International Consultant

Job Posting Organization:
UN Women is an organization grounded in the vision of equality as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. Its mission is to eliminate discrimination against women and girls, empower women, and achieve gender equality as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action, and peace and security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security. Established to place women's rights at the center of its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates the United Nations system's efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action globally. The organization provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States' priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors. The Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) is tasked with providing strategic program development, policy and technical advisory services, and quality assurance support to Multi-Country Offices (MCOs) and Country Offices (COs). It undertakes regional research and data analysis, advises on norms, policies, and strategies for achieving internationally and regionally agreed goals related to gender equality and women's empowerment. UN Women also implements the EmPower: Women for Climate-Resilient Societies program, a joint initiative with UNEP that strengthens gender-responsive climate action across Asia and the Pacific.

Job Overview:
The International Consultant will lead regional work on AI, green skills, and youth pathways, ensuring that youth-led innovation, skills development, and AI applications contribute to gender-responsive climate resilience, inclusive labor markets, and economic participation, particularly for marginalized groups such as persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples, and LGBTQIA+ persons. The consultant will work under the supervision of the Programme Coordinator for Climate Change and collaborate closely with EmPower regional and country teams. The role involves supporting youth leadership and engagement on gender-responsive climate action, providing technical and analytical inputs to regional work on AI and digital transformation, and supporting the development of green skills and just transitions. The consultant will also contribute to knowledge development, learning materials, and guidance related to AI, skills, youth, and the Leave No One Behind (LNOB) principle within the EmPower program. The expected outputs include technical contributions to concept notes, background briefs, and strategic papers, as well as contributions to knowledge products and capacity-building activities.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Youth Leadership and Engagement: Support EmPower’s regional approach to youth leadership and engagement on gender-responsive climate action, including coordination with youth networks and advisory mechanisms. Contribute to youth-led analysis, dialogue, and inputs that inform regional and national discussions on climate action, skills, and economic transitions. Promote meaningful participation of youth from LNOB groups, including youth with disabilities, Indigenous youth, and LGBTQIA+ youth.
• AI and Digital Transformation for Inclusive Climate Action: Provide technical and analytical inputs to EmPower’s regional work on AI and digital systems in the context of climate action, disaster risk reduction, and resilience. Contribute to the identification of opportunities, risks, and safeguards related to the use of AI and data-driven approaches, with attention to gender equality, inclusion, and prevention of harm. Support regional learning, evidence generation, and dialogue on responsible and inclusive use of AI in climate-related contexts.
• Green Skills and Just Transition: Support EmPower’s work on green skills and just transition, including analysis of skills needs, access barriers, and inclusion pathways linked to climate-resilient and low-carbon sectors. Contribute to regional thinking and guidance on aligning skills development with labor market demand, economic resilience, and LNOB considerations. Ensure coherence between green skills work and EmPower’s broader engagement on value chains, livelihoods, and economic participation.
• Knowledge, Learning, and Integration Across EmPower Outputs: Contribute to the development, synthesis, and refinement of knowledge products, learning materials, and guidance related to AI, skills, youth, and LNOB within the EmPower programme. Support regional and country-level capacity building, peer learning, and knowledge exchange activities as required. Work collaboratively with the team to ensure that technical inputs are accessible, policy-relevant, and aligned with EmPower’s strategic priorities.
• Strategic Support and Programme Adaptation: Provide flexible technical support to emerging priorities related to AI, green skills, and youth engagement as EmPower activities evolve. Contribute to internal learning, reflection, and adaptive management processes. Provide inputs to donor-facing materials, internal briefings, and strategic discussions, as required.

Required Qualifications:
Education and Certification: A Master’s degree in gender studies, international development, social science, policy, or any relevant field directly related to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is required. A first-level university degree in similar fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Experience: A minimum of 1 year of experience in gender equality programming, youth engagement, climate or environmental action, skills development, or digital or AI-enabled development is required. Demonstrated experience contributing to regional or multi-country initiatives, including coordination with diverse stakeholders such as UN agencies, government counterparts, civil society, youth networks, academia, or private sector actors is necessary. Proven experience supporting knowledge development, analysis, or learning products, such as briefs, guidance notes, learning summaries, or analytical inputs related to development, climate action, digital transformation, or skills is required. Experience integrating gender equality and Leave No One Behind (LNOB) considerations into program activities, research, policy analysis, or capacity-building initiatives is essential. Experience supporting youth engagement or participation processes, including youth consultations, advisory mechanisms, innovation challenges, or youth-led initiatives, is a strong asset. Strong knowledge of AI, digital technologies, data, or future skills in development or climate contexts is required. Regional experience in Asia and the Pacific and/or familiarity with ASEAN or other regional policy processes is an asset.

Educational Background:
A Master’s degree in gender studies, international development, social science, policy, or any relevant field directly related to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is required. Alternatively, a first-level university degree in similar fields combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 1 year of experience in gender equality programming, youth engagement, climate or environmental action, skills development, or digital or AI-enabled development. The candidate should have demonstrated experience contributing to regional or multi-country initiatives and coordinating with diverse stakeholders such as UN agencies, government counterparts, civil society, youth networks, academia, or private sector actors. Proven experience supporting knowledge development, analysis, or learning products related to development, climate action, digital transformation, or skills is also necessary. Additionally, experience integrating gender equality and LNOB considerations into program activities, research, policy analysis, or capacity-building initiatives is essential.

Languages:
Fluency in English is required. Proficiency in French or Spanish is considered an asset, but English is mandatory for this position.

Additional Notes:
The consultant will be based in Bangkok, Thailand, with a contract period from 15 March 2026 to 31 December 202

• The consultant will work 20 days per month. Travel will be managed following UN Women travel policy. Payment will be made upon submission of expected outputs and approval of the Programme Coordinator for Gender and Climate Action. The role requires core competencies such as respect for diversity, integrity, professionalism, awareness and sensitivity regarding gender issues, accountability, creative problem solving, effective communication, inclusive collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and leading by example.