Result of Service
The Consultant will support UNEP’s work on cold chain including: holistic cold chain models that support numerous SDGs at the rural and urban levels; policy, finance and institutional recommendations; capacity building; partnership development; fundraising; policy dialogues and support to Government of India, selected State Governments and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs); technical insights on cold chain demonstration projects with emphasis on sustainability and rural benefits; coordinate a technical working group in India for cold chain; review and coordinate outputs from subcontractors; support funding proposal preparation; support replication activities and best practice sharing from India into the wider region
Duties and Responsibilities
UNEP is accelerating efforts to expand sustainable cold chain in India and wider region as a contribution to the Cool Coalition. Getting the right solutions in place for sustainable cold chain is essential for reducing food loss and related emissions and improving farmers income without undue impacts on the planet.
The Cool Coalition is a global multi-stakeholder network that connects a wide range of key actors from government, cities, international organizations, businesses, finance, academia, and civil society groups to facilitate knowledge exchange, advocacy, and joint action towards a rapid global transition to efficient and climate-friendly cooling. The Secretariat of the Cool Coalition is hosted at UNEP.
The consultant will perform tasks of a technical, organizational and analytical nature and support the ongoing implementation of UNEP’s project on accelerating efforts to expand sustainable cold chain in India and wider region. The consultant will also support the Cool Coalition Secretariat, hosted by UNEP, to ensure that UNEP’s activities on cold chain in India are well-aligned with other Coalition partners and support the efforts of the Cool Coalition on activating a knowledge base; advisory and demonstration support; and scale-up, advocacy and outreach.
Qualifications/special skills
Post graduate qualifications in thermal engineering/heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), engineering/energy management, economics, environmental studies, agriculture, logistics, or equivalent expertise. A first level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. A minimum of eight years in a relevant field of work, preferably with a focus on logistics, energy, agriculture, rural development and the environment, in particular cold chain.
Practical experience is essential in multi-stakeholder project development, partnership building, management of sub-contractors and consultants, and administration, preferably within the sustainable energy context. Experience in working with ministries of Government of India, state governments of India, public sector undertakings and international organisations is an asset. Qualifying years of experience are calculated following the receipt of the first level university degree recognized by the United Nations.
Specific knowledge: Has sound knowledge of cold chain, logistics and agri-business; project development, policy frameworks and financial instruments; experience in agriculture, rural development, cooling and energy in coordination with a large number of multi-stakeholders. Possesses strong analytical skills and the ability to proactively seek and identify relevant lessons and case studies.
Professionalism: Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; shows persistence and flexibility when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.
Communication: Speaks and writes clearly, concisely and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify perceptions, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates proactivity and openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in written and oral English is required. Knowledge of another UN language would be an advantage, particularly Hindi.