Senior Consultant

Job Posting Organization:
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) is a regional arm of the United Nations established in 197

• Its mission is to promote economic and social development in the Arab region through regional cooperation and integration. ESCWA works with member states to formulate policies and strategies that address the challenges faced by the region, including conflict, climate change, and sustainable development. The organization operates in 17 member countries and employs a diverse team of experts across various fields, focusing on enhancing the capacity of governments and institutions to achieve sustainable development goals.

Job Overview:
The Senior Consultant will play a crucial role in enhancing the resilience and recovery of conflict-affected Arab States by leveraging technology and innovation. This position requires a comprehensive understanding of the complex socio-political landscape in the region, particularly in the context of ongoing conflicts and humanitarian crises. The consultant will adopt a mixed-methods, systems-oriented, and conflict-sensitive methodology to conduct an in-depth analysis of the intersection between technology, governance, and development. The consultant will be responsible for producing a comprehensive study, developing guidance materials, and facilitating capacity-building workshops aimed at empowering local stakeholders to effectively utilize technology for sustainable development. The overarching goal is to reframe recovery as a continuous process that integrates resilience-building measures into the fabric of governance and service delivery, thereby fostering a more inclusive and equitable approach to recovery in the region.

Duties and Responsibilities:
Under the guidance of the Cluster leader, Governance and Prevention of ESCWA, the Senior Consultant will be tasked with several key responsibilities:

• Conduct a strategic analysis of how technology and innovation can strengthen resilience, recovery, and sustainable development in conflict-affected Arab States.
• Apply an integrated, systems-based approach to identify priority technological entry points across key sectors, including early warning systems, Digital Public Infrastructure, health, education, security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food security, and livelihoods.
• Review regional and global experiences to extract policy-relevant lessons and good practices applicable to the Arab region.
• Analyze governance, ethical, and inclusion considerations related to the use of digital and frontier technologies in fragile and conflict-affected contexts, and propose appropriate safeguards.
• Undertake targeted stakeholder consultations to incorporate regional perspectives and inform the analysis and recommendations.
• Prepare a comprehensive analytical study and a concise guidance note with actionable recommendations for policymakers and practitioners.
• Develop training materials and contribute to the design and delivery of a capacity-building workshop organized by ESCWA.
• Ensure that all outputs support ESCWA’s mandate on evidence-based policy dialogue, regional cooperation, and capacity development.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a master’s degree or equivalent in fields such as economics, public policy, development studies, international relations, information systems, engineering, or a related discipline. Additionally, candidates must demonstrate a minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in development policy, resilience, recovery, or related areas, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. Experience in integrating technology and innovation into policy frameworks, especially in crisis-affected environments, is essential. Proven experience in preparing analytical reports, policy studies, and guidance notes for governmental or international organizations is also required. Familiarity with the Arab region and its specific challenges is desirable.

Educational Background:
A master’s degree or equivalent in relevant fields such as economics, public policy, development studies, international relations, information systems, engineering, or a related area is required. All candidates must submit a copy of their educational degree as part of the application process, as 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. Candidates should have substantial experience working in fragile and conflict-affected contexts, demonstrating a strong understanding of the unique challenges faced by these regions. Experience in integrating technology and innovation into policy and planning frameworks, particularly in low-capacity environments, is crucial. Proven ability to prepare analytical reports and policy studies for governments or international organizations is also necessary.

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: speaking, reading, writing, and understanding. Knowledge of a language is defined as a rating of ‘confident’ in at least two of the four areas.

Additional Notes:
The consultancy is expected to last for a duration of 9 months and is primarily remote. The position does not involve any fees at any stage of the recruitment process, and the United Nations does not request information regarding applicants’ bank accounts. This ensures a transparent and fair recruitment process.