Senior Strategic Expert Consultant

Job Posting Organization:
UN Women is an organization grounded in the vision of equality as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. Established to eliminate discrimination against women and girls, UN Women works towards the empowerment of women and the achievement of gender equality as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action, and peace and security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security. The organization leads and coordinates efforts across the United Nations system to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming are translated into action globally. UN Women operates in 41 Member States across Asia and the Pacific, implementing programs that include normative and advocacy initiatives. The organization collaborates with various stakeholders, including government entities, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector, to promote gender equality and women's empowerment. UN Women is also committed to integrating gender equality into climate governance and environmental policies, as recognized in global frameworks such as the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

Job Overview:
The Senior Strategic Expert Consultant position is designed to provide high-level technical advisory support on gender-responsive climate change, disaster risk reduction, and environmental governance. The consultant will serve as an on-call resource for the UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Multi-Country Offices, and Country Offices. The role involves supporting normative processes, regional coordination mechanisms, and strategic programmatic initiatives. The consultant will be expected to assist in the development and implementation of gender-responsive climate policies and commitments, particularly in relation to the NDC 3.0 and the UNFCCC Gender Action Plan (2025–2035). The consultancy aims to advance gender equality and women's leadership in climate policy development and implementation, strengthen institutional capacity for gender-responsive actions, and enhance regional coordination and partnerships.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The consultant will be responsible for providing authoritative technical and strategic inputs to integrate gender equality into regional climate frameworks. This includes empowering Member States to formulate and implement gender-responsive climate commitments, developing high-quality policy-oriented guidance and analytical notes, and providing strategic advice to UN Women country offices. The consultant will also guide effective coordination of UN Women’s engagement across UN system entities and lead regional policy dialogues and technical meetings. Additionally, the consultant will provide analysis" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">technical analysis on UNFCCC negotiation tracks, develop briefing materials for UN Women’s contributions to global climate governance, and oversee the development of knowledge products and capacity-building initiatives. The consultant will synthesize lessons learned and facilitate learning sessions to strengthen policy execution and accountability.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a Master’s degree in Gender and Development, Climate Change, Environmental Policy, Environmental Science, Public Policy, Sustainable Development, or other relevant disciplines. A first-level university degree combined with additional qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. Candidates should have a minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in climate change, environmental governance, or related fields, with a demonstrated integration of gender equality in policy and programmatic work. Experience providing high-level normative and policy advisory support to governments and regional institutions is essential, as is experience engaging with UNFCCC processes and designing capacity development initiatives.

Educational Background:
A Master’s degree in relevant fields such as Gender and Development, Climate Change, Environmental Policy, or Sustainable Development is required. A first-level university degree may be accepted with additional qualifying experience.

Experience:
Candidates should have at least 10 years of relevant experience in climate change and environmental governance, with a focus on integrating gender equality into policy frameworks. Experience in providing advisory support to governments and engaging in UNFCCC processes is highly desirable. Proven experience in designing and leading capacity development initiatives is also required.

Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory. Knowledge of other languages spoken in the Asia-Pacific region or any UN official language is considered an asset.

Additional Notes:
This consultancy is home-based, with potential travel within the Asia-Pacific region as required. The retainer contract does not guarantee a minimum volume of work, and consultants may decline assignments based on their availability and expertise. The service will be rendered on an 'on-call' basis, and UN Women will arrange travel according to its Travel Policy.