Team of Consultants for Women's Economic Empowerment Innovation Grant

Job Posting Organization:
UN Women, established in July 2010, is the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. It was created as part of the UN reform agenda to consolidate resources and mandates for greater impact on gender equality and women's empowerment. UN Women merges the work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system that focused on gender equality, namely DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW, and UNIFEM. The organization operates globally, with a mission to eliminate discrimination against women and girls, empower women, and achieve equality between women and men. UN Women Albania is currently implementing its Strategic Note (SN) for 2022-2026, focusing on ensuring that all women and girls enjoy their human rights in a gender-equal society, contributing to Albania's sustainable socio-economic development and EU integration. The organization addresses key thematic areas such as ending violence against women, women's economic empowerment, and gender-responsive governance, while promoting inclusive development and partnerships with various stakeholders.

Job Overview:
The position involves recruiting a Team of Consultants to provide specialized technical expertise for the implementation of the Women’s Economic Empowerment Innovation Grant, specifically focusing on the identification, documentation, and assessment of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids (PA) containing plants in the Dibër region of Albania. The consultants will work under the supervision of the Project Management Specialist and in close coordination with the Technical Project Analyst. The role requires a solid understanding of UN Women’s mandate on women’s economic empowerment and the specific challenges faced by rural women engaged in informal medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) collection. The consultants will develop a user-friendly catalogue and practical guide to support safer collection practices and compliance with food safety and market requirements, ultimately contributing to women's economic empowerment in the MAPs sector.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The consultants will be responsible for proposing a methodology for identifying and assessing PA-containing plant species, developing a detailed work plan, conducting literature reviews, field surveys, and documenting findings. They will analyze data, develop the structure and content of the catalogue, prepare clear plant profiles, and conduct capacity-building sessions with women MAPs collectors. The consultants will ensure that all deliverables are technically accurate, gender-responsive, and designed for practical use by women engaged in MAPs collection. They will also support the preparation of visual materials and presentations related to the catalogue and findings, ensuring alignment with ongoing UN Women projects.

Required Qualifications:
The position requires a solid understanding of rural contexts, gender-responsive value chains, and informal agricultural sectors in Albania. The consultants must have demonstrated expertise in medicinal and aromatic plants, biodiversity, plant identification, and food safety risks related to toxic plant compounds. They should possess excellent analytical, organizational, communication, and time management skills, with the ability to work independently and meet deadlines. Proficiency in MS Office applications is also required.

Educational Background:
Both consultants must hold a Master’s degree in Biology, Agronomy, Agroecology, Environmental Sciences, or a closely related field. Alternatively, a first-level university degree in the aforementioned fields combined with a minimum of two additional years of relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.

Experience:
The lead consultant should have at least 13 years of responsible professional experience in rural development, biology, agriculture, environmental management, or related fields, with at least 5 years specifically in the MAPs sector. Proven experience in plant identification, documentation, and classification, as well as stakeholder engagement at the local level, is essential. The support consultant should have at least 7 years of experience in the MAPs sector, including fieldwork activities and plant identification.

Languages:
Fluency in English and Albanian is required for both consultants, ensuring effective communication with local stakeholders and communities.

Additional Notes:
This consultancy is home-based, with missions to the Dibër region required. The deliverables include a proposed methodology, comprehensive literature review, field identification outputs, a draft catalogue, and a final technical report summarizing findings and recommendations. The timeline for deliverables spans from June 2026 to November 2026, with specific completion dates for each output.