National Consultant – Writer and Editor, UNICEF@80 Coffee Table Book, Tanzania.

UNICEF•Washington, DC

About The Position

UNICEF Tanzania is developing a coffee table book as a flagship output for the global UNICEF@80 campaign, 'Choose a Future for Children.' This book will chronicle Tanzania's journey for children across key areas such as health, nutrition, education, child protection, and climate action. The consultancy's purpose is to research, structure, write, and edit the narrative for this publication, ensuring it presents a coherent story of progress for children in Tanzania over time. The publication will document policies, investments, partnerships, and collective actions that have improved children's lives, reflecting UNICEF's contribution alongside government, communities, and other stakeholders. The consultant will translate technical evidence into compelling narratives, connect past achievements with present realities and future priorities, and maintain consistency, accuracy, and high editorial quality.

Requirements

Masters in Journalism, communications, international development, social sciences, public policy or another relevant field.
Minimum 10 years of professional experience in writing, editing, journalism, research, publishing or strategic communications.
Demonstrated experience producing long-form publications, institutional narratives, annual reports, books, feature writing or similar high-quality editorial products.
Excellent writing, editing and storytelling skills, with the ability to translate complex technical evidence into clear, compelling and accessible narratives.
Strong understanding of Tanzania's development context and ability to write accurately about social development, public policy and children's rights.
Proven research and synthesis skills across technical sources, datasets, reports and interviews.
Ability to distinguish and articulate the respective contributions of Government, UNICEF and partners, avoiding unsupported attribution.
Strong fact-checking, copy-editing and proofreading skills, with meticulous attention to dates, data, names, sources and consistency.
Ability to collaborate with technical specialists, communications colleagues and designers, manage feedback from multiple stakeholders and deliver to tight deadlines.
Excellent written and spoken English.
Knowledge of Kiswahili and ability to conduct interviews in Kiswahili.
Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

Nice To Haves

An advanced degree is an asset.

Responsibilities

Develop the editorial framework and structure for the publication, including the overall storyline, chapter architecture, narrative approach and flow, aligned with Progress for Children and Choose a Future for Children.
Conduct research and consultations, review inputs, historical records, data, and archival materials, and interview relevant stakeholders to build the publication's evidence base.
Write and edit the coffee table book narrative, translating research into compelling stories of Tanzania's progress for children and connecting historical achievements with human experiences and the unfinished agenda.
Develop timelines of progress, photo captions, pull quotes, and other required editorial elements.
Collaborate with programme specialists and technical experts to verify data, ensure accurate attribution, and integrate feedback.
Ensure all content reflects UNICEF's storytelling principles: accuracy, dignity, agency, and a focus on children, families, and communities as active participants.
Copy-edit and proofread the full manuscript for clarity, consistency, readability, and alignment with UNICEF editorial standards and brand guidance.
Work closely with the designer and campaign team to ensure appropriate text hierarchy, narrative pacing, and integration of visual and editorial content.