[Hiring] National Green Innovation Consultant @AGORA

Role Description

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide strategic and time-bound technical assistance to advance UNICEF/YuWaah’s work on youth innovation, entrepreneurship and livelihood pathways, including green innovation, with a focus on strengthening institutional mechanisms, partnerships and approaches that can be sustained and scaled through existing systems.

• The consultant will support the development, adaptation and institutionalisation of priority initiatives across national and state ecosystems, including:
• Youth green innovation programming
• Institutional adoption of the Youth Green Readiness Layer
• imaGen Ventures
• Innovation-to-IP and entrepreneurship pathways
• Institute Innovation Councils (IICs) and higher education institutions
• State-level youth innovation models
• The assignment will also facilitate collaboration across government, academia, industry, skilling, incubation and other relevant partners to strengthen opportunities for adolescents and young people.
• The consultancy will contribute to translating programme experience and emerging approaches into scalable and sustainable models, while integrating equity and inclusion, meaningful youth engagement, safeguarding, evidence generation and appropriate use of digital and AI-enabled approaches.

Qualifications

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in development studies, public policy, education, business/entrepreneurship, economics, innovation, sustainability/climate studies, social sciences, engineering/technology, management or another relevant discipline.
• A first university degree with additional relevant professional experience may be considered in lieu of an advanced degree, subject to UNICEF’s applicable recruitment requirements.

Requirements

• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in youth innovation, entrepreneurship, skills/future skills, youth livelihoods, green skills/green economy, education-to-employment pathways, or related areas.
• Demonstrated experience working with government systems and national/state institutions in India on programme design, technical assistance, systems strengthening, institutionalisation or scale is essential.
• Demonstrated experience designing or strengthening youth innovation and entrepreneurship programs with a strong knowledge of innovation progression from idea to market is essential.
• Knowledge of learning and skilling ecosystem and pathways, and how to facilitate transitions to employment, entrepreneurship and livelihood opportunities.
• Strong stakeholder engagement, partnership development, facilitation, analytical writing and communication skills across government, academia, private sector and development partners.
• Knowledge of green economic transition and/or responsible AI/digital tools is an asset.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

Benefits

• UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does.
• UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence.
• We offer reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities throughout the recruitment process.