Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Expert - Fortified Complementary Food Value Chain

​​Requisition ID: 7587
Grade: ISA-P4
Country: Home Based
Duty Station: Home Based
Category: International Consultant
Type of Job Posting: Internal and External
Employment Type: Non-staff WAE
Contract Duration: 50 working days over a period
Application Deadline: 18-Jun-2026, 11:59 PM (Vienna, Austria time)

Vacancy Announcement
TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF PROJECT PERSONNEL
Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

UNIDO welcomes applications from qualified persons with disabilities. Reasonable accommodation will be provided to applicants and employees with disabilities to support full participation in the recruitment process and in the performance of their duties.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty and hunger reduction, inclusive and fair globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013, the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019 as well as the Riyadh Declaration adopted at the twenty-first session of UNIDO General Conference in 2025, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development in Member States. The relevance of this mission as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of inclusive and sustainable industrial development, however, applies to all SDGs.

The medium-term programme framework (MTPF) 2026 - 2029 is UNIDO’s core strategic document and it is in line with UNIDO’s Vision 2050. It sets a renewed vision to support Member States and shape their industries for development. The priorities include fair and sustainable global and regional supply chains, ending hunger through innovation and local value addition, renewable and clean energy, sustainable energy access and climate action. Cross-cutting priorities focus on industrial and economic policy advice, skills development, fostering digitalization and artificial intelligence, gender equality and the empowerment of women, supporting youth, promoting cleaner production and circular economy, and leveraging private sector investment and development finance.

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards-related activities; and (iv) convening and fostering partnerships for knowledge and technology transfer, investment mobilization, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Divisions/Offices in its Headquarters, Sub-regional Offices and Country Offices.

Under the overall direction of the Director General, and in close collaboration with all relevant organizational entities within UNIDO, the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS), headed by a Managing Director, ensures the Organization's application of strategies and interventions for sustainable industrial development related to environment, energy, Micro, Small and Medium-Enterprises (MSMEs), and digitalization. The Directorate also oversees the Organization's normative contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through industrial policy advice and capacity development. Through coordination in-house and with Member States and industry stakeholders, it ensures that the services provided in these areas contribute to effective and appropriate technical, business and policy solutions and are focused on results, scaling up and positioning UNIDO as a leading platform for industrial development in developing countries and global fora.

The Directorate is responsible for the Division of Industrial Policy Advice and Capacity Development (TCS/IPC), and technical Divisions of Circular Economy and Green Industry (TCS/CEG), Energy and Climate Action (TCS/ECA), Climate Innovation and Montreal Protocol (TCS/CMP); MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation (TCS/SME); and Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence (TCS/DAI). Leveraging the diverse skill sets of UNIDO personnel and the services provided by the two TC directorates, TCS collaborates closely with IET to develop and implement programmes and projects, aiming at enhancing synergy and complementarity and maximizing UNIDO corporate performance and impacts on the ground. The Directorate also ensures close coordination and collaboration among the Divisions as well as with relevant entities in all Directorates across the Organization.

The Division of MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation (TCS/SME) works towards increasing the competitiveness of industries in developing countries and countries in transition, especially emphasizing business development of MSMEs engaged in manufacturing and creating jobs therein. It aims at increasing competitiveness among MSMEs in two interconnected ways: first, by modernizing businesses through the transfer of advanced technologies adapted to local conditions, product innovation, productivity improvement and upgrading, developing market and value chain readiness as well as improved access to finance; and second, by improving the quality of MSME manufactured products and their compliance with market requirements through capacity building for the development of industrial production and trade-related quality infrastructure including for standardization, metrology, accreditation and of conformity assessment service institutions (testing, certification, inspection and calibration) and the strengthening of their capacities.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT

Africa Trade Competitiveness and Market Access (ATCMA) Programme – ECOWAS Component

The EU-funded Africa Trade Competitiveness and Market Access (ATCMA) Programme, a Sub-Saharan African initiative aims at sustainably increasing intra-African and EU-Africa trade. In addition to a continental component, the programme comprises five regional components in the ECOWAS, COMESA, SADC, ECCAS and EAC regions, building on existing or previous regional programmes (WACOMP in West Africa, MARKUP in East Africa, PIQAC in Central Africa, RECAMP and SIPS in Southern Africa).

