Individual Consultant - Environmental and Social Safeguards Pilot Coordinat at UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency

Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

26 Mar, 26

Salary

30000.0

Posted On

26 Dec, 25

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Environmental Safeguards, Social Safeguards, Project Coordination, Technical Oversight, Capacity Building, Knowledge Management, Risk Management, Stakeholder Engagement, Negotiation, Accreditation Processes, Quality Assurance, Documentation, Training Development, Community Accountability, Grievance Mechanisms, Independent Accountability Mechanisms

Industry

International Affairs

Description

Deadline for Applications January 10, 2026 Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based) H (no hardship) Family Type (not applicable for home-based) Family Staff Member / Affiliate Type CONS Local Target Start Date 2026-01-15 Terms of Reference PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT: From Feasibility to Practice: Operationalizing ESS in UNHCR’s Projects. This project aims to translate the recommendations of UNHCR’s ESS Feasibility Study into practical action by coordinating the pilot phase of Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) implementation. It will support global financing negotiations and accreditation processes with key development and climate donors, including the World Bank, IADB, ADB, and GCF. Through targeted technical oversight and operational capacity building, the project will ensure quality and compliance of ESS packages in pilot operations, while documenting good practices and establishing a foundation for institutional learning and scale-up. CONTRACT TYPE: Individual Consultant WORKING ARRANGEMENT: Part-time, payment per deliverables PROPOSED PAYMENT SCHEDULE: Total fees of 30,000.00 USD First installment – 10 days – 6,000.00 USD Second installment – 20 days - 12,000.00 USD Third installment – 10 days – 6,000.00 USD Last installment – 10 days - 6,000.00 USD GENERAL BACKGROUND OF THE ASSIGNMENT: Following the completion of the E&S Feasibility Study and its presentation, UNHCR is launching a controlled pilot phase to test enhanced Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) procedures across selected donor-funded projects. The feasibility study identified strong thematic coverage but procedural gaps in five key areas: • Systematic E&S risk management in the project cycle and enterprise risk management (ERM). • Public disclosure of E&S risk documents and incidents. • Inclusion of ESS clauses in vendor and contractor agreements. • Stakeholder grievance mechanisms specific to E&S. • Independent accountability mechanisms (IAM) for E&S issues. The study recommended a two-step implementation approach, beginning with a pilot phase (2025–2027), followed by a transition to full mainstreaming post-2027. The pilot phase is critical to securing future funding from Multilateral Finance Institutions (MFIs), including the World Bank (WB), the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) as well other multilateral climate funds, with a potential revenue impact of up to USD 350 million annually. OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT: OBJECTIVES: The consultant will coordinate the pilot phase of UNHCR’s ESS implementation, focusing on: 1. Support to global financing negotiations and accreditation processes 2. Project-specific technical oversight 3. Operational capacity building and knowledge management SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT: 1. Support to global financing negotiations and climate funds accreditation processes (20%) • Provide technical input and support negotiations on standard financing agreements with major ESS requiring funding sources, including the WB, the IADB and the ADB. • Support the follow up of the UNHCR’s application for accreditation with the GCF. 2. Project-specific ESS oversight (60%) • Oversee quality assurance of project-specific ESS packages. • Review and advise on Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs) for pilot projects. Based on the pipeline, pilot countries are the following: • Americas: Ecuador, Haïti / MCO Panama • WCA: Cameroon, Nigeria, Tchad, CAR • EHAGL: South Sudan, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Ethiopia • Asia: Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Myanmar 3. Knowledge management and operational capacity building throughout project-specific oversight (20%) • In collaboration with the Evaluation Service, document good practices and lessons learned from pilot projects and maintain a knowledge management repository for ESS tools, templates, and case studies. • Join a dedicated community of practice with the concerned bureaus and operations • Develop a tipsheet and a short training module (1h) for prioritized operations on ESS. • Develop guide for minimum capacity/resources required and key considerations at operational level on ESS. • If possible, conduct remote capacity-building sessions for pilot country teams on needs basis. DELIVERABLES:  Draft suggestions or SOPs for ESS considerations in key sectors: feedback mechanisms and community accountability, labour management, security management, sustainable supply and procurement, financial, partnership management, and overall risk management  Project-specific ESS documentation  Revised standard agreements  Package for GCF accreditation’s ESS requirements  Field guidance & Powerpoint presentation Standard Job Description Required Languages , , Desired Languages , , Additional Qualifications Skills Education Certifications Work Experience Other information This position doesn't require a functional clearance Remote No Important notice: Please note that UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing or training). Read about how to avoid scams and fraudulent job offers. Please note that applications are only accepted via the UNHCR online recruitment platform. CVs and/or application requests sent via email will not be answered, reviewed nor considered. For external applicants: We would like to call your attention on the eligibility of International Professional (P) category: According to our Recruitment and Assignments Policy, P staff members will not normally serve in the country of their nationality, and the first regular appointment in the P category must be outside the staff member's country of nationality. In practical terms this means that you are not eligible to apply for International Professional vacancies advertised in the country where you are national of. In case of technical difficulties when applying, external applicants (not current UNHCR workforce members) can write to recruitmentcase@unhcr.org. For former UNHCR Colleagues: Former UNHCR employees who are on mandatory break-in service or have separated from UNHCR after 1 October 2022 should create an account through this platform. Once you fill in your basic personal information (employee ID, birth date, name, email address), Workday will identify you as prior personnel and merge your employee account with your external applicant account. The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, takes the lead in protecting people forced to flee wars and persecution around the world, providing life-saving aid including shelter, food and water to ensure their basic safety, rights and dignity. With 18,879 women and men working in 137 countries, we work tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of 89.3 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. Our dedicated and professional staff work around the clock in roles including legal protection, community services, public affairs, health and more. Despite the challenges they can face, our staff are proud to work for UNHCR and determined to make a positive impact. Why a career with UNHCR? Our dedicated staff work to protect and assist people fleeing conflict and persecution at a time when global forced displacement is at a record high. Our colleagues bring a wide range of specialized skills, including expertise in legal protection, administration, community services, public affairs, health and other disciplines. Disability inclusion If you are a person with a disability and you expect you may face challenges during the recruitment process, you can indicate it in your application form. There are options to select any health conditions you may have and outline any necessary adjustments related to disabilities during the recruitment phases. Providing this information is optional. It will be treated as strictly confidential and used only for the purpose of finding out how to better assist you during the recruitment process. Adjustments for candidates with disabilities will be provided as best as possible and as needed upon request. All candidates will be assessed based on meeting the requirements for each vacancy in relation to experience, skills, and education.

Responsibilities

The consultant will coordinate the pilot phase of UNHCR’s Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) implementation, focusing on global financing negotiations and project-specific technical oversight. They will also be responsible for operational capacity building and knowledge management throughout the project.