Senior Consultants – Multiple Positions

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide specialized senior-level expertise to the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD in the lead-up to COP17. The Senior Consultants will validate and finalize a range of technical products and knowledge outputs; prepare and facilitate high-level events and forums; and engage with key stakeholders from government, the private sector, and the development finance community. The expected result is a set of high-quality, finalized deliverables that strengthen the GM’s knowledge base, partnerships, and resource mobilization capacity in anticipation of COP17, and that demonstrate the GM’s leadership in innovative finance, investable project pipeline development, and private sector engagement for sustainable land management.

Home-based.

05 months, starting as soon as possible

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 Global Mechanism (GM) is an institution of the UNCCD mandated to support countries in mobilizing financial and technical resources to address desertification, land degradation, and drought. The GM works to translate UNCCD commitments into action through innovative finance, resource mobilization, and strategic partnerships. A core part of the GM’s mandate is the development of a robust pipeline of investable projects and programmes in land and water management. The GM works with partner countries, development finance institutions (DFIs), multilateral development banks (MDBs), and other stakeholders to support project preparation, including the development of business cases, investment frameworks, and enabling conditions for financing at scale. These efforts are increasingly focused on blended finance approaches, innovative financial instruments, and market-based solutions that can catalyse public and private investment at the scale required to address land degradation and drought. Private sector engagement is central to the GM’s strategy. Through initiatives such as Businesses for Land (B4L), the GM mobilizes voluntary private sector contributions, expertise, and investment in support of UNCCD objectives. The GM also works to build strategic partnerships across the finance, agribusiness, food systems, technology, and rangelands sectors, engaging institutional investors, impact finance platforms, and corporate partners to generate catalytic investment for sustainable land management at scale. In 2026, with the UNCCD Conference of the Parties (COP17) approaching, the GM is undertaking a significant workplan to finalize a range of technical products, prepare high-impact events, and deepen and capacity engagement of key stakeholders across the public and private sectors. To support this effort, the GM is recruiting a team of Senior Consultants with deep sector expertise and established relationships within the UNCCD ecosystem. Duties & Responsibilities: Under the overall guidance of the Managing Director of the Global Mechanism, and working closely with the wider GM team and critical external partners, the Senior Consultants will support the GM in delivering on its strategic mandate in the lead-up to COP17. The consultants are expected to operate independently, bringing sector expertise, established networks, and a solid understanding of the UNCCD and its key stakeholders. The Senior Consultants will contribute to the GM’s core work areas, including: innovative finance and investment facilitation; private sector engagement and partnership development; development of a pipeline of investable projects and programmes; preparation of COP-related technical products, events, and advocacy materials; and stakeholder engagement and capacity building with governments, development partners, MDBs, and the private sector. Specific deliverables will be agreed with each consultant at the outset of the contract, in consultation with the Managing Director of the GM. Deliverables will be allocated across the consultancy team based on expertise and may include, but are not limited to: development and finalization of technical papers, business cases, and investment frameworks; preparation and facilitation of high-level events and forums; stakeholder outreach and engagement activities; contributions to resource mobilization and partnership strategies; and support to UNCCD multilateral governance processes including COP17 preparation. The consultants are expected to work with a high degree of autonomy and to deliver high-quality outputs within agreed timelines.

- An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in finance, economics, environmental science, international development, natural resource management, agribusiness, or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree. - A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in fields relevant to land degradation, drought resilience, sustainable land management, innovative finance, resource mobilization, or private sector engagement in the context of international development is required. - Candidates must demonstrate an established understanding of the UNCCD mandate and key stakeholders, and the ability to work independently at senior level with minimal supervision. Experience in multilateral environmental agreement (MEA) processes, including familiarity with UNCCD governance and COP processes, is strongly desired

- Fluency in spoken and written English is required. Knowledge of French or another official UN language is an asset.

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.