Writer and Editor, UNICEF@80 Coffee Table Book

About this role

UNICEF Tanzania is recruiting a national consultant to serve as writer and editor for the UNICEF@80 coffee table book, a flagship publication marking the organisation's eightieth anniversary in 2026. The consultancy sits within the global UNICEF@80 campaign, Choose a Future for Children, and Tanzania's national advocacy and storytelling work under the banner Progress for Children. The book will chronicle Tanzania's journey for children across health, nutrition, education, WASH, child protection, social policy, behaviour change, innovation and climate action. The consultant will design the editorial framework and chapter architecture, then research, write and edit the full narrative.

This involves reviewing section inputs, historical records, data and archival material and interviewing UNICEF colleagues, government counterparts, partners and other contributors. The writer will translate technical evidence into accessible legacy stories, compile timelines of progress, captions and pull quotes, and work with programme specialists to verify data and attribution. Copy-editing and proofreading the manuscript, and collaborating with the designer and campaign team on narrative pacing, are also core duties. Applicants must hold a master's degree in journalism, communications, international development, social sciences, public policy or a related field, with an advanced degree considered an asset.

A minimum of ten years of professional experience in writing, editing, journalism, research, publishing or strategic communications is required, including demonstrated work on long-form publications, institutional narratives or annual reports. Strong research, fact-checking and synthesis skills, careful attention to names and sources, and the ability to articulate the distinct contributions of government, UNICEF and partners are essential. Excellent written and spoken English is mandatory, and Kiswahili proficiency sufficient to conduct interviews is expected. Country-level experience in development, fragile or humanitarian settings is desirable.

The assignment is a national consultancy based in Tanzania, working with UNICEF Tanzania's communications, programme, campaign and design teams. Compensation is not stated in the posting. Applications are submitted through the UNICEF careers portal.