[Hiring] International Consultant @UNFPA

Role Description

The purpose of the consultancy is to refresh and operationalize SCMU’s existing ABC model, conduct a workload driver assessment and develop an evidence-based pricing framework covering SCMU’s end-to-end supply chain service delivery. The assignment will estimate SCMU’s full cost of doing business; link internal people costs, workload, staff effort and service complexity to the relevant service and procurement categories; assess the implementation, adequacy and performance of the current fee structure, including procurement, inventory management and oversight, and the TPP operating and pricing model; undertake relevant market and institutional benchmarking; assess the revenue required to sustain operations and maintain an appropriate reserve; and recommend differentiated, evidence-based cost-recovery and pricing arrangements for implementation in 2027.

The assignment will build on the existing ABC model, the completed 2025 effort-estimation exercise and current direct-cost governance arrangements. It is not intended to recreate the costing methodology from the beginning, but to validate, adjust, strengthen and institutionalize it as a practical management and decision-support tool.

Responsibilities

• Inception, documentation review and data assessment
• Refresh the ABC model and estimate the full cost of doing business
• Validate people costs, effort and conduct the workload driver assessment
• Conduct category-level costing, assess fee performance and benchmark the current fee structure
• Conduct a dedicated TPP costing and pricing assessment
• Develop the 2027 pricing and cost-recovery recommendations
• Institutionalization, governance and knowledge transfer

Key Outputs

• Inception report and validated workplan, methodology and data requirements.
• Diagnostic assessment, service catalogue, cost-driver framework and data-gap analysis.
• Updated and documented ABC model and full cost-of-doing-business analysis.
• Workload driver assessment, including validated measurable drivers and implications for resource and capacity planning.
• Dedicated TPP cost, workload, cost-recovery and pricing assessment.
• Category-by-category assessment of the current fee structure, including a clear gap and misalignment analysis, implementation performance, market and institutional benchmarking, reserve impact analysis, and recommended fee updates and pricing arrangements for 2027.
• Final consolidated report, implementation roadmap, governance methodology, user guide and knowledge-transfer package.

Duration and Working Schedule

Up to 60 working days over approximately 12 weeks, commencing upon contract signature and the assignment is expected to commence in 2026, with the final completion date determined based on the contract start date and agreed workplan.

• Phase 1: Inception & Data Review — Week 3
• Phase 2: ABC Refresh — Week 6
• Phase 3: Workload Driver Assessment — Week 8
• Phase 4: Pricing & Benchmarking — Week 10
• Phase 5: Finalization & Handover — Week 12

Place of Service Delivery

Home-based, with virtual consultations and remote access to documentation and data. In-person consultations at SCMU in Copenhagen may be required, subject to prior written authorization.

Qualifications

• Advanced university degree in finance, accounting, economics, business administration, supply-chain management, data analytics or another relevant field.
• A recognized professional accounting or management-accounting qualification (CPA, ACCA, CIMA, or CMA) is an asset.

Knowledge and Experience

• At least ten years of progressively responsible experience in management accounting, financial modelling, costing, pricing, cost recovery or related advisory work.
• Demonstrated experience developing, refreshing or operationalizing Activity-Based Costing models in complex service-delivery organizations.
• Strong experience in workload, effort, productivity or capacity analysis and in translating operational drivers into cost and pricing models.
• Demonstrated experience reviewing fee structures, undertaking relevant market or institutional benchmarking, and designing percentage-based, fixed-fee, time-based, tiered or hybrid pricing arrangements.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheet and financial modelling; experience with Power BI or comparable analytical and visualization tools is desirable.
• Experience with international organizations, the United Nations, public-sector institutions, humanitarian operations or global supply chains is desirable.

Languages

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

Required Competencies

• Strong strategic, analytical and professional judgement, with rigorous attention to data quality, assumptions and internal consistency.
• Ability to translate complex financial and operational analysis into concise, practical and decision-oriented recommendations for senior management.
• Strong stakeholder consultation, facilitation and communication skills and the ability to work effectively across functional and technical teams.

UNFPA Work Environment

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process.

Disclaimer

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.