Consultant
Secteur de tutelle : Secteur des sciences exactes et naturelles (SC)
Lieu d'affectation: Paris
Catégorie d'emplois: Sciences exactes et naturelles
Type de contrat : Personnel non permanent
Durée du contrat : De 7 à 11 mois
Recrutement ouvert à : Candidats externes
Clôture des candidatures (minuit heure de Paris) : 25-October-2025
Valeurs fondamentales de l’UNESCO : Engagement envers l’Organisation, intégrité, respect de la diversité, professionnalisme
RESUME DES FONCTIONS DU POSTE
Background
UNESCO, through its role as Secretariat of the International Platform for Reducing Earthquake Disaster (IPRED), works with a network of national centers of excellence across 11 earthquake-prone countries to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and best practices on earthquake risk reduction.
Seismic building codes are fundamental instruments for reducing disaster risk in the built environment. They provide architects, planners, and construction professionals with technical criteria to design and build structures that can better withstand seismic forces, thereby preventing collapse, minimizing damage, and safeguarding human life. Beyond structural safety, these codes guide decisions on materials, construction techniques, and urban layouts, making them essential tools for shaping resilient and sustainable cities.
However, seismic codes vary widely across countries in terms of scope, assumptions about seismic forces, and alignment with local construction practices and resources. In Sub-Saharan Africa, many countries face challenges such as outdated or absent codes, limited enforcement capacity, and insufficient integration of architectural and engineering considerations. Collecting and analyzing information on the status, content, and application of seismic codes in the region is therefore a crucial step toward strengthening national and local capacities.
For UNESCO and IPRED, such a comparative review not only supports disaster prevention but also informs post-disaster recovery, helping societies to “build back better.” Ultimately, improving knowledge and application of seismic codes contributes directly to the sustainable development of cities and countries, ensuring that the expansion of the built environment is safe, resilient, and aligned with global frameworks such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Objective
In this context UNESCO is seeking an experienced individual consultant to support the activities on the following areas: 1) collect seismic codes in Sub Saharan Africa and develop a database, 2) draft the database for publication on the UNESCO website.
Long Description
Key Activities
The Consultant will carry out the following tasks under the supervision of the Programme Specialist of the DRR unit:
- Review UNESCO’s existing seismic code database and identify gaps.
- Draft an inception report with a work plan, timeline, and stakeholder mapping.
- Collect and compile seismic codes from Sub-Saharan African countries (approximately two per month).
- Clean, standardize, and integrate the collected data into the UNESCO seismic database.
- Prepare the database and metadata for online publication, ensuring clarity and accessibility.
- Liaise with relevant UNESCO field offices and IPRED partners to validate entries and gather feedback.
- Provide monthly progress reports and flag challenges or additional support needs.
Deliverables
Monthly deliverables (8 total):
- D1: Inception report with work plan, timeline, and stakeholder mapping.
- D2–D7: Monthly submissions of two country seismic codes (cleaned and integrated) with short progress notes.
D8: Finalized and quality-checked seismic code database, ready for publication on UNESCO’s website, plus a brief lessons-learned note.
COMPETENCES (Fondamentales / Managériales)
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Education
- Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in architecture, civil engineering, seismic engineering, disaster risk reduction, or urban planning
Work Experience
- Minimum 2 years of relevant professional experience in disaster risk management, architecture , seismic engineering, and/or urban planning.
Skills and competencies
- Understanding of urban development and built environment in seismic contexts.
- Proven ability to collect, clean, and organize technical data for databases.
- Strong drafting, analytical, and coordination skills.
- Familiarity with UN or UNESCO technical cooperation procedures
Languages
- Fluency in English and French required.
DESIRABLES QUALIFICATIONS
Desirable qualifications
- Prior work with UN agencies or international organizations in a technical advisory or consultative capacity
- Good knowledge of Portuguese is an asset
- Living in Paris is an asset
Long Description
How to apply
Interested candidates are kindly requested to apply and submit as one single document incorporating all the required elements (pdf format) to be uploaded in the application section "Employment History Form, including the following elements:
(a) an up-to-date curriculum vitae;
(b) a statement indicating how their qualifications and experience make them suitable for the assignment;
(c) an indication of the approach he/she would adopt to carry out the assignment, including any inputs that may be required from UNESCO;
(d) the overall cost of the assignment, expressed as an overall lump sum. Any travel and subsistence requirements should be indicated separately.
Long Description
Application should be done through Success Factor only. In case you are unable to attach the required documents in the system, you may send an email to: sc.recruitment@unesco.org quoting the reference (23032) in the subject line of your e-mail.
Note: Applications missing any of the requested application documents will not be considered
PROCESSUS DE SÉLECTION ET DE RECRUTEMENT
Veuillez noter que tous les candidats doivent remplir une demande en ligne et fournir des informations complètes et exactes. Pour postuler, veuillez visiter le site Web de l'UNESCO carrières. Aucune modification ne peut être apportée à la candidature soumise.
L'évaluation des candidats est basée sur les critères de l’avis de vacance de poste et peut inclure des tests et/ou des évaluations, ainsi qu'un entretien basé sur les compétences.
L'UNESCO utilise des technologies de communication telles que la vidéo ou la téléconférence, la correspondance par e-mail, etc. pour l'évaluation des candidats.
Veuillez noter que seuls les candidats sélectionnés seront contactés et que les candidats à l'étape de sélection finale seront soumis à une vérification des références sur la base des informations fournies.
L’UNESCO rappelle que la considération dominante dans le recrutement du personnel doit être la nécessité d’assurer à l’Organisation les services de personnes possédant les plus hautes qualités de travail, de compétence et d’intégrité. L’UNESCO applique une politique de tolérance zéro à l’égard de toute forme de harcèlement. L’UNESCO s’est engagée à atteindre et à maintenir une répartition géographique équitable et diversifiée, ainsi que la parité des genres parmi les membres de son personnel dans toutes les catégories et à tous les niveaux. En outre, l’UNESCO est résolue à atteindre une diversité de personnel sur le plan du genre, de la nationalité et de la culture. Les candidatures de ressortissants d’États membres non et sous-représentés (veuillez cliquer ici pour la dernière mise à jour) sont particulièrement bienvenues et vivement encouragées. Les personnes issues de groupes minoritaires et de groupes autochtones, ainsi que les personnes handicapées, sont également encouragées à postuler. Toutes les candidatures seront traitées avec la plus grande confidentialité. Une mobilité mondiale est requise pour les membres du personnel nommés sur des postes internationaux.
L’UNESCO ne prend de frais à aucune étape du recrutement.