Environmental Goods Data Expert

Result of Service

The consultant's work will contribute to the successful closeout and legacy phase of the SMEP Programme by delivering robust, reusable and policy-relevant data, dashboards, analytical products and knowledge-management workflows. The work will strengthen UNCTAD's capacity to synthesize SMEP evidence, support donor-facing value-addition activities, improve the quality and accessibility of environmental goods and services trade databases, develop bridge activities for follow-on funding opportunities, and support AI-enabled internal innovation in a secure and responsible manner.

Work Location

Geneva

Expected duration

17.09.26 - 16.09.27

Duties and Responsibilities

The Trade, Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development (TED) Branch of the Division on International Trade and Commodities of UNCTAD assists developing countries in strengthening their capacity to design and implement mutually supportive trade, environment, climate change and sustainable development objectives in development strategies at all levels. UNCTAD, through its participation in the Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution (SMEP) Programme, the Oceans Economy Programme and related trade and environment workstreams, is implementing activities linking trade with sustainable manufacturing, environmental pollution mitigation, value addition, sustainable materials, and sustainable ocean-based economic development in developing countries. As the SMEP Programme enters its closeout and legacy stage, evidence-based, data-driven and AI-enabled knowledge products are required to consolidate lessons, strengthen donor-facing reporting, preserve institutional memory, and identify follow-on opportunities for policy impact, value addition and resource mobilization. This includes further value-addition activities discussed with the donor, including secure local large-language-model workflows for high-volume document analysis, knowledge management, and integration of SMEP evidence with UNCTAD statistical databases. To support this work, a consultant is needed to perform the following duties: • Support the SMEP Programme closeout stage by producing data-driven cases, visualizations, factsheets, presentations, dashboards, targeted studies, donor-facing evidence packs and knowledge products that synthesize SMEP results, lessons learned, value-addition opportunities and legacy impact. • Develop and maintain trade-monitor dashboards for key environmental goods and services sectors, including second-hand clothes, oceans goods, seaweed and seaweed-derived products, biostimulants, non-plastic substitutes and other sustainable materials sectors identified by the TED Branch. • Compile, clean, document and analyse trade, tariff, non-tariff measure and market data relevant to environmental goods and services, including HS, EBOPS and CPC classifications where relevant, and convert the analysis into accessible dashboards, data notes and briefing materials. • Collaborate with UNCTAD Statistics and other relevant UNCTAD teams on the development, testing and documentation of environmental goods and services datasets and databases, including datasets linked to plastics and substitutes, oceans goods, circular economy and sustainable materials trade. • Support bridge activities between the SMEP Programme and the proposed GEF-9 Sustainable Materials Trade Programme concept, as well as a proposed GEF-9 proposal on seaweed value addition led by UNIDO, including through data analysis, inputs to concept notes, results narratives, value-chain evidence and visual materials. • Support value-addition activities linked to the SMEP Programme, including knowledge extraction from SMEP reports, quarterly grantee reports, sector studies, monitoring material, communications assets and related databases to identify cross-portfolio lessons, policy recommendations, evidence gaps and scaling opportunities. • Engage in and contribute to UNCTAD internal processes and substantive development through the UNCTAD AI incubator, particularly by prototyping local large-language-model workflows for secure document analysis, retrieval-assisted drafting, metadata generation, dashboard preparation, quality-control checks and integration with UNCTAD statistical tools. • Support preparation of funding proposals, project concepts, donor updates, talking points, presentations and technical briefs building on SMEP Programme results and on the Trade and Environment Branch work on circular economy, oceans economy, sustainable materials, non-plastic substitutes and environmental goods and services. • Contribute to meetings, workshops and stakeholder engagement with UNCTAD teams, SMEP partners, donor representatives and external partners, as requested by the responsible officers.

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced university degree, Master, in economics, international trade, statistics, data science, environmental sciences, sustainable development, public policy, business or a related field. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. At least 3 years of progressively responsible work experience in international trade, data analysis, data visualization, financial statistics or related areas is required. Experience with AI-enabled knowledge-management workflows, local LLMs, retrieval-augmented generation, natural-language interfaces to data or responsible AI prototyping is required. Experience with trade and environment issues, environmental goods and services, circular economy, sustainable materials, oceans economy, non-plastic substitutes, textiles, seaweed value chains or pollution-reduction solutions is desirable. Experience working with trade datasets and classifications, including HS codes, UN Comtrade, UNCTADStat, tariff or non-tariff measure data, EBOPS or CPC classifications, is desirable. Experience in statistical programming and dashboard development using Python, R, Power BI, Tableau, SQL, JavaScript or equivalent tools is desirable. Experience supporting donor-funded programmes, project closeout, results reporting or funding proposal development is an asset.

Languages

Fluency oral and written in English is required.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.