Consultant for Regional Macroeconomic Modelling

Job Posting Organization:
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is a leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda and promotes sustainable development through sound environmental practices. Established in 1972, UNEP has been at the forefront of environmental governance and advocacy, working with various stakeholders to address pressing environmental issues. With a mission to encourage sustainable development through sound environmental practices, UNEP operates in over 150 countries and employs thousands of professionals dedicated to environmental protection and sustainable development. The organization plays a crucial role in coordinating responses to environmental challenges and fostering international cooperation.

Job Overview:
The consultant position focuses on strengthening regional macroeconomic modelling under the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) initiatives in Senegal and South Africa, as well as contributing to PAGE's global macroeconomic modelling efforts. The role is designed to provide robust analytical evidence that supports evidence-based policy design and decision-making by national governments and regional institutions. The consultant will be responsible for model development, analytical product preparation, and responding to technical requests from governments and regional partners. This position is part-time and remote, allowing for flexibility while contributing to significant environmental and economic initiatives.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide Technical Review and Quality Assurance Support for Analytical Products: Review draft analytical reports, modelling outputs, policy documents, and technical deliverables prepared by implementing partners. Provide consolidated technical and editorial feedback, including recommendations to strengthen methodological approaches, data quality, analytical coherence, and alignment with relevant policy frameworks and UNEP/PAGE methodologies. Support UNEP’s technical review and acceptance processes by identifying key areas requiring clarification, improvement, or further validation.
• Provide Technical Backstopping to Modelling and Evidence-Based Analysis Activities: Offer technical advice and analytical inputs to support modelling activities, including review of methodologies, assumptions, data sources, and modelling applications. Review updates and outputs from modelling activities, including the Senegal model update and regional circular economy modelling initiatives, to ensure technical consistency and relevance. Provide recommendations to improve the usability and policy relevance of modelling results for decision-making processes.
• Support Stakeholder Engagement and Validation Processes: Provide technical support for the organisation and preparation of stakeholder validation workshops and roundtable social dialogues. Contribute to the preparation of workshop objectives, agendas, stakeholder mapping, and discussion materials. Document stakeholder feedback, key messages, areas of agreement, and recommendations emerging from validation processes to support refinement of technical outputs.
• Provide Advisory Support on Just Transition and Circular Economy Policy Applications: Provide technical inputs on the development and review of sectoral and thematic policies, strategies, programmes, and plans related to just transition and circular economy approaches. Assess the alignment of proposed recommendations with national policy priorities, institutional contexts, and relevant international frameworks. Provide advisory recommendations to strengthen the practical applicability and policy relevance of technical outputs.
• Support Knowledge Management and Dissemination of Good Practices: Identify and document lessons learned, good practices, and methodological approaches emerging from country-level modelling and policy support activities. Contribute technical inputs to knowledge products, guidance documents, and analytical publications, including regional learning materials. Provide ad-hoc technical advice and inputs on modelling, socio-economic analysis, financing, and policy-related questions across relevant activities.

Required Qualifications:
The position requires an advanced university degree (Master’s) in development economics, macroeconomics, econometrics, public finance statistics, public policy, or a related field. Candidates should have at least five years of accumulated work experience in environmental economics with a focus on macroeconomic modelling. Experience working on public policies, such as public finance management, budgeting and public investment, and fiscal policy reform is considered an advantage. Additionally, professional experience producing economic analysis at global, national, and sectoral levels and providing policy advice to national governments is beneficial. Familiarity with the UN system and experience in the theme of Green Economy and sustainable development are also advantageous. Experience with system dynamics-based models is a plus.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree (Master’s) in a relevant field such as development economics, macroeconomics, econometrics, public finance statistics, or public policy. This educational background is essential to ensure that the consultant has the necessary theoretical knowledge and analytical skills to perform the required tasks effectively.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of five years of relevant work experience in environmental economics, particularly focusing on macroeconomic modelling. Candidates should have a proven track record of working on public policies and providing economic analysis at various levels. Experience in collaborating with governments and UN agencies on Green Economy initiatives is highly desirable, as is familiarity with system dynamics-based models.

Languages:
Proven communication and writing skills in English are mandatory for this position. Proficiency in French or Spanish is considered an advantage, as it may facilitate communication with a broader range of stakeholders and enhance the consultant's ability to engage in diverse contexts.

Additional Notes:
The consultancy is expected to last for a duration of 7 months, from 15 August 2026 to 14 March 2027, and will be part-time, requiring approximately 80% of a full-time commitment. The position is remote, allowing for flexibility in work arrangements. It is important to note that the United Nations does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process, ensuring a fair and transparent hiring process.