The programme is implemented jointly by UNIDO and the International Trade Centre (ITC). ITC is the joint technical cooperation agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization (WTO) in charge of the sustainable promotion of trade and exports from developing countries and economies in transition. The ITC aims to make micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in developing countries more competitive in global markets, accelerate economic development and contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thus, the organization contributes to creating jobs along product value chains and promising services sectors, especially for young people and women.

The overall focus of this four-year Umbrella Programme is to address market access challenges faced by selected value chains in the West Africa region and enhance their competitiveness, through two pillars:

1. Supporting countries to benefit from trade opportunities by enabling them to conform with standards and technical regulations, requiring quality infrastructure and conformity assessment services, as well as by streamlining regulatory and procedural frameworks at the regional and national levels. The programme will help the African countries to benefit from trade opportunities by being able to conform with standards and technical regulations, which requires establishing efficient testing, certification and accreditation mechanisms that conform to the requirements of the SPS and TBT agreements and benefit from international recognition. It will also strengthen governmental institutions in their capacity of creating a more conducive business environment for MSMEs.

1. Maximizing MSME export potential and access to new markets by overcoming constraints or developing enablers like value addition, and export capacities: In order to maximise MSMEs export potential and support them to enter new markets, the Programme will also address other market access constraints or enablers: enhance value addition and export capacities through marketing, labelling, branding strategies, sustainability and environmental issues, technology transfer and processing for export, business promotion through market linkages and capacitate trade and investment support institutions. Support will be provided both at institutional and policy level, as well as at private sector level, with a primary focus on selected key export-oriented regional priority value chains. Particular focus on intra-African exports as well as exports to the EU will be given, so regions can fully exploit their trade-driven growth potential, with a view to contribute to sustainable growth and jobs creation.

The programme is thematically structured into five components leading to 5 outputs as follows:

In relation to Specific Objective 1:

Output 1.1: Market access barriers identified and reduced

Output 1.2: Strengthened quality compliance and standards

Output 1.3: Value-chain revision mechanism facilitated

In relation to Specific Objective 2:

Output 2.1: Enhanced value addition and diversification

Output 2.2: Enhanced SME capacities and opportunities for business and export

While UNIDO is in charge of implementing output 1.2 and 2.1., ITC is responsible for the implementation of output 1.1, 1.3 and 2.2.

To ensure an overall coherent umbrella ATCMA framework, coordination and complementarity between the Continental component and sub-regional components will be ensured throughout the overall programme implementation.

The programme will support the ECOWAS trade integration process and contribute to sustainable economic empowerment, with a focus on youth and women in export-oriented sectors. Environmental and social sustainability are core guiding principles of the programme, in alignment with UNIDO’s Environmental and Social Safeguards Policies and Procedures (ESSPP) and relevant EU directives.

While the programmes have been initially screened as Category C under UNIDO’s ESSPP (indicating no significant adverse environmental or social risks anticipated), environmental and social considerations will be fully integrated into all programme activities.

To ensure this, an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) will be developed during the inception phases. This framework will guide the integration of environmental and social safeguards across all interventions, including capacity building for MSMEs, upgrading practices and technologies of Centres of Excellence, developing financial instruments, and supporting ad-hoc activities.

In line with UNIDO’s Environmental and Social Safeguards Policies and Procedures (ESSPP), the assignment places emphasis not only on compliance-oriented ESIA preparation, but on early-stage risk identification, system-level constraint analysis, and implementation-oriented recommendations relevant to MSME upgrading under ATCMA.

Within the ECOWAS component, the assignment will focus in particular on pharmaceutical components and essential medicines value chains, including routine vaccines, antibiotics, and related pharmaceutical inputs, given their relevance to MSME participation, quality compliance, regulatory convergence, and regional health-system resilience.

SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The objective of the assignment is to identify, assess, and translate environmental, social, and climate-related risks and opportunities associated with MSME participation in selected pharmaceutical value chains under the ATCMA ECOWAS Programme into operationally actionable safeguard instruments, including an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF).

The assignment will explicitly consider manufacturing-related risks, regulatory and institutional capacity gaps, occupational health and safety (OHS), pharmaceutical waste and effluent management, chemical handling, antimicrobial resistance (AMR)-related risks, cold-chain dependencies, and climate-related hazards affecting production, storage, and distribution systems.

The depth and granularity of analysis across ECOWAS shall be proportionate to the maturity, scale, and relevance of pharmaceutical value-chain interventions under each component, with analytical emphasis placed on components where MSME-level upgrading activities are most advanced or planned during the ATCMA implementation period.

FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The expert will work under the overall guidance of the UNIDO Industrial Development Officers responsible for the ECOWAS Programme (Lead Programme Manager), Division of MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation (TCS/SME) at UNIDO HQ, in close collaboration with the Industrial Development Expert of the ATCMA ECOWAS Programme at UNIDO HQ. The Expert will be responsible for the performance of the following main duties:

MAIN DUTIES

Concrete/ measurables outputs to be achieved

Expected duration

Location

1. Familiarization with UNIDO ESS Policy, project document, including review of pharmaceutical-specific international standards and guidance, such as WHO Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Distribution Practices (GDP), relevant EU pharmaceutical directives, and regional ECOWAS regulatory initiatives.

Desk Review completed.

Demonstrated understanding of ATCMA objectives and ESS policy requirements and pharmaceutical value chain context.

Participation in inception call with UNIDO

4 days

Home-based

2. Prepare Inception Note: methodology, work plan, and consultation plan with regional/national stakeholders.

Inception Note including task sequencing and consultation plan.

7 days

Home-based

3. Collect baseline environmental and social information for selected value chains across ECOWAS Component: physical, biological, climate, institutional, and socio-economic conditions. Baseline analysis shall explicitly address chemical and biological hazards, pharmaceutical waste and effluent streams, energy use and cold-chain dependencies, regulatory and laboratory capacity, and workforce conditions in MSME pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Environmental and social Baseline analysis (annex to ESIA/ESMF).

5 days

Home-based

4. Review legal, institutional and policy frameworks in ECOWAS Component: national/regional environmental laws, SPS/TBT regulations, EU directives, and international agreements, including national medicines legislation, ECOWAS regulatory frameworks, WHO prequalification guidance where relevant, and international conventions on hazardous waste and chemical safety.

Matrix of applicable frameworks with assessment of adequacy.

5 days

Home-based

5.Identification and analysis environmental and social risks and opportunities for MSME value chains in ECOWAS, including occupational health and safety risks, pharmaceutical waste and effluent management, climate-related risks affecting production and cold-chain logistics, institutional and regulatory risks, and social inclusion considerations.

Draft Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) with structured risk/opportunity analysis.

6 days

Home-Based

6. Assessment of environmental and social safeguards capacity gaps among MSMEs, relevant institutions, and partners, Including regulatory authorities, quality control laboratories, and MSME compliance systems relevant to pharmaceutical production. and formulation of recommendations for capacity-building with emphasis on implementation feasibility.

Safeguards Capacity-Building Action Plan outlining priority needs, indicative timelines, and institutional responsibilities.

5 days

Home-based

7. Develop Environmental and Social Management Frameworks (ESMFs) for ECOWAS including indicators, mitigation measures, monitoring plan, and institutional responsibilities. Framework to be suitable for programme-level implementation rather than site-specific project compliance

Draft ESMFs including mitigation measures, indicators, monitoring plan, institutional roles, and information flows.

8 days

Home-Based

8. Conduct validation workshops with key stakeholders and regional/national stakeholders to review findings and recommendations. Consultations are for analytical validation and do not constitute formal regulatory approval processes.

Validation workshop report documenting feedback received and proposed adjustments. finalized ESMF/ESIA.

5 days

Home-Based

9. Integrate findings into a Final ESMF & ESIA Report:

Include a non-technical summary.

Final consolidated report (clean + tracked)

5 days

Home-Based

SUMMARY OF DELIBERABLES

All deliverables shall be prepared with a clear implementation focus, providing concise, decision-oriented analysis and practical recommendations suitable for use by programme managers and implementing partners. Deliverables shall explicitly distinguish between technical analysis and non-technical summaries to ensure accessibility for non-specialist stakeholders, including MSMEs and policy counterparts, while maintaining analytical rigor.

All deliverables produced under this assignment shall be submitted to UNIDO for review and formal validation. The acceptance of deliverables will be subject to written clearance by the UNIDO Industrial Development Officer responsible for the ATCMA ECOWAS Programme, in consultation with relevant technical counterparts.

The consultant shall deliver the following outputs:

1. Inception/ methodology Note (max. 3 pages) – methodology, workplan, and consultation plan.

1. Methodology and analytical framework

1. Workplan and sequencing

1. Data sources and consultation approach

1. Draft Environmental and Social Impact Assessment – including risk and opportunity analysis for target value chains.

1. Baseline environmental, social, institutional, and socio-economic analysis

1. Legal, regulatory, and policy framework review (incl. SPS/TBT and EU directives)

1. Environmental and social risk and opportunity analysis (including climate risks)

1. Stakeholder consultation summary (analytical, not approval-based)

1. Draft Safeguards Capacity-Building / Institutional Strengthening Action Plan (as a dedicated chapter or annex)

1. Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) – with indicators, mitigation measures, and monitoring plan.

