National expert to support UNICEF Kazakhstan Climate and Environment Programming, Kazakhstan (Onsite, National Consultant)

Working arrangement: Office Based

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

The purpose of consultancy is to provide expert-level technical and policy support to UNICEF Kazakhstan and its national partners in mainstreaming child rights and child-centered resilience into climate and environmental governance frameworks. This includes ensuring that national strategies—such as the updated NDC 3.0, NAP, and related cross-sectoral policies, such as Children of Kazakhstan, Roadmap for Achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2060 etc. — explicitly consider the vulnerabilities, needs, and potential contributions of children and young people. The consultant will play a pivotal role in aligning Kazakhstan’s climate agenda with UNICEF’s global priorities on environmental sustainability and intergenerational equity. This involves integrating child-sensitive indicators and safeguards into monitoring systems (Children of Kazakhstan, national climate and environmental statistics, EMIS, Sanitary and Epidemiological Monitoring System); supporting the development of inclusive climate financing proposals that address children’s risks and rights; and embedding climate change adaptation and environmental sustainability into the education system through conceptualization of "green schools" and climate literacy initiatives. By strengthening policy coherence, supporting intersectoral coordination, and promoting evidence-based advocacy, the consultancy aims to provide technical support to the Government of Kazakhstan in ensuring that children and adolescents are not only protected from the adverse effects of climate change but are also meaningfully engaged as agents of change in building a more sustainable and resilient future for Kazakhstan. Expert support will be also critical during and after Regional Ecological Summit 2026 to be held in Astana on 22-24 April 2026, as well as to the UNICEF local level climate and environmental programming (Kyzylorda and Mangistau etc. regions).

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here: TMC0001261 External ToR.pdf

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Advanced degree in climate change, environmental science and social sciences

• Work Experience: At least 5 years of experience working on climate change or on environmental issues, with a focus on children and youth or social services.
• Skills:
• Language Requirements: Fluency in written and spoken English, Kazakh and Russian languages and ability to write quality reports on climate or other related environmental fields

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• A short cover letter, highlighting relevant experience with similar type of assignments (max 300 words)
• Financial proposal (upload the financial template to be completed) including number of days for undertaking the assignment, daily fee, travel costs - as per the template attached - TMC0001261 Financial proposal.docx . Travel costs will be preapproved by UNICEF as per the UNICEF rules and regulations for travel for consultants i.e., irrespective of the distance and duration of the flight, most direct and economy flight ticket shall apply
• Samples or links to at least 2 related pieces of work previously conducted by the consultant. The shortlisted applicants will be contacted by UNICEF for technical discussion and interview.

Remarks:

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.