Affordable, low carbon and resilient housing expert

Consultant Finance & Economy Environment

Overview

Provide strategic, technical and analytical support for UNEP buildings team.

You have:

• Advanced degree in architecture, urban planning, civil / environmental engineering, economics, public policy or related field.
• Over 5 years in sustainable buildings, housing policy, or climate-resilient urban development.
• Demonstrated research & publication experience on housing, informal settlements, or green construction.
• Familiarity with multilateral climate processes (e.g., COP).
• Excellent analytical, writing and stakeholder-engagement skills; ability to synthesise technical evidence into actionable recommendations.
• Excellent English writing skills are essential, particularly drafting concise and informative pieces for communication materials.
• Relationship management skills, as well as outreach.
• Previous experience with and knowledge of the sustainable urbanisation sector is desirable.
• Prior experience working with international organizations is an advantage.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is essential.

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

Result of Service

The overall objective of this assignment is to provide strategic, technical and analytical support to the UNEP Buildings team: - to develop a robust evidence paper that distils global best practice, lessons learned and a replicable model to scale-up climate-aligned affordable housing; and - to develop a design prototype for a cost-effective, low-carbon and resilient group housing project in Sambalpur, Odisha to inform the evolution of Odisha’s affordable housing policy, offering Odisha Urban Housing Mission (OUHM) a solid basis to select building typologies based on city-specific contexts. The consultant will submit the following outputs as a part of this engagement: 1. Evidence paper on Sustainable Affordable Housing • Inception report & workplan • Outline and methodology for development of the evidence paper • Evidence paper (5,000 w) incl. 3–5 ‘lighthouse’ case studies (1 pp each) • Slide deck compiling outcomes from the paper 2. Design prototype for cost-effective, low-carbon and resilient group housing in Odisha • Inception report & workplan • Site study and finalized project brief • Design prototype for cost-effective, low-carbon affordable housing • Comparative analysis of housing typologies on cost, carbon, and land use efficiency • Site plan and 3D visualization for Sambalpur pilot • Finalized case study and presentation following consultation with Odisha Urban Housing Mission

Work Location

Remote

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recognizes the need to address global environmental concerns in an increasingly urbanizing world. It is in this context that UN Environment supports and promotes sustainability in buildings and construction, emphasizing sustainable buildings’ local and global benefits and the role of the built environment in delivering against the New Urban Agenda and the 2030 Agenda with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The building and construction sector is responsible for over one-third of all energy-related GHG emissions and material use. Since 2015, UNEP hosts the Secretariat of the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC), launched during the first Buildings Day at COP 21. The Intergovernmental Council for Buildings and Climate (ICBC), coordinated by the GlobalABC, was formally launched in 2024 to drive joined-up global action on decarbonising and climate-proofing the built environment. Chaired by France with Brazil and Kenya as vice-chairs, the Council’s leadership has placed the vast self-built housing sector and overall housing affordability at the core of its agenda, recognising that informal construction already supplies most new urban homes in the Global South. UNEP’s Buildings Team seeks to catalyse a shift toward green, resilient and affordable housing at scale. To underpin this effort, we require a consultant to deliver: • Robust evidence paper that distils global best practice, lessons learned and a replicable model to scale-up climate-aligned affordable housing, to be launched at COP 30. • A design prototype for a cost-effective, low-carbon group housing project in Sambalpur, Odisha to demonstrate an adaptable, replicable model for Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in the state.

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced degree in architecture, urban planning, civil / environmental engineering, economics, public policy or related field. Over 5 years in sustainable buildings, housing policy, or climate-resilient urban development Demonstrated research & publication experience on housing, informal settlements, or green construction. Familiarity with multilateral climate processes (e.g., COP). Excellent analytical, writing and stakeholder-engagement skills; ability to synthesise technical evidence into actionable recommendations. Excellent English writing skills are essential, particularly drafting concise and informative pieces for communication materials. Relationship management skills, as well as outreach. Previous experience with and knowledge of the sustainable urbanisation sector is desirable. Prior experience working with international organizations is an advantage.

Languages

Fluency in written and spoken English is essential

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.

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Potential interview questions

Added 1 year ago - Updated 11 months ago - Source: careers.un.org