Local Consultancy: Health Economist for Nutrition Public Finance

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, sustained public investment in nutrition

How can you make a difference? 

The consultant will perform the following tasks under the supervision of the Nutrition Specialist, in close coordination with the Social Policy Specialist at the UNICEF Philippines Country Office and relevant program officers in the UNICEF Mindanao Field Office (Health and Nutrition Specialist, Nutrition Officer, and Social Policy Specialist) 

Coordination and Technical Support of the Nutrition PFM Workstream  

• Provide technical leadership and coordination support to government agencies (NNC and GB members, PhilHealth, DBM, PIDS), LGUs, development partners (World Bank, ADB, SUN network) and other institutional contractors (HCA) to ensure alignment of the PCO Nutrition PFM workstream with the CNF commitments  
• Support UNICEF staff in ensuring that guidance is provided in aligning CNF-funded PFM workstreams are aligned with PMNP and national frameworks 
• Provide TA in technical working groups and inter-agency committees on nutrition financing by reviewing and validating methodologies, ensuring rigor, quality, and consistency of analytical outputs, and contributing to the development/updating of frameworks and tools 

Costing and Expenditure Reviews 

• Provide Technical oversight for the Regional Plan of Action for Nutrition (RPAN) Costing in BARMM 
• Building on the previous UNICEF-supported PPAN-ECN costing work, provide TA in the preparations for and during budget hearings where costing will be used and/or presented . 
• Update of PPAN-ECN costing using the new 2024 Census as base population 
• Support costing and resource requirements for provincial and local nutrition action plans in priority provinces and PMNP municipalities. 
• Liaise with, provide technical oversight to, and review outputs of the institutional contractor that will do the Fiscal Space Analysis and Public Expenditure and Institutional Review   

Nutrition Budget Tagging and Tracking and Program Convergence Budgeting 

• Convene and facilitate dialogues to ensure alignment on budget tagging at the national and local level 
•  including support to policy consultation and review workshops to establish a Nutrition Budget Tracking Framework for national and sub-national levels (building on the current PIDS-UNICEF NBT framework) 
•  Provide coordination support and technical comments to the planned work on Programme Convergence Budgets(PCB) ECD (focused on nutrition-relevant interventions in PCB ECD) 

Advocacy 

• Drafting of Annual Nutrition Budget Briefs 
• Provide technical inputs to evidence and knowledge products in Nutrition PFM, including but not limited to: 
• Fiscal space analyses 
• PEIR  
• Business cases (e.g., cost of inaction on nutrition) 
• Support conduct and coordination of policy dialogues with relevant government for the dissemination of evidence and knowledge products 

Capacity Building and Institutionalization 

• Provide technical guidance in the design and development of capacity building  approaches, tools, and materials on nutrition PFM, ensuring alignment with national frameworks and standards. 
• Conduct technical review and quality assurance of training modules and materials developed by UNICEF, government counterparts, or institutional contractors. 
• Support and, where strategic, co-facilitate selected capacity-building activities and workshops, particularly those requiring technical inputs on PFM tools and analytical approaches. 
• Establish mechanisms within NNC for regular collection, analysis, and presentation of nutrition finance data alongside programme performance indicators. 
• Support integration of financial monitoring into national reporting systems (FHSIS, MELLPI, HOMIS). 

Tasks:

• Inception and Workplan
• Technical Oversight the BARMM RPAN costing (institutional contract) and residual support to the PPAN-ECN Costing 
• Support costing and resource requirements for provincial and local nutrition action plans in priority provinces and PMNP municipalities. 
• Support to ECD Program Convergence Budgeting 
• Nutrition Budget Tagging (NBT)  
• Capacity building oversight – national agencies 
• Drafting of Annual Nutrition Budget Brief 
• Cross-cutting oversight and coordination 
• Technical oversight to the PEIR and Fiscal Space Analysis  
• Closure and Drafting of Final Report 

Deliverables:

• Inception report including 
  • (i) consultancy workplan; 
  • (ii) technical oversight and quality assurance framework/ plan for CNF-financed PFM activities across modalities (institutional contracts, other consultants, UNICEF direct implementation)
• Quarterly Progress Report that include links to below sub-deliverables:
  • Updated PPAN-ECN costing using the new 2024 Census as base population, with documented assumptions and methodological adjustments
  • Technical inputs to budget hearings and costing presentations (e.g., key messages, economic justification, support on actual presentation)
  • Reviewed and validated costing outputs for provincial and local nutrition action plans in priority areas
  • 1-2 Policy dialogues supported for scoping and development of policy, accountability, and results framework on Programme Convergence Budgets (PCB) ECD (focused on nutrition-relevant interventions in PCB ECD)
  • Support to CoE Nutrition PFM Mission
• Quarterly technical coordination reports consolidating progress across CNF-financed PFM activities that include links to below sub-deliverables:
  • Draft NBT policy note and implementation roadmap validated with NNC, DBM, BLGF; technical guidance to ensure institutional contract deliverables align
  • Policy consultation and review workshops supported to establish a Nutrition Budget Tracking Framework for national and sub-national levels
  • Scale up of Child Budget and Expenditures Tagging and Tracking (CBETT) to target municipalities supported
• Quarterly technical coordination reports consolidating progress across CNF-financed PFM activities that  include links to below sub-deliverables:
  • At least 1 national workshop convened; capacity-building materials reviewed for technical quality and consistency across modalities
  • Technical review notes and technical endorsement of comprehensive costing reports; 
  • Consolidated policy brief and presentation for advocacy BARMM MOH-BNC
  • 2026 Nutrition Budget Brief
• Final technical coordination Report that include links to below sub-deliverables:
  • Technical Review Notes for the draft FSA and PEIR design and initial output of institutional contractor
  • Summary of Support and Policy Recommendations for Nutrition PFM in the country

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: TOR-Health Economist- Nutrition PFM redacted.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education:
  • Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Health Economics, Public Finance, Economics, or related field. A PhD in a relevant discipline is an asset 
• Work Experience:
  • At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in public financial management, budget analysis, or costing of health/nutrition programmes. 
  • Demonstrated experience in leading or providing technical oversight of analytical work (e.g., costing, expenditure analysis, fiscal space analysis, or similar). 
  • Experience working with government systems and institutions, preferably in low- and middle-income country contexts. 
• Skills: 
  • Expertise in PFM and health economics, including costing, budgeting, expenditure reviews, fiscal space analysis, budget tagging methodologies
  • Advanced analytical and quantitative skills, including proficiency in spreadsheets and relevant modelling tools for economic and financial analysis
  • Demonstrated ability to review, validate, and ensure quality of analytical outputs, including methodologies, assumptions, and policy relevance.
  • Proven experience in translating technical analysis into policy-relevant insights and recommendations, including preparation of high-quality technical reports, policy briefs, and presentations.
  • Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with demonstrated ability to work effectively with government agencies, development partners, and technical working groups on financing reforms.
  • Ability to manage and coordinate multiple workstreams while ensuring technical coherence and alignment across contracts, consultants, and UNICEF-led activities. 
  • Strong communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Language Requirements:
  • Fluency in English required; fluency in Filipino and other Philippine languages an asset. 

How to Apply

Qualified candidates are requested to complete an online candidate profile in http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/ by 24 April 2026. Only applications sent through the e-recruitment portal will be considered.

By applying through our Talent Management System (TMS) you agree to our privacy statement which is in line with the Philippines’ Data Privacy Act. You are strongly advised to read carefully through the privacy statement before submitting your application.

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

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

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 a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility jobs-near-me.org 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.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:  

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

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.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.