Job Description

​Requisition ID: 8044

Grade: ISA-NOD

Country: Zambia

Duty Station: ZAM - Other cities

Category: National Consultant

Type of Job Posting: Internal and External

Employment Type: NonStaff-Regular

Contract Duration: 3 Months

Application deadline: 28-Sep-2026, 11:59 PM (Vienna, Austria time)

Vacancy Announcement

TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF PROJECT PERSONNEL

Only nationals or permanent residents of the country of the duty station are considered eligible.

Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

UNIDO welcomes applications from qualified persons with disabilities. Reasonable accommodation will be provided to applicants and employees with disabilities to support full participation in the recruitment process and in the performance of their duties.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013 as well as the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States. The relevance of ISID as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of ISID, however, applies to a greater or lesser extent to all SDGs.

The medium-term programme framework (MTPF) is UNIDO’s core strategic document. As the Organization moves from the 2022–2025 cycle to the 2026–2029 MTPF, it sets a renewed vision to support Member States shape their industries for development. The new priorities include renewable and clean energy, sustainable access and climate action, ending hunger through innovation and local value addition, and fair and sustainable global and regional supply chains. Cross-cutting priorities focus on industrial and economic policy advice, skills development, fostering digitalization and artificial intelligence, gender equality and the empowerment of women, supporting youth, promoting cleaner production and circular economy, and leveraging private sector investment and development finance.

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards and quality-related activities; and (iv) convening and partnerships for knowledge transfer, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Divisions/Offices in its Headquarters, Sub-regional Offices and Country Offices.

DIRECTORATE OF SDG INNOVATION AND ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION (IET)

Under the overall direction of the Director General, and in close collaboration with all organizational entities within UNIDO, in particular the Office of Change Management (ODG/CHM), the Office of Legal Affairs and Compliance (ODG/LEG), the Strategic Planning and UN Engagement Division (ODG/SPU), and the Office of Evaluation and Internal Oversight (EIO), the Directorate of SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation (IET), headed by a Managing Director, is responsible for the development of innovative UNIDO services in the areas of agro-industry and agribusiness, sustainability standards and fair production, and climate-relevant or climate-improving technologies. It is also, in collaboration with ODG, responsible for developing innovative technical cooperation concepts, identifying new sources and means of finance and entering into new partnerships with a broad range of relevant stakeholders.

The Directorate houses the Divisions of Coordination and Integration Support (IET/CIS), Quality, Impact and Accountability (IET/QUA), Agribusiness and Infrastructure Development (IET/AGR), Innovative Finance and International Financial Institutions (IET/IFI), Fair Production, Sustainability Standards and Trade (IET/PST), Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), and Climate and Technology Partnerships (CTP). The Directorate also ensures close coordination and collaboration among the Divisions and relevant entities in the Directorate of Global Partnerships and External Relations (GLO) and the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS).

Division of Fair Production, Sustainability Standards and Trade (IET/PST)

Under the overall guidance of the Director General, the direct supervision of the Managing Director, Directorate of SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation (IET), and in close coordination with other organizational entities within UNIDO, the Division of Fair Production, Sustainability Standards and Trade (IET/PST) develops and implements an innovative service package in response to UNIDO's mandate for fair and responsible local industrial production and trade with a particular focus on building the required skills and capacities and foster a conducive business operating environment to ensure that such production and trade are as inclusive as possible, promoting – among others – the development of human capital through vocational training and industrial skills development. In collaboration with IET/IFI, IET/PPP, TCS/SME, TCS/CPA, and GLO/MSR, the Division will conceptualize and negotiate such services and raise funds from Member States, development partners, IFIs, and the private sector to coordinate their effective implementation and devise ways in which their implementation can be brought to scale. This will include cross-cutting and sector-specific initiatives for sustainable supply/value chain and skills development in industrial sectors where UNIDO has, over the years, accumulated expertise, such as agro-industries, fisheries, textiles, leather, light manufacturing, health, mining, automotive and pharma and others. It will do so through close engagement with Member States, private sector associations, industrial enterprises, international quality, standards and trade-related governing bodies, other UN Agencies (e.g. ILO), development partners, NGOs and consumer associations, as appropriate, ensuring solid and operational partnerships.

Skills Development, Entrepreneurship and Fair Production Unit (IET/PST/SEF)

The Skills Development, Entrepreneurship and Fair Production Unit supports Member States in integrating into the emerging global systems of fair and sustainable trade and supply chains. It aims 62 to increase employability, strengthen access to decent employment, augment job retention, and increase access to qualified workforce by the industry, through modern technical and vocational education and training (TVET), professional education and entrepreneurship systems essential for driving sustainable transition. Central to its mandate is the commitment to provide the skills required to enabling sustainable supply chain practices, ensuring resilience, particularly at the firm level, and addressing the challenges and opportunities arising from new due diligence regulations. To this end, it provides specialized and country-tailored assistance to Member States to skill, upskill, and/or reskill their labour force and enhance their entrepreneurship capacity, it implements demand driven educational approaches, leverages partnerships with the private sector and strengthens institutional and firm-level capacities that fortify sustainable supply chains, with emphasis on the most vulnerable. It places importance on mitigating unintended consequences stemming from due diligence regulations, ensuring that all actors, especially at firm-level, are equipped to navigate through these changes. The Unit promotes innovation in learning, concepts and norms to augment the quality, relevance, attractiveness and accessibility of TVET for sustainable industrial employment and self-employment for the most vulnerable. The Unit also deploys foresight and planning instruments to guide Member States in developing industrial skills of future employees and respond to re-skilling and up-skilling requirements tailored for sustainable supply chains.

PROJECT CONTEXT

The project “Skills for Decent Employment in Zambian Artisanal and Small-scale Mining in the Critical Mineral Value Chains” addresses the structural constraints facing Zambia’s artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector – informality, low productivity, unsafe working conditions, weak business organization, and limited access to finance, technical and entrepreneurial skills – which disproportionately affect women and youth.

The project pursues two outcomes. Outcome 1 strengthens Zambia’s institutional ecosystem for ASM skills development, supporting national authorities – the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development (MMMD), Ministry of Technology and Science (MoTS), TEVETA, and the newly established ASM Directorate and ASM Fund – to coordinate, plan and deliver demand-driven training. Outcome 2 equips ASM operators, including women, youth and other vulnerable groups, with improved technical skills and entrepreneurship and organizational capacities for increased access to decent employment along the value chain, through community outreach and awareness-raising, upgraded TVET training centres, and entrepreneurship training linked to markets and finance, including a matching-grant mechanism for ASM operators.

FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the direct supervision of the Project Delivery Manager (PDM) and in close cooperation with the project team at UNIDO HQ and in the field, the Lead Technical Advisor will be responsible for the performance of the following main duties:

MAIN DUTIES

Concrete/measurable

Outputs to be achieved

Location

Planning /coordination/advice

• Review the project document and its outputs. Provide technical advice to the PDM on project implementation, budget execution and risk management; lead the overall technical coordination of the Project Management Unit (PMU), including the two Provincial Coordinators, the National Project Assistant, the Community Outreach Officers, and thematic experts;
• Review existing strategy and implementation approach in the country;
• Establish and maintain working relationships with national partners (MMMD, MoTS, TEVETA, the ASM Directorate/Fund), the EU Delegation, local authorities, and other implementing agencies.
• PMU technical coordination arrangements established and functioning;
• Annual work plan and budget technically reviewed and endorsed prior to PDM/PSC approval;
• Working relationships established and regularly operating with MMMD, MoTS, TEVETA, the ASM Directorate/Fund and the EU Delegation.

Kitwe

Programme/project implementation

• Lead the formulation of technical inputs for policies, guidelines, and capacity-building tools supporting the ASM sector under Outcome 1 (institutional strengthening, ASM skills development roadmap, training curricula) and Outcome 2 (community outreach, TVET upgrading, ASM operator support);
• Ensure technical coherence and quality assurance of outputs delivered by project experts and service providers, including review of technical products, assessments, curricula and training materials prior to submission to the PDM;
• Provide day-to-day technical guidance to the two Provincial Coordinators, the two Community Outreach Officers, the GESI Expert, and other national experts, ensuring alignment with the project's theory of change and logical framework;
• Ensure the integration of cross-cutting themes - gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), occupational health and safety (OHS), and environmental compliance - across all project activities and outputs;
• Support the Provincial Technical Committees (PTCs) and the Project Steering Committee (PSC) by preparing technical materials, briefs and recommendations for their meetings.
• ASM skills development roadmap, institutional capacity assessments and training curricula technically reviewed and cleared prior to submission;
• Technical products, assessments and training materials delivered by project experts and service providers reviewed and quality-assured;
• GESI, OHS and environmental compliance measures documented as integrated across project outputs;
• PTC and PSC meetings supported with technical briefs and recommendations prepared on schedule.

Programme/project promotion and outreach

• Represent the project in high-level forums, government consultations and policy discussions on ASM, skills development and critical mineral value chains in Zambia;
• Support outreach and visibility actions (publications, press releases, events) promoting the project's results and partners, in coordination with the Community Outreach Officer, UNIDO communications focal points, and in alignment with the EU communication guidelines;
• Foster and maintain strategic relationships with government counterparts, the EU Delegation, development partners, and other organizations active in ASM and skills development in Zambia.
• Project represented at national/high-level ASM and skills development forums, with participation records maintained;
• Outreach and visibility materials (publications, press releases, event participation) produced in alignment with the EU communication guidelines in coordination with the Community Outreach Officers;
• Strategic relationships with government, EU Delegation and development partners documented and actively maintained.

Capacity building of the project partners/beneficiaries

• Lead the technical design and delivery of institutional capacity-building support to MMMD, MoTS, TEVETA and other government partners under Output 1.1, ensuring the prioritized interventions are demand-driven and sustainable;
• Provide technical direction for the development of ASM training curricula and the strengthening of partner TVET institutions under Outputs 1.2 and 2.2, ensuring alignment with national qualification standards;
• Support the professional development of the national PMU team through mentoring, technical guidance and knowledge-sharing.
• Institutional capacity-building programmes for MMMD, MoTS, TEVETA and other government partners designed and technically guided under Output 1.1;
• ASM training curricula and partner TVET institution strengthening plans delivered under Outputs 1.2/2.2, aligned with national qualification standards;
• PMU team mentoring and knowledge-sharing sessions conducted on a regular basis.

Reporting

• Ensure fluent, timely communication and information flow to UNIDO HQ management (PDM/Industrial Development Expert and the SEF Unit), including regular technical progress updates;
• Contribute technical inputs to the Annual Project Report (narrative and technical sections), in coordination with the KM & Reporting Officer and the MEL Specialist, under the supervision of the PDM;
• Contribute to other progress reports required by key stakeholders; draft technical briefs, mission reports and other project documentation as required, and submit to the PDM.
• Annual Project Report (narrative and technical sections) submitted on schedule, in coordination with the KM & Reporting Officer and MEL Specialist;
• Technical briefs and mission reports submitted to the PDM in a timely manner;
• Final technical report drafted and submitted to the PDM by the end of the assignment.

Other duties as required by the UNIDO HQ management

• Undertake missions within Zambia (Copperbelt, North-Western and Luapula provinces, and Lusaka) as required by project activities;
• Participate in regular meetings for project coordination and reporting, UNIDO divisional and unit level meetings as required;
• Perform other duties as assigned by the PDM in support of the overall achievement of project objectives.
• Missions to project provinces (Copperbelt, North-Western, Luapula) and Lusaka conducted as required, with mission reports produced;
• Additional tasks assigned by the PDM completed to the required quality and within agreed timelines.

MINIMUM ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Education: Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in economics, engineering, sciences, agro-industries, environment, business administration, or other relevant discipline is required. Specialization in mining/extractive industries, industrial development, vocational/technical education, or a related field, is highly desirable. A first level university degree or an advanced technical college diploma may be acceptable provided it is combined with additional 7 years of professional hands-on experience that is directly relevant to the expertise required by the specific assignment.

Technical and Functional Experience:

• At least seven (7) years of professional experience in the implementation of technical cooperation/development projects at national level, is required.
• Experience in the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector, or the extractives industry or mining sector in general, is required.
• Experience in capacity-building, skills development, and/or business-oriented assistance is required.
• Experience in a technical leadership, team coordination or advisory role within a multi-disciplinary technical cooperation project team is required.
• Experience in evaluating the needs, conditions and problems of Zambia or a similar country in the region is desirable.
• Experience in working with government and development agencies including the United Nations agencies in Zambia or a similar country in the region, is desirable.

Languages: Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Fluency and/or working knowledge of Bemba, Nyanja or another local Zambian language is desirable.

CORE VALUES AND BEHAVIORS

Core Values

EXCELLENCE – Deliver high-quality results; continuously improve performance.

INTEGRITY – Uphold ethical standards; act transparently and responsibly.

INCLUSION – Promote respect, diversity, and fairness.

HUMILITY – Show self-awareness; value others’ contributions.

HUMANITY – Act with compassion; align work with sustainable development.

Core Behaviors

CONNECT & COLLABORATE – Build trust through effective communication and teamwork; share knowledge and embrace diversity.

ANALYSE & PLAN – Use data and evidence to inform decision-making; plan proactively and prioritize effectively.

DELIVER RESULTS WITH POSITIVE IMPACT – Take ownership and deliver high-quality outputs; align work with UNIDO’s mission and objectives.

LEARN AND DEVELOP – Continuously develop skills and capabilities; seek feedback and share knowledge with others.

ADAPT AND INNOVATE – Respond flexibly to change; embrace innovation and new approaches.

This appointment is limited to the specified project(s) only and does not carry any expectation of renewal.

Employees of UNIDO are expected at all times to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity, both at work and outside. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for jobs at UNIDO.

All applications must be submitted online through the Online Recruitment System. Correspondence will be undertaken only with candidates who are being considered at an advanced phase of the selection process. Selected candidate(s) may be required to disclose to the Director General the nature and scope of financial and other personal interests and assets in respect of themselves, their spouses and dependents, under the procedures established by the Director General.

Visit the UNIDO website for details on how to apply: www.unido.org

NOTE: The Director General retains the discretion to make an appointment to this post at a lower level.

Notice to applicants:

UNIDO does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. If you have received a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Vacant positions within UNIDO are advertised on the official UNIDO website. Should you have any questions concerning persons or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of UNIDO and requesting payment of a fee, please contact: recruitment@unido.org