[Hiring] International Consultant on Demographic Resilience @UNFPA

Role Description

UNFPA’s 2026–2029 Strategic Plan introduces a fourth outcome focused on supporting countries to adapt to demographic change, strengthen the resilience of societies for current and future generations, and uphold individual rights and choices. Demographic resilience is the capacity of a society to anticipate, respond and adapt to demographic change, and ultimately to thrive amid it. Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) face complex demographic dynamics, including:

• Small and dispersed populations
• Internal and international migration
• Urbanization
• Changing age structures
• Uneven data availability
• Acute climate vulnerability

The Consultant will work under the joint supervision of the Technical Adviser, Population Dynamics, UNFPA Asia and the Pacific Regional Office (APRO), and the Technical Adviser for Population and Development, UNFPA Pacific Sub-Regional Office (PSRO). The supervisors will provide strategic and technical guidance, consolidate UNFPA feedback, confirm stakeholder engagement priorities and approve deliverables.

The consultancy is up to 60 working days from the contract start date. The detailed calendar and allocation of days will be confirmed in the inception report. This consultancy will be primarily home-based, with remote consultations across Pacific time zones.

UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes:

• Ending the unmet need for family planning
• Ending preventable maternal deaths
• Ending gender-based violence and harmful practices
• Adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff who embody these international norms and standards and will defend them courageously and with full conviction. UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact sustained results, ensuring effective external relations, communications, partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape.

Objectives

• Synthesize demographic trends, projections, data gaps, relevant policies and regional commitments through multi-dimensional disaggregation.
• Identify vulnerabilities, inequalities, opportunities and policy priorities arising from demographic change.
• Validate findings through consultations with UNFPA and selected national and regional stakeholders.
• Provide practical strategic and operational recommendations for regional and country-level policy dialogue, programming, partnerships and future analytical work.

You would be responsible for:

• Inception and study analytical design
• Demographic data review and synthesis
• Policy and institutional mapping
• Pacific demographic resilience assessment framework
• Vulnerability and opportunity assessment
• Stakeholder consultations and validation
• Strategic recommendations and communication

Qualifications

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in demography, population studies, economics, sociology, public policy, development studies, statistics, geography or another closely related field. A doctoral degree is an asset.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in demographic analysis, population and development, public policy or a closely related area.
• Demonstrated experience analysing fertility, mortality, migration, urbanization, population ageing, age structure and population projections, including uncertainty and data limitations.
• Strong quantitative and mixed-methods skills and experience with census, survey, civil-registration, administrative and international demographic datasets.
• Proven record of producing high-quality analytical reports, assessment frameworks, indicator systems or policy products for governments, United Nations entities, regional organizations or comparable institutions.
• Substantive knowledge of rights-based approaches to population and development and gender analysis skills, including attention to marginalized groups.
• Experience designing and facilitating stakeholder consultations and translating complex evidence into practical policy recommendations.
• Knowledge of Pacific demographic, development and climate-resilience issues. Direct professional experience in PICTs is strongly preferred.
• Experience with UNFPA or another United Nations entity is an asset.

Languages

• Excellent written and spoken English and demonstrated ability to communicate technical findings to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
• Proficiency in statistical, demographic and data-visualization software relevant to the proposed methodology and strong command of office and virtual collaboration tools.
• Knowledge of French or a Pacific language is an asset.

Required Competencies

• Exemplifying integrity
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system
• Embracing cultural diversity
• Embracing change

Core Competencies

• Integrity, respect for diversity, commitment to UNFPA’s mandate and ethical use of population data.
• Accountability, results orientation, clear communication, inclusive collaboration and effective self-management.
• Analytical rigour, strategic thinking, sound judgement, facilitation, cultural sensitivity and ability to deliver high-quality work across multiple time zones under tight deadlines.

Compensation and Benefits

• Payment will be made upon satisfactory completion and written acceptance of the corresponding deliverable.
• The allocation of days and percentages may be adjusted at inception without changing the total level of effort or total contract value.

Deliverable

• Inception report - Week 1 - 5 days - 15%
• Draft demographic evidence and policy synthesis - Week 5 - 20 days - 25%
• Draft assessment framework and consultation package - Week 8 - 15 days - 20%
• Consultation and validation summary - Week 11 - 8 days - 15%
• Final analytical report and briefing package - Week 16 - 12 days - 25%

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.

UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce.

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.

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.