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If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines fordeveloping countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

 

Consultancy Title: Loss and Damage & Climate-Resilient Education Consultant  

Division/Duty Station: PG CEED NYHQ

Duration: October 15, 2025 – Dec 15, 2026

Home/ Office Based: Remote

 

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

Climate change, disasters and environmental degradation threaten child rights and essential services, especially in fragile and humanitarian contexts.

The Center of Excellence on Climate Resilience for Children, in partnership with the Education in Emergencies (EiE) team, seeks a consultant to:

1. Promote child-responsive priorities in global DRR and climate loss and damage (L&D) processes and finance.
2. Support countries and partners to strengthen the resilience of child-critical sectors.
3. Empower children and youth as climate champions through EiE programming to enhance skills development and participation.

The consultant will provide technical, policy and capacity-building support to UNICEF staff, governments and partners, aligning with UNICEF’s 2023–2030 Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (SCAP). This includes advancing SCAP’s integration across intergovernmental processes and national policies.

Scope of Work:

Under the joint supervision of the Global Technical Director for Climate Resilience and the Senior Advisor (EiE), and in close collaboration with the Senior Climate Policy Consultant and the Programme Officer for Disaster Risk Reduction, the consultant will support the following workstreams:

Loss and Damage

• Develop evidence, tools and knowledge products on child-specific climate risks and losses
• Advance UNICEF’s institutional strategy, provide country-level guidance, and support responses to technical assistance requests (e.g. Santiago Network, Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD))
• Support policy engagement in UNFCCC processes, technical submissions and donor proposals.
• Strengthen and sustain collaboration with key academic partners on climate risk and L&D for children.
• Contribute to the development of funding proposals, donor engagement materials and key messages.

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate-Resilient Education

• Provide technical support and guidance on climate-resilient education and DRR in education programming.
• Develop toolkits, capacity-building sessions, funding materials, and education-focused climate rationales to mobilize climate finance for education.
• Track child-sensitive elements in DRR and education policies, in alignment with the 2026-2029 Strategic Plan.

Education in Emergencies (EiE)

• Strengthen linkages between EiE, DRR and climate action
• Support advocacy through GADRRRES and other networks.
• Develop knowledge products and provide technical assistance to country offices.

Cross-cutting

Contribute to knowledge management, evidence dissemination, and internal coordination across UNICEF divisions and partners.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Work Assignment Overview/Deliverables and Outputs/Delivery deadline

1. Loss and damage 

-  1x literature review on assessing non-economic loss and damage (NELD) in child-critical sectors, and 1 x mapping of research collaborators 

30 Jan 2026

-  Support 8 x meetings with academic partners (eg. UCL, IPCC) and other stakeholders (agenda, concept note, joint work plan inputs)

15 Dec 2026

-  Technical review for 8 x UNICEF L&D reports, external L&D studies and/or L&D funding proposals.

15 Dec 2026

-  Develop 1x L&D internal “primer” on loss and damage, outlining key concepts, mechanisms, UNICEF’s programmatic offer and organize 2 x webinars to present to UNICEF offices

1 Nov 2025

-  Develop 3 x technical assistance requests to the Santiago Network or FRLD

10 Aug 2026

-  Develop 1x guidance note for COs to pilot Situation Report (SitReps)/ household survey reporting on L&D

15 May 2026

-  Develop 1 x monitoring framework for child-centered L&D initiatives.

30 Aug 2026

-  5 x 2-page quarterly analyses of good practices from COs.

15 Dec 2025

-  Establish a SharePoint L&D page, consolidating tools/resources.

15 Nov 2025

-  1 x L&D policy engagement strategy (5-10 pages)

15 Nov 2025

-  10 x written inputs to UNICEF policy briefs, briefs/talking points for senior management.

15 Nov 2026

-  5 x 2-page L&D briefings/submissions for Parties

30 Oct 2026

-  14 x 3-4 page written readouts for Santiago Network, FRLD Board, and WIM ExCom meetings.

30 Nov 2026

2. DRR and climate - resilient education 

-  Conduct 1 x training and technical review of programme documents for 6 x country offices.

15 Dec 2026

-  Develop 1x education climate rationale toolkit and conduct 3 x capacity building trainings

15 Jul 2026

-  Develop 3 x funding proposals, project notes, and/or donor facing materials

15 Dec 2026

-  Develop 3 x knowledge products

15 May 2026

-  Design and validate 1x methodology to assess child-sensitivity across Sendai Framework Monitor indicators and conduct 1 x global assessment for COs.

15 Jul 2026

-  Develop 1x monitoring framework for COs to track child-sensitive DRR and education policies and 4 x updates to SCAP tracker.

30 Oct 2026

-  Provide technical support to 6 country offices on child-sensitive DRR strategies (6 x trainings, inputs to programme design and/or proposal development).

15 Oct 2026

-  1-2 slides for 15 x monthly CEED national policy helpdesk meetings on support for child sensitive DRR strategies

18 Dec 2026

-  Prepare 1x 5-page report documenting good practices and lessons learned for child sensitivity in DRR strategies and education sector policies

15 Nov 2026

3. Education in Emergencies 

-  Develop 2x technical support packages for COs/ROs to support climate-EiE programming requests

30 Nov 2025

-  Deliver 2x virtual sessions for COs/ROs, drawing on 2025 global survey examples

15 Dec 2025

-  1x guidance tool on climate resilience in EiE programming

15 Nov 2025

-  2x investment cases/policy briefs for climate/DRR investment in humanitarian education contexts

30 Nov 2025

-  2x annotated repository of tools and resources for COs to access existing climate- EiE materials

15 Nov 2025

-  Technical review of 4 x climate-EiE resources

15 Dec 2025

-  Support 3x GADRRRES meetings (agenda, readout)

15 Dec 2025

-  3x case studies on school safety in education/EiE programming

20 Dec 2025

-  4x briefing notes for key EiE events

30 Nov 2025

-  1x 5-page analysis of EiE/climate priorities alignment with global policy frameworks and opportunities

31 Oct 2025

-  3x briefings outlining key advocacy priorities and entry points related to integrating climate resiliency in EiE programming

15 Dec 2025

Qualifications

Education: 

Advanced University degree in climate or environmental science, climate change, public policies, climate finance, finance for development, development studies, social policies, or other relevant fields, with preference for academic and professional experience in Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate and Environmental Studies, International Affairs, Public Policy, or a closely related field

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *:

• Minimum of 5 years’ relevant professional experience in international development with specialization in DRR, environment and climate change, child rights/human rights, or climate-related education in emergencies is required.
• Proven research experience on L&D.
• Experience of direct engagement with UNFCCC L&D workstreams and constituted bodies.
• Strong writing and communication skills.
• Experience with a UN agency is an advantage.
• Sound judgment, initiative, responsibility, and diplomacy skills.
• Demonstrated cultural sensitivity and ability to work effectively in multicultural settings.
• Fluency in English; knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and

- Upload copy of academic credentials

- Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :

• • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability

- Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.

- At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.

- Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check. 

Remarks:  

Individuals engaged under a consultancy will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants. Consultants are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.