Child and Adolescent Mental Health Consultant (Partnerships, Tools, Evidence)
Organizational Context
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential. 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's Global Programme Division (GPD) seeks a consultant to provide dedicated support to its expanding mental health portfolio. The consultant will address technical and financing gaps, enhance the applicability of global tools and guidance, and synthesize lessons from country implementation to inform future work. This role is crucial for strengthening UNICEF's capacity to assist countries in planning, integrating, and scaling child and adolescent mental health services within existing health and community systems. The consultant will deliver specific technical products, including strategic partnership development, investment opportunities, practical guidance, learning resources, and evidence synthesis for publications, all aimed at improving mental health support for children and adolescents globally.
Responsibilities
The consultant will be responsible for delivering a defined set of technical products under the Global Mental Health Lead. This includes developing strategic partnerships and identifying investment opportunities to advance child and adolescent mental health initiatives. The consultant will create practical guidance and learning resources to support country-level systems strengthening for mental health services. A key responsibility will be synthesizing evidence and generating knowledge, including producing technical and peer-reviewed publications, to inform UNICEF's global strategy and country-level programming. The consultant will also contribute to making global tools and guidance more accessible and applicable in diverse country contexts. Furthermore, the role involves providing technical capacity strengthening and mentoring to specialist teams within UNICEF and partner organizations, ensuring effective implementation and scaling of mental health programs. The consultant will play a vital role in bridging the gap between global best practices and on-the-ground implementation, ensuring that UNICEF's support for child and adolescent mental health is evidence-based, sustainable, and impactful.
Work Experience
Minimum 10 years of relevant experience in global health, mental health, or health systems, with significant experience in child and adolescent mental health. Experience in developing/applying global technical guidance, tools, and implementation approaches across health and community-based systems is required. Demonstrated experience in strategic technical partnerships, program/investment development, and evidence translation is essential.
Skills
Child and adolescent mental health programming, Service planning and systems strengthening, LMIC settings expertise, Analytical skills, Technical writing, Facilitation skills, Communication skills, Strategic partnership development, Investment opportunity identification, Evidence synthesis and translation, Capacity strengthening and mentoring, Global health policy