Strategic Data Management Consultant, NYHQ, USA/Chief Data Office/DAPM/remote/Req#582033

Consultancy Title: Strategic Data Management Consultancy

Division/Duty Station: DAPM, Chief Data Office/NYHQ, USA

Duration: 15 July 2025 – 31 December 2025

Home/ Office Based: Remote

 

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines fordeveloping countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

This consultancy offers a unique opportunity to work directly with UNICEF’s Chief Data Officer in identifying and cataloguing key data assets that will be used to scope the data governance framework. The consultant will play a key role in strengthening UNICEF’s data maturity by developing a validated inventory of enterprise data assets, facilitating cross-divisional collaboration, and refining strategic documents that will underpin organization-wide data management practices—promoting visibility, reusability, and accountability. 

Scope of Work:

• Conduct structured stakeholder engagement across HQ, regional, and country offices through a questionnaire and interviews to identify critical data assets.

• Develop a metadata-rich UNICEF Data Asset Catalogue including descriptions, ownership, stewardship, platform location, and classification, drawing from available technical data inventories and from the results of the stakeholder engagement.

• Facilitate four virtual consultative workshops with cross-functional stakeholders to validate strategic direction and inform document refinement.

• Refine and finalize UNICEF’s draft data strategy, policy and procedures, ensuring alignment with governance structures, organizational priorities, and implementation mechanisms

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Work Assignment Overview/Deliverables and Outputs/Delivery deadline

1. Stakeholder engagement plan & questionnaire

- Design and deliver a validated questionnaire to identify key data assets across at least 5 divisions, aligned with the draft Data Governance Framework

1 September 2025

2. Data asset catalogue 

- Develop and submit a data asset catalogue containing at least 50 validated data assets, each with metadata fields including division/office, owner, steward, custodian, and storage location 

30 October 2025

3. Consultative sessions summaries 

- Summary report from 4 high-level sessions with outcome summaries 

30 November 2025

4. Final Drafts of Data Strategy, Policy & Procedures 

- Revised final drafts documents aligned with organizational goals and the findings of the stakeholder engagement

15 December 2025

Qualifications

Education: University degree in Data Engineering, or a related discipline 

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *: 

- Certified Data Management Professional / Data Governance professional or equivalent

- At least five years' experience in Data Governance

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and

- Upload copy of academic credentials

- Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :

• • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability

- Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.

- At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.

- Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in sub