Contract Duration: 6 months

Working arrangement: remoter + travel

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.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Under the direct supervision of the Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) Specialist and guidance of the Chief of SBC, and in close coordination with the Health Section and Field Offices, the consultant will:

• Support development and adaptation of federal and state-level Polio SBC strategies and ensure integration into preparedness and outbreak response plans.

• Provide technical assistance to develop evidence-based SBC micro-plans informed by IM, LQAS, refusal tracking, social investigations, and KAP/social research findings.

• Support pre-campaign readiness including stakeholder mapping, mobilization planning, and coordination of community engagement activities.

• Provide technical oversight during campaign implementation and support post-campaign follow-up for missed children and zero-dose identification.

Ensure effective use of communication channels including interpersonal communication, community dialogues, influencers, and local leaders.

• Design and implement targeted SBC interventions to address vaccine hesitancy, refusals, and misinformation.

• Support engagement of influencers, religious leaders, health workers, and community networks to promote polio vaccination.

• Develop/review key messages and IEC materials and strengthen rumor tracking and rapid response mechanisms at state level.

• Provide on-the-job mentoring and support capacity building of state, locality, and administrative health promotion officers on SBC microplanning, IPC, community engagement, and monitoring tools.

• Strengthen coordination between Health, SBC, implementing partners, and line ministries, and actively participate in federal and state-level technical coordination meetings.

• Analyze SBC data from IM, LQAS, and field monitoring; produce monthly technical briefs; document best practices and lessons learned; and submit comprehensive campaign reports with recommendations.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here : TMC0003231 External ToR Template.pdf

Minimum requirements:

Education:

Bachelor's degree in social/behavioral/communication science, other fields with relevant certified training in behavioral and social communication.

Work Experience:

• Minimum three years of professional experience in Polio SBC or related technical area, programme planning and management at the national or international levels, preferably in a developing country.

• Experience working in emergency settings is required.

• Relevant experience in SBCC and Community Engagement for immunization and social cohesion in any UN system organization is considered an asset.

Skills:

Ability to work independently and to meet deadlines.
Demonstrated ability to effectively work and communicate in a multicultural environment

Desirables:

• Willingness to work from Kassala and surrounding states.

• Computer literacy and strong familiarity with MS Office package required. Strong competency for MS Excel is considered an asset.

• Completed training on BSAFE

Language Requirements:

• Fluent English and Arabic required. Sudanese Arabic capability is considered an asset.

• Demonstrated ability to effectively work and communicate in a multicultural environment writing and oral communication skills in English

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 (only acceptable in the format of the linked template) TMC0003231 Financial Proposal Template.docx

Remarks:

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 advanced to the next stage of the selection process.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

SBC Consultant – Polio & Immunization, Khartoum, Sudan, (Nationals only) remote with travel