Research Associate

Result of Service

The purpose of this consultancy is to deliver efficient, compliant, insights-driven programme operations that award and manage small grants; engage and mobilize private sector stakeholders; coordinate training materials and workshops for schools; produce high-quality research, communications and events—and ultimately catalyze greater investment and measurable, on-the-ground impact in land restoration.

Work Location

Home-based (Part-time)

Expected duration

168 days between July 2026 to March 2027

Duties and Responsibilities

Background note: Desertification, along with climate change and the loss of biodiversity were identified as the greatest challenges to sustainable development during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Established in 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. The Convention seeks to support countries to address Desertification, Land Degradation, and Drought (DLDD). (www.unccd.int) The G20 (or Group of Twenty) is the annual international forum for the governments of 19 industrialized countries, the European Union and the African Union. The G20 Leaders' Declaration, issued in November 2020, launched a "Global Initiative on Reducing Land Degradation and Enhancing Conservation of Terrestrial Habitats" (G20 Global Land Initiative or G20 GLI). Building on existing initiatives and on a voluntary basis, the G20 countries share the ambition to achieve a 50 percent reduction in the amount of degraded land by 2040. The G20 GLI, with oversight from UNCCD, will focus on capacity building, engaging the private sector and civil society and showcasing success. To scale impact, G20 GLI seeks a consultant to strengthen research, stakeholder mapping, event organization, and communications geared toward private sector actors and civil society organizations (CSOs) active in the land restoration economy. The consultant will support with the organization of activities and events for the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP17). The consultant will also support with the coordination and monitoring of the Restoration Returns small grants programme, which provides funding to community-based and civil society organizations to scale on-the-ground land restoration projects with social and economic benefits to advance the G20 GLI’s mission. Additionally, the consultant will provide assistance in the organization of private sector forums working with land and ecosystem restoration industry actors, as well as in the coordination of the Land Restoration Labs project to develop land restoration and sustainable land use curricula in primary and secondary schools, in collaboration with the relevant implementation partners. The consultant will report directly to the Programme Officer – Stakeholder Engagement. Duties & Responsibilities: Under direct supervision of the Programme Officer – Stakeholder Engagement, the consultant will be responsible for the following tasks: - Organize activities and events for the UNCCD COP17 in August 2026 in Mongolia and coordinate the participation of key stakeholders. - Support with the programme management of the Restoration Returns small grants programme, including evaluating, scoring and analysing grant applications, coordinating documentation for the Grants Committee, developing advocacy and communications campaigns using statistics and analysis of the projects, collecting and coordinating documentation to facilitate grant agreements, payments, and monitoring and reporting in a timely manner, and other relevant tasks. - Support with the organization of private sector forums around the Restoration Economy with industry actors as well as other related events, in coordination with the UNCCD Business 4 Land initiative. - Support with the coordination of the Land Restoration Labs in Schools project, including preparations for curricula development, training roll-out and workshops. - Perform research and analysis related to land restoration as required by the Programme Officer to enhance stakeholder engagement by the G20 GLI., including stakeholder mappings and landscape and policy on enabling frameworks. - Develop databases of stakeholders and support with outreach and follow up, including maintaining email mailing lists and coordinating meetings. - Support with organising events and activities, including preparing concept notes, agenda, speaker briefs, run-of-show, power points, meeting minutes/summaries and other materials; as well as coordinating logistical arrangements, e.g., (registrations, procurements, venues, travel documentation, catering, audiovisuals, vendors). - Support the development and design of presentations and other knowledge products, as well as assisting the communications team with drafting news articles, blog and newsletter posts, promotional materials and other assets. - Assist the project management team in due diligence processes, reports, forms, and related tasks.

Qualifications/special skills

- A master's degree in international relations, political science, law, sustainable development, business administration, project management, communication, or a closely related field is required. - A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in conducting or contributing to research projects in areas such as ecosystem services, environmental sustainability, land management or green economy is required. - Previous experience in collaborating with the private sector within the context of international organizations or multi-country projects is required. - Demonstrated experience in planning, coordinating, and servicing international conferences and intergovernmental meetings is required. - Managing or working with social media, communications campaigns, or marketing initiatives is required. - Proven track record in analysing data, producing research reports, and presenting findings to diverse audiences is desirable. - An understanding of environmental challenges, land restoration and sustainable practices is desirable. - Involvement in due diligence processes, risk assessment, budgeting, and timeline tracking is desirable.

Languages

- Fluency in spoken and written English is required. Knowledge of an additional official UN language is an advantage.

Additional Information

Only individuals who can act as independent, individual economical operators are qualified to apply. Individuals who can provide their services only on account of an institution or enterprise are not eligible under this procedure. Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations Secretariat 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 and Individual Contractors. Consultant and individual contractor is responsible for determining tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. For remote consultancies, the selected candidate will be required to have a laptop or desktop PC (with Windows 11 or newer) or Mac (with the latest MacOS update), as well as a reliable, high-speed internet connection. An Office 365 license will be provided by the UNCCD to enable the candidate to access official emails, SharePoint, OneDrive and other office applications, such as Word and Excel. Further computer requirements: An antivirus application which receives regular updates; Browsers must be a newer version with regular updates enabled; Regular Windows 11 updates should be enabled with Windows laptop or PC. In addition, a mobile phone will be required to enable Multifactor Authentication (MFA) through SMS or the Authenticator App.

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.