1. Mitigation measures

1. Monitoring indicators

1. Roles, responsibilities, and reporting arrangements

1. Validation Workshop Report

1. Stakeholder feedback

1. Agreed adjustments

1. Final ESMF and ESIA Report – incorporating feedback from UNIDO and partners.

1. Final ESIA (including baseline, legal review, and capacity-building action plan)

1. Final ESMF

1. Clean and tracked-changes versions

1. Standalone Non-Technical Summary

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience

• Advanced degree (Masters or equivalent) in environmental science, environmental engineering, public health, pharmaceutical sciences, social sciences, or related field is required.

• Minimum seven (7) years of demonstrated experience in conducting ESIAs and/or developing Environmental and Social Management Frameworks, in industrial, pharmaceutical, health-related, or regulated manufacturing contexts is required.

Technical and Sectoral Expertise

• Demonstrated experience providing environmental and social advisory support within donor-funded programmes, beyond standalone ESIA preparation, is required.

• Proven experience integrating climate risk, climate resilience, resource efficiency, clean production, and circular economy principles into development programming, industrial value chains, or MSME support initiatives is required. Experience with resource efficiency, clean production, or circular economy is desirable.

• Demonstrated experience working with pharmaceutical manufacturing or closely related health-product value chains, such as routine vaccines, antibiotics, essential medicines, pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), or regulated life-science manufacturing, is required. Direct experience with routine vaccines, antibiotics, essential medicines, or APIs is an advantage.

• Experience covering one or more of the following areas is required:

• Occupational health and safety, waste management (including hazardous and pharmaceutical waste), and environmental controls in light or medium-scale industrial settings;

• Regulatory compliance environments in regulated manufacturing, including national or international standards such as WHO guidance or equivalent.

• Experience with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) or quality management systems in pharmaceutical environments is desirable.

• Experience working with MSMEs or emerging manufacturers in pharmaceutical or health-related value chains is required.

Safeguards and Institutional Familiarity

• Familiarity with UNIDO’s ESSPP, EU environmental directives, and international sustainability standards is desirable.

• Proven ability to translate safeguard requirements into practical, implementation-ready recommendations suitable for programme-level application, without assuming ongoing compliance, oversight, or line-management responsibilities, is required.

Contextual and Professional Skills

• Experience working in Africa or similar socio-economic contexts is required.

• Demonstrated experience engaging with public institutions, regulators, MSMEs, and technical partners in structured consultations is desirable.

• Excellent analytical, report writing, and communication skills in English are required; working knowledge of French is desirable.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

Core values: Integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity

Core competencies: Results-orientation and accountability, planning and organizing, team orientation

Managerial competencies (as applicable): Strategy and direction, judgement and decision-making

Key Competencies

WE FOCUS ON PEOPLE: cooperate to fully reach our potential – and this is true for our colleagues as well as our clients. Emotional intelligence and receptiveness are vital parts of our UNIDO identity.

WE FOCUS ON RESULTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: focus on planning, organizing and managing our work effectively and efficiently. We are responsible and accountable for achieving our results and meeting our performance standards. This accountability does not end with our colleagues and supervisors, but we also owe it to those we serve and who have trusted us to contribute to a better, safer and healthier world.

WE COMMUNICATE AND EARN TRUST: communicate effectively with one another and build an environment of trust where we can all excel in our work.

WE THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND INNOVATE: To stay relevant, we continuously improve, support innovation, share our knowledge and skills, and learn from one another.

This appointment is limited to the specified project(s) only and does not carry any expectation of renewal.
Employees of UNIDO are expected at all times to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity, both at work and outside. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for jobs at UNIDO.
All applications must be submitted online through the Online Recruitment System. Correspondence will be undertaken only with candidates who are being considered at an advanced phase of the selection process. Selected candidate(s) may be required to disclose to the Director General the nature and scope of financial and other personal interests and assets in respect of themselves, their spouses and dependents, under the procedures established by the Director General.

Visit the UNIDO website for details on how to apply: www.unido.org
NOTE: The Director General retains the discretion to make an appointment to this post at a lower level.
Notice to applicants:
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