About Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia

Economic and Social Commission for Western Asiais part of the United Nations system, working to promote international cooperation and address global challenges. As a UN entity, it contributes to the organization’s mission of maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations, and promoting international cooperation in solving international problems and encouraging respect for human rights.

Job Summary

This consultancy provides an opportunity to contribute specialized expertise to Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia’s mission in international cooperation and sustainable development. Working in Lebanon, you will apply your professional skills to address complex challenges in international cooperation and sustainable development and support the organization’s programmatic objectives. This role offers the flexibility of consultancy work while contributing to meaningful international development outcomes with global impact.

Key Details

• Job Title:Analytical and Research Assistant
• Grade:CON
• Location:Beirut, Lebanon
• Department:Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
• Contract Type:Consultancy
• Salary Range:$50,000.0 – $120,000.0 USD annually

Qualifications

• Academic Qualifications: An advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent) in economics, labour economics, development studies, data science, or related fields is required.
• Academic Qualifications: All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree.
• Academic Qualifications: Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
• Academic Qualifications: A minimum of 2 years of professional work experience in applied quantitative research is required.
• Academic Qualifications: STATA proficiency is required.
• Academic Qualifications: Knowledge in R/Python is desirable.
• Academic Qualifications: Experience in labour market and gender is desirable.
• Academic Qualifications: Familiarity with combining qualitative insights with data-driven evidence is desirable..
• Language: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA.
• Language: For this position, fluency in English is required.

Skills

• The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development underscores gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls as central to achieving sustainable development.
• Yet gender-based inequalities persist, and the Arab region remains off track in meeting Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5).
• The 2025 Global Gender Gap Report finds that the Arab region has among the widest gender gaps globally, ranking it the lowest-performing region.
• At the same time, the region is navigating rapid labour-market transformation linked to digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI).
• According to the World Economic Forums Future of Jobs Report 2025, by 2030 nearly 40% of workers core skills are expected to change, with digital and cognitive competencies rising fastest.
• In addition, ESCWAs Skills Monitor highlights growing employer demand for AI and digital skills alongside continued underrepresentation of women in AI-relevant/digital fields, pointing to a widening gender digital divide without corrective interventions.
• ESCWA Centre for Women seeks to engage an individual contractor (IC) to provide analytical and research support for a study on how digitalization and AI are reshaping employment in the Arab region, with a specific focus on young womens access to future-ready skills and