Senior Consultant on Integrating Technology for Resilience

Job Posting Organization:
The job posting organization is the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), which was established in 197

• ESCWA aims to promote economic and social development in the Arab region through regional cooperation and integration. The organization focuses on various areas, including sustainable development, social justice, and economic growth, and operates in multiple countries across the Arab region. ESCWA employs a diverse team of professionals dedicated to addressing the challenges faced by member states and enhancing their capacities for development.

Job Overview:
The Senior Consultant will play a crucial role in enhancing the resilience and recovery of conflict-affected Arab States by integrating technology into their development frameworks. The consultant will adopt a mixed-methods, systems-oriented, and conflict-sensitive methodology, which is aligned with ESCWA’s human-centered approach. The consultancy will involve conducting a strategic analysis of conflict, climate, and development trends in the Arab region, mapping existing technology initiatives, and engaging with various stakeholders to gather insights. The consultant will also apply the Integrated Technological Planning Framework to analyze priority resilience domains, ensuring that technology serves as a bridge from fragility to stability. The ultimate goal is to produce a comprehensive study, develop guidance materials, and conduct capacity-building workshops to support the strategic governance and deployment of technology in these contexts.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Senior Consultant will be responsible for conducting a strategic analysis of how technology can strengthen resilience and recovery in conflict-affected Arab States. This includes applying an integrated, systems-based approach to identify technological entry points across key sectors such as health, education, security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food security, and livelihoods. The consultant will review regional and global experiences to extract relevant policy lessons, analyze governance and ethical considerations, and propose safeguards for technology use. Additionally, the consultant will undertake stakeholder consultations, prepare an analytical study and guidance note, develop training materials, and contribute to capacity-building workshops organized by ESCWA. All outputs must align with ESCWA’s mandate on evidence-based policy dialogue and regional cooperation.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a master’s degree or equivalent in fields such as economics, public policy, development studies, international relations, information systems, or engineering. A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in development policy, resilience, recovery, or related areas is required, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. Demonstrated experience in integrating technology into policy frameworks and preparing analytical reports for governments or international organizations is essential. Experience working in conflict-affected countries or with Arab region countries is desirable.

Educational Background:
The position requires a master’s degree or equivalent in relevant fields such as economics, public policy, development studies, international relations, information systems, or engineering. Candidates must submit a copy of their educational degree as part of the application process, and incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in development policy, resilience, recovery, or related areas. This experience should include work in fragile and conflict-affected contexts, demonstrating the ability to integrate technology and innovation into policy and planning frameworks. Proven experience in preparing analytical reports and guidance notes for governments or international organizations is also required.

Languages:
Fluency in English is required for this position, as it is one of the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Knowledge of Arabic is desirable, as it is a working language of ESCWA. Fluency is defined as a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand), while knowledge is defined as a rating of ‘confident’ in two of the four areas.

Additional Notes:
The consultancy is expected to last for 9 months and will be conducted remotely. The United Nations does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process, including application, interview, or training. The organization is committed to ensuring that applicants are not asked for personal banking information during the recruitment process.