per UNICEF guidelines. • Document strategic decisions and operational processes to ensure transparency and facilitate future replication.

c. Governance, risk, compliance and verification readiness

• Document key compliance considerations relevant to innovative finance and propose feasible structuring options, including “parallel windows” approaches where blending is not practical. • Develop a concept for independent verification and a learning agenda (without assuming specific KPIs not yet agreed), sufficient to support credible reporting and potential future performance‑linked instruments. • Maintain robust tracking and reporting mechanisms to monitor progress against objectives and deliverables, including an issue/risk log and decision points.

d. Partnerships, positioning and knowledge products

• Support partnerships and resource mobilisation engagement with private sector partners and philanthropy/CSR, and coordinate with relevant teams on engagement with development banks/financial institutions where applicable. • Develop partner‑facing narratives and briefs that explain the staged approach in simple, decision‑oriented language for different audiences (government, philanthropy/CSR, financiers).

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here: Download File Terms of Reference TMC0006160.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

Education:

Public Policy/Public Finance, Economics, Development Studies, Public Health/Nutrition, Social Policy, or related.

Work Experience:

10 years of progressively responsible experience in at least two of: public finance for development, innovative finance, large-scale health/nutrition systems, or government advisory roles

Language Requirements:

English required; Hindi/other Indian languages desirable for government engagement.

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills:

• Core technical expertise :

Nutrition and multisectoral programming; ability to map and associate programme areas to appropriate staged instruments.

Innovative finance design in development contexts: pooled facilities, match/multiplier structures, and outcome-based financing roles (funder/implementer/payer).

Evidence/verification and learning design suitable for government systems.

• Government and fiscal landscape expertise

Proven experience engaging central and state government stakeholders on programme design/financing/incentives.

Familiarity with and political acumen about India public finance architecture; experience connected to Finance Commission processes desirable.

• Compliance and structuring capability

Cognizant of Government of India (national and state) financial landscape rules and regulations.

Ability to analyse and document India-specific compliance considerations and propose feasible innovative financing approaches.

• Partnerships and investment readiness

Ability to produce board-/investor-grade briefs and narratives that are simple, rigorous, and decision-oriented.

Experience engaging donors, philanthropic/CSR stakeholders and supporting multilateral appetite checks.

• Delivery and ways-of-working

Strong project management and multi-stakeholder coordination; issue/risk tracking and milestone delivery.

Workshop design and facilitation skills.

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 ValuesUNICEF 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 (only acceptable in the format of the linked template) Financial proposal TMC0006160.docx

A detailed technical proposal :

Applicant should submit 2 writing samples (e.g., reports, concept notes, or advisory outputs) that best demonstrate their expertise in innovative finance, with preference given to samples focused on nutrition systems.

Samples should clearly reflect the applicant's own analytical contribution and, where possible, showcase experience designing or advising on innovative financing instruments.

Remarks: If the TOR or financial proposal documents are not downloadable 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.

Senior Consultant-Catalytic Financing Facility Design & Partnerships Enablement,New Delhi, India, 12 Months, Office Based(Open for Nationals of India Only) Req#595818