UNICEF Policy and Systems Researcher – Maternal Nutrition 2026 | Bangkok, Thailand

UNICEF is seeking a Policy and Systems Researcher – Maternal Nutrition, Child Nutrition and Development Practice to support the UNICEF Centre of Excellence in Bangkok, Thailand. This consultancy focuses on maternal nutrition, child nutrition, policy research, health systems, qualitative research and nutrition programmes across Asia-Pacific.

The UNICEF Policy and Systems Researcher will contribute to a major report on Maternal Nutrition in Asia: Building Systems That Deliver at Scale, including country profiles, case studies and an assessment of capacity needs across UNICEF country teams.

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About UNICEF

UNICEF works in more than 190 countries and territories to protect children’s rights, support their development and improve their well-being. The organization works with governments and partners on areas including health, education, nutrition, child protection and social protection.

For this consultancy, the UNICEF Centre of Excellence in Bangkok is supporting work to understand how maternal nutrition interventions can be strengthened and delivered at scale across Asia-Pacific.

Policy and Systems Researcher Job Overview

The UNICEF Policy and Systems Researcher will provide policy, systems-readiness analysis and technical writing support for three major sections of the Maternal Nutrition in Asia report.

The consultant will work with information from programme insights, published survey reports, interviews with UNICEF nutrition specialists and systems-readiness tools developed by UNICEF.

Job Details

• Job Title: Policy and Systems Researcher – Maternal Nutrition, Child Nutrition and Development Practice
• Organization: UNICEF
• Job Number: 595905
• Contract Type: Consultant
• Location: Bangkok, Thailand
• Duty Station: Bangkok
• Level: Consultancy
• Category: Nutrition
• Contract Period: 1 November 2026 – 30 March 2027
• Duty Travel: None
• Deadline: 1 October 2026

What Will the UNICEF Researcher Do?

The successful consultant will contribute to research and technical writing for the UNICEF Maternal Nutrition in Asia report.

The assignment includes country profiles, case studies and capacity-needs assessment.

1. Develop Detailed Country Profiles

The consultant will use and enhance a template provided by the UNICEF Centre of Excellence in Bangkok.

The assignment involves developing approximately three-page country profiles for each of 22 countries for the report annexes, alongside country narratives for the main report.

Sixteen country profiles have already been developed and will require updating.

The country profiles will cover areas such as:

• Nutrition situation
• Existing policies
• Maternal nutrition programmes
• Systems readiness
• Programme implementation
• Relevant country-level evidence

2. Develop Maternal Nutrition Case Studies

The UNICEF Policy and Systems Researcher will identify and develop case studies using a template provided by the UNICEF Centre of Excellence Bangkok.

A total of 22 case studies are envisaged, with at least one case study per country.

The case studies will examine how different systems contribute to maternal nutrition, including:

• Health systems
• Food systems
• Social protection
• Women’s empowerment
• Climate-sensitive programmes
• Humanitarian settings
• Climate-risk settings

The research will consider maternal nutrition before, during and after pregnancy and examine pathways for reaching people who may otherwise be left out or left behind.

3. Assess Capacity Needs

The third component involves assessing workforce and institutional capacity needs.

The consultant will conduct online one-to-one interviews with approximately 30 UNICEF officers to identify pathways for strengthening workforce and institutional capacity.

The work will explore areas such as:

• Workforce development
• Institutional capacity
• South-South cooperation
• Implementation science
• Technical assistance
• Local institutional capacity
• Sustainable government capacity

UNICEF Consultancy Deliverables and Timeline

The UNICEF Policy and Systems Researcher consultancy has four major deliverables.

Deliverable 1: Inception Report and Methodology

The consultant will prepare an inception report and methodology, together with a data-gathering plan.

Deadline: 15 November 2026

Deliverable 2: Data Gathering

Data gathering for all three sections of the Maternal Nutrition in Asia report must be completed.

Deadline: 15 January 2027

Deliverable 3: First Draft

The consultant will provide first draft edited versions of all three sections for incorporation into the main Maternal Nutrition in Asia report.

Deadline: 28 February 2027

Deliverable 4: Final Draft Materials

The consultant will provide first draft edited versions of the three sections together with a summary slide deck and policy brief.

Deadline: 30 March 2027

Duration of the Consultancy

The UNICEF Policy and Systems Researcher consultancy will run from:

1 November 2026 to 30 March 2027

The vacancy states that there is no duty travel associated with the assignment.

Who Can Apply for the Policy and Systems Researcher Job?

Applicants should have an educational background in a relevant field.

Suitable disciplines include:

• Development Studies
• Public Policy and Practice
• Health Systems
• Systems Research
• Nutrition
• Nutrition Policy
• Epidemiology
• A related discipline

Candidates should also demonstrate relevant professional research experience.

Required Experience and Skills

The UNICEF Policy and Systems Researcher position requires at least two years of proven experience in policy and programme research related to improving maternal nutrition in Asia-Pacific.

Applicants should also have:

• Proven experience producing high-quality qualitative research
• Experience with systems research
• Experience producing policy research reports
• Experience writing peer-reviewed journal papers on maternal nutrition in Asia
• Knowledge of maternal nutrition programmes
• Experience with maternal nutrition and anaemia programming in Asia-Pacific
• Previous experience working with UNICEF

Because the assignment involves extensive research and technical writing, applicants should be able to analyse evidence, conduct interviews, synthesize findings and communicate research findings clearly.

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UNICEF Policy and Systems Researcher Salary and Financial Proposal

The vacancy does not specify a fixed salary or consultancy fee.

Instead, interested candidates are requested to submit a financial proposal in USD as part of their application.

Applicants should therefore review the consultancy requirements carefully and prepare a financial proposal that reflects the scope, duration and deliverables of the assignment.

Consultants are also responsible for determining and paying applicable taxes or duties according to relevant laws.

Benefits and Contract Conditions

This is a UNICEF consultancy, rather than a regular UNICEF staff position.

The vacancy specifically states that consultants are not considered staff members under UNICEF Staff Regulations and Rules. Therefore, consultants are not entitled to staff benefits such as:

• Staff leave entitlements
• Medical insurance coverage provided to staff

The conditions of service are governed by the applicable UNICEF General Conditions of Contracts for Consultants and Individual Contractors.

The selected consultant is responsible for ensuring that any required visa and health insurance remain valid throughout the contract period.

How Competitive Is the Policy and Systems Researcher Position?

The role has several specific experience requirements, particularly around maternal nutrition in Asia-Pacific, policy research, systems research and UNICEF programming.

Applicants should therefore make their relevant experience easy to identify in their CV and cover letter.

Particular attention should be given to evidence of:

• Maternal nutrition research
• Asia-Pacific programme experience
• Qualitative research
• Policy analysis
• Health and nutrition systems
• Research report writing
• Peer-reviewed publications
• UNICEF experience
• Maternal nutrition and anaemia programming

How to Prepare Your CV for the Job

A strong CV for the UNICEF Policy and Systems Researcher job should clearly demonstrate the relationship between your previous work and the consultancy’s requirements.

Highlight specific research projects involving:

Maternal nutrition + Asia-Pacific + policy research + systems research + qualitative research + programme analysis.

Where applicable, include publications, research reports, consultancy assignments, interviews conducted, policy studies and experience working with government or international organizations.

Avoid simply listing responsibilities. Instead, describe the research outputs you produced and the contribution you made.

Cover Letter Tips

Your cover letter should explain why your professional background matches the UNICEF Policy and Systems Researcher – Maternal Nutrition consultancy.

Focus on:

1. Your maternal nutrition experience.
2. Your Asia-Pacific experience.
3. Your policy and systems research background.
4. Your qualitative research and interview experience.
5. Your technical writing and report development experience.
6. Your previous UNICEF experience, if applicable.
7. Your availability for the consultancy period.

The vacancy also requests the full contact information of at least three references, so applicants should prepare these details before submitting their application.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should carefully review the UNICEF application requirements before submitting their documents.

Common issues to avoid include:

• Submitting a generic CV without maternal nutrition experience clearly highlighted
• Failing to demonstrate Asia-Pacific experience
• Not explaining relevant policy and systems research experience
• Omitting research publications or major reports
• Failing to provide three professional references
• Forgetting the financial proposal in USD
• Not stating availability
• Submitting after the application deadline

Career Opportunities After a UNICEF Research Consultancy

Experience as a UNICEF Policy and Systems Researcher can provide relevant professional exposure to areas such as:

• Nutrition policy
• Maternal and child nutrition
• Health systems research
• Public policy
• Development research
• Programme evaluation
• International development
• Research consultancy
• Evidence-based policy
• Multilateral organizations

The experience may also be relevant to future research, nutrition, public health and international development consultancy opportunities.

Who Should Apply?

The UNICEF Policy and Systems Researcher consultancy may be relevant to professionals with experience in maternal nutrition, nutrition policy, health systems, epidemiology, development studies, public policy or systems research.

Applicants should pay particular attention to the requirement for proven experience in maternal nutrition policy and programme research in the Asia-Pacific region.

UNICEF Policy and Systems Researcher Application Deadline

The application deadline is:

1 October 2026

The vacancy was advertised on 25 September 2026.

Candidates should submit their application before the stated deadline and ensure that all requested documents are included.

How to Apply for the UNICEF Policy and Systems Researcher Job

Interested candidates are required to submit:

• CV
• Cover letter
• Full contact information for at least three references
• Availability
• Financial proposal in USD

Final Thoughts

The UNICEF Policy and Systems Researcher – Maternal Nutrition consultancy offers an opportunity for an experienced nutrition or policy researcher to contribute to a major regional research report covering maternal nutrition systems across Asia.

The assignment combines policy research, qualitative research, systems analysis, country profiling, case-study development and capacity assessment. Candidates should carefully demonstrate their experience in maternal nutrition research in Asia-Pacific and prepare all required application materials before the 1 October 2026 deadline.