Climate Consultant, Office of Strategy & Evidence(OSE), Innocenti, Italy, 12 months (Remote/Work from home)

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.

How can you make a difference? 

Purpose of Activity/Assignment: The purpose of this assignment is to support the Youth Fellowship on Climate Education as a Climate Consultant during its implementation, learning, and synthesis phase. The consultant will provide technical leadership and strategic support across the Fellowship’s interconnected research, foresight, learning, and governance workstreams, with particular focus on advancing systems thinking and foresight methodologies, supporting evidence synthesis and knowledge production, and strengthening policy-relevant outputs linked to climate education and intergenerational governance.

Building on earlier research and documentation phases, this consultancy will support the continued development and integration of research outputs, youth-led climate education Bright Spots, strategic synthesis materials, and governance-oriented knowledge products emerging from the Fellowship.

The consultant will support methodological consistency across workstreams while strengthening UNICEF’s evidence base and strategic positioning on climate education, youth participation, Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE), and intergenerational governance processes.

This role will support the translation of youth-led insights into strategic learning, policy-relevant outputs, and dissemination materials, while contributing to broader institutional learning and systems transformation processes linked to climate education and youth-inclusive futures.

Objectives of the consultancy: The consultancy is strategically aimed at strengthening UNICEF’s youth-led climate education, foresight, and intergenerational governance initiatives by providing technical expertise and research guidance across interconnected workstreams linked to the Youth Fellowship on Climate Education, while ensuring alignment with broader global climate education, youth participation, and governance processes.

This role is designed to lead and support the development of research methodologies, foresight approaches, synthesis outputs, and knowledge products that bridge climate education, youth participation, systems thinking, and anticipatory governance domains. It seeks to guide research and synthesis processes across Fellowship workstreams and support the development of evidence-informed frameworks, strategic synthesis materials, digital climate education outputs, and policy-relevant knowledge products that strengthen UNICEF’s evidence base and provide practical learning resources for climate education stakeholders, fellows, and partners.

By facilitating knowledge exchange between emerging and experienced youth climate leaders, experts, and strategic partners, the consultancy ensures that diverse youth perspectives, lived experiences, and emerging practices inform all aspects of UNICEF’s climate education work. Moreover, this role encompasses the coordination of cross-workstream synthesis activities, ensuring methodological consistency, strategic coherence, and complementary outputs that collectively strengthen UNICEF’s climate education and intergenerational governance agenda.

The consultancy will support the documentation, analysis, and synthesis of youth-led climate education Bright Spots, including identification of key enablers, barriers, gaps, and enabling conditions across diverse contexts. It will also support the development of strategic outputs including the Future of Climate Education Report, governance-oriented synthesis materials linked to Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE), climate education digital outputs, and broader evidence-informed knowledge products emerging from the Fellowship.

In doing so, the consultancy advances UNICEF’s technical leadership in climate education and youth participation while contributing to more inclusive, intergenerational approaches that can strengthen systems transformation, anticipatory governance, and climate governance processes.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the Terms of Reference here:   ToR Climate Consultant TMS.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have:

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Coordination, Climate Education, Research, Futures Thinking and Foresight, Training and Facilitation, Youth Engagement, Evidence Synthesis, Writing or another technical field relevant to the work of UNICEF
• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies, International Development, Education, Climate Science, or related field (master's degree in progress is an advantage);
• Years of Experience/ Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:
• 3-5  years of experience in climate action, youth engagement, advocacy, education, or research activities (internships and volunteer experience in climate-focused organizations will be considered);
• Demonstrated technical knowledge and experience in climate education, climate policy, youth climate engagement, or climate governance, including understanding of key climate frameworks and processes (such as UNFCCC, ACE, climate adaptation, mitigation, or sustainability pathways), with experience contributing to research, advocacy, policy discussions, technical initiatives, or youth-led climate action processes;
• Strong research and analytical skills with experience in literature reviews and qualitative research methods;
• Knowledge and experience of convening in virtual settings, with strong familiarity with digital workspaces, communication tools and conferencing platforms;
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities with experience developing outreach materials or documentation;
• Proficiency with digital collaboration tools and online research platforms;
• Experience participating in or supporting climate initiatives, youth networks, or educational programs;
• Ability to work independently while managing multiple deliverables and timelines;
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment
• Fluency in English is required.

Desirable qualifications:  

• Good attention to detail and demonstrated ability to organize own work, and work of others according to deadlines.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment with staff with differing experience and skills and with staff in different geographic locations.
• Knowledge and experience of conducting research on emerging issues, futures, or child rights themes is an advantage.
• A strong ability to manage, negotiate and collaborate with external and internal experts.
• Knowledge of other UN official languages (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese) is an advantage.
• Prior experience of working with the United Nations and good knowledge of UNICEF’s internal organization is an advantage but not essential.
• A flexible mindset and ‘can-do’ attitude in an evolving programme context.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex issues to a lay audience.

For every Child, you demonstrate Care

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 (Talent Management System):

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter 
• A separate financial proposal  Financial proposal Climate Consultant.docx

Remarks:  If the TOR or financial proposal documents are not visible on certain recruitment platforms, please visit our official page Vacancies | UNICEF Careers

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.