ATLAS LCA Expert

By the end of 2026, the Database and Access and the Data Alignment and Quality asset plans of the Global LCA Atlas are implementation-ready covering the necessary elements, supported by a consultation record, an issues and decision log, and a handover roadmap that supports the launch of the 2027 initiation phase. The remaining assets are supported in their creation of the same documents. The initial steps of implementation of the two assets are successfully delivered in the first part of 2027, according to the delivery plan that will have been delivered prior to the initiation phase and working with the available resources.

Remote

6 months

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. Its Industry and Economy Division provides solutions to decision-makers and helps change the business environment by offering platforms for multi- stakeholder dialogue and cooperation, innovative policy options, pilot projects and creative market mechanisms to improve the quality of the environment and the well-being of citizens. Hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Life Cycle Initiative is a public-private, multi-stakeholder partnership that enables public and private decision makers worldwide to use credible life-cycle knowledge. Positioned at the interface between users and experts of life-cycle approaches, the Initiative supports the application of life-cycle knowledge to accelerate progress on the global sustainable development agenda, including by building consensus on, and facilitating access to, life cycle assessment (LCA) data, methods and indicators. Through the Life Cycle Initiative, UNEP is convening the Global LCA Atlas (Atlas): a neutral, public-interest infrastructure to improve access to credible, interoperable and policy-grade life cycle data for product-level decision-making. The Atlas responds to a growing policy and market need for reliable product-level environmental evidence. It is being developed as a UNEP-convened operating layer that can connect and steward life cycle datasets, data-generation processes, quality assurance, access rules, interoperability and the institutional arrangements needed to sustain them. A 12-month initiation phase, starting in 2027, will establish and validate four foundational assets: (1) Governance and Institution; (2) Database and Access; (3) Data Alignment and Quality; and (4) Financial Model and Transition Funding. During the initiation phase, UNEP will remain the accountable host, working with implementation partners, contributors, reviewers, users and funders to prepare the Atlas for a later transition to long-term operation. Further information is available on the Life Cycle Initiative website. The purpose of this consultancy is to support UNEP by leading input and oversight for the asset delivery plans of the two more technical assets: (2) Database and Access and (3) Data Alignment and Quality, as well as supporting UNEP in oversight of the remaining Asset delivery plan projects. Working with UNEP and the leads of the other Asset preparation projects, the individual contractor will structure, coordinate and consolidate expert input so that the current working concept becomes an implementation-ready delivery plan as a basis for the 2027 initiation phase, and into the first months of this implementation. The assignment combines executive leadership with technical definition, including setting direction, documenting design choices agreed with experts, and resolving dependencies with the other assets Specific tasks and responsibilities: The consultant will deliver on the following tasks: 1. Preliminary asset delivery plans for the Database and Access and the Data Alignment and Quality assets. This includes: • Reviewing and consolidating existing Atlas materials and open questions into a full workplan with priorities, dependencies and milestones. • Itemized budgets • Agreeing the precise scope and deliverables with UNEP at inception. • Review and provide feedback to the preliminary asset delivery plans for Assets 1 and 4. 2. Coordinate expert input and revise the asset delivery plans. This includes: • Identifying, convening and coordinating relevant experts and contributors. • Preparing focused consultations and synthesizing the resulting technical input. • Providing input and guidance for the work on Assets 1 and 4. • Maintaining a concise issues/decision log, resolving or escalating cross-cutting questions, and coordinating dependencies with UNEP and the other asset leads. • Revising the asset delivery plans, translating expert discussions into clear design choices, specifications, roles, processes and implementation requirements. 3. Support initial months of asset delivery and prepare the learnings for handover. This includes: • Supporting the implementation of Assets 2 and 3 by the implementation partners with expert advice and guidance. • Supporting key Atlas workshops and partner consultations. • Preparing the assets for handover. • Providing input and guidance for the work on Assets 1 and 4. • Performing other related duties as required.

Education: • An advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in environmental engineering, environmental science, industrial ecology, data science or a related field is required. A first-level university degree with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. A PhD or equivalent in an LCA-related topic is beneficial, especially if related to LCA data generation or management. Work Experience: • A minimum of ten years of experience in life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle inventory (LCI) and product environmental data, including at least five years in an executive or senior management role leading an LCI database or LCA data infrastructure, is required. • Demonstrated experience with LCI dataset and database generation, management or stewardship, including unit-process data, metadata, nomenclature, interoperability, data exchange, curation and/or quality assurance, is required. • Experience with LCA data infrastructure, technical architecture, data portals/APIs, semantic mapping or data integration is required. • Strong knowledge of the international LCA data ecosystem is required. • Proven experience managing or coordinating multi-stakeholder, international or technically complex projects, and ability to deliver against a short timetable, is required • Experience facilitating expert dialogue, synthesizing divergent views and communicating complex LCA/data topics. • Experience with data quality frameworks, review/validation procedures, provenance, documentation and acceptance criteria for LCI/LCA datasets is highly desirable. • Experience in the United Nations system or a similar international organization is an advantage.

Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of other UN languages is an advantage.

Not available.

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.