Individual Consultant - Water Governance and Heritage Conservation
OVERVIEW
Parent Sector : Natural Sciences Sector (SC)
Duty Station: Beirut
Job Family: Natural Sciences
Type of contract : Non Staff
Duration of contract : From 7 to 11 months
Recruitment open to : External candidates
Application Deadline (Midnight Duty Station Time) : 24-JAN-2026
UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism
This vacancy is open to candidates based in Lebanon
OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST
Under the overall authority of the Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut (DIR/FU/BEI), and the direct supervision of the Chief of Sector Natural Sciences (SC) — and with close cooperation with - Culture Sector (Clt) and national counterparts (Municipality/Union, Ministry of Energy and Water (MoEW)/ South Lebanon Water Establishment (SLWE), Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Ministry of Culture (MoC), Ministry of Environment (MoE))—the Consultant provides day-to-day coordination, technical backstopping and oversight for “BIRKET—Reclaiming Traditional Communal Irrigation Pools in South Lebanon.” The role bridges water governance and heritage safeguarding: from evidence generation and awareness, to application of UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) Water Museums Network (WAMU) toolkits, to co-design of a Water Heritage Trail/Museum concept, to field implementation.
In this context, the Consultant will:
- Implement/carry out the workplan and timeline, convene monthly check-ins, and issue short progress notes with next steps.
- Lead archive/field research and deliver a bilingual birket dossier (maps, photos, infographics).
- Deliver a travelling exhibition and prepare inclusive studios/charrettes for the Water Heritage Trail and birket/public space designs.
- Draft simple municipal O&M bylaws, irrigation schedules, and user SOPs/checklists.
- Coordinate 15 reels plus one documentary (consents, captions) and maintain a central photo/video bank.
- Prepare media kits for launches/exhibitions. and ensure Japan–UNESCO co-branding across all materials
DELIVERABLES
• Create a complete multidisciplinary birket dossier with infographics, detailed maps, and photos.
• Produce and publish 15 one-minute reels and one broadcast-quality documentary.
• Install and curate a travelling exhibition in host villages.
• Apply the WAMU-NET Water Inventory Toolkit and develop a Water Museum concept for Birkets.
• Co-design a Water Heritage Trail through studios/charrettes.
• Co-Design and issue an Issued-for-Tender set (plans/sections/details/BoQ) for the birket and public space.
• Support the restoration of the birket and surrounding landscape to completion and secure a works completion certificate.
• Develop and adopt a simple O&M bylaw and implement the first seasonal irrigation schedule.
• Submit in both hardcopy and e-format a final detailed report including all the above deliverables and their consequence to the implementation of the project.
Expected duration – 11 months renewable based on funding availability and satisfactory performance (project spans 24 months)
COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)
- Accountability (C)
- Results Focus (C)
- Planning & Organizing (C)
- Communication (C)
- Teamwork (C)
- Knowledge Sharing & Continuous Improvement (C)
- Professionalism (C)
- Innovation (C)
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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Education
• Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) in the relevant field of Natural Sciences related disciplines (Environment, Earth Sciences, Hydrology, Basic Sciences and Science Policy) and/or Engineering.
Work Experience
• Minimum 7–10 years progressively responsible experience at the nexus of water governance/irrigation management and natural resources heritage conservation in Lebanon.
• Demonstrated Science-to-Policy experience.
Skills & Competencies
• Strong policy–practice fluency; Technical confidence reviewing drawings/BoQs; Excellent drafting of reports and policy briefs.
• Evidenced public communication/visibility with donor branding.
• Good programme and project management skills.
• Good analytical, organizational and coordination skills.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment, with tact and sensitivity to diversity.
• Ability to build, maintain and enhance working relations with national/local authorities as well as key stakeholders in the civil society, such as national and international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the cluster countries and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region.
• Ability to communicate (written and oral) with various stakeholders, within and outside the organization and through various channels including the web and social media.
• Good IT skills, including knowledge of standard office software.
Languages
• Excellent knowledge of English and Arabic.
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Education
• Advanced university degree (PhD degree or equivalent) in the natural sciences, including water sciences.
Working Experience
• Experience with specialized agencies of the UN system and/or professional Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and/or organizations for international technical cooperation.
• Expertise and technical know-how in identifying and designing healthy ecosystems with the required bidirectional interconnections and interdependencies between water systems in terms of water quality and availability and biodiversity conservation and environmental dependability.
• Experience with the government or private sector in the field of water governance.
• Experience in promoting regional cooperation among the Region and knowledge of the geopolitical context of Lebanon.
• Experience in project proposal writing and successful fund raising in the area of traditional and non-traditional water structures/governance.
• Experience training farmers/municipal staff (ToT) and developing practical checklists/toolkits
• Peer-reviewed publishing reports, papers, and policy briefs on Lebanon’s water governance
Skills and competencies
• Ability to work effectively in a complex and changing environment.
• Ability to work in close partnership with a wide range of national, regional and international scientific organizations, and professional organizations.
• Good knowledge of UNESCO and IHP's work and programmes in the area of Water Sciences.
Languages
• Excellent Knowledge of at least on other official UNESCO languages (Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish).
SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted.
To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted.
Interested candidates should complete the on-line application, download and complete the Employment History form (Word file). At the end of the Word file, insert extra pages with the following required information:
A written proposal comprising:
• An up-to-date CV;
• A brief technical proposal outlining the approach and methodology for the assignment in line with the terms of reference
• A competitive fee for the assignment quoted in USD (or EUR) and expressed on a monthly basis.
The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as an interview.
UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates.
Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided.
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