Consultancy to provide Technical research oversight and quality assurance support for IDD / USI sentinel surveillance and sub-national iodine intake studies, GPD, CoE Nairobi, (Remote)#593078

Organizational Context

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential. 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.

Job Purpose

UNICEF seeks an experienced consultant to provide technical oversight, coordination, and quality assurance support for ongoing and planned iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) / universal salt iodization (USI) evidence generation activities supported under the US-funded IDD project. The consultant will support UNICEF Country Offices, governments, universities, and technical partners to design, supervise, monitor, and ensure quality implementation of sentinel surveillance systems, sub-national iodine intake assessments, and related operational research in priority countries. This involves planning or implementing iodine-related studies between June 2026 and February 2027, ensuring country-level evidence generation is methodologically sound, policy relevant, timely, and translated into practical recommendations to strengthen national iodine programmes and sustain USI mandates.

Responsibilities

The scope of work covers technical leadership, research quality assurance, country support, protocol development, capacity strengthening, data interpretation, and dissemination related to IDD / USI surveillance and research. Key responsibilities include providing technical guidance on the design of sentinel surveillance systems for iodine status monitoring, supporting the development and review of protocols for sub-national iodine intake studies, and ensuring alignment with WHO/UNICEF guidance and global best practices. The consultant will advise on sampling approaches, indicators, biomarkers, dietary intake methods, and salt testing approaches, and support ethical review readiness and technical documentation. Additionally, the consultant will provide remote and in-country technical supervision of ongoing studies, troubleshoot implementation bottlenecks affecting fieldwork, and laboratory analysis, and contribute to the interpretation and dissemination of study findings to inform policy and programming.

Work Experience

A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in public health nutrition, epidemiology, or research, with a focus on micronutrient deficiencies and surveillance systems. Experience with international organizations or UN agencies is an asset.

Skills

Technical research oversight, Quality assurance, Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD), Universal salt iodization (USI), Sentinel surveillance systems, Sub-national assessments, Operational research, Protocol development, Data interpretation, Capacity strengthening, Policy relevance, UNICEF/WHO guidance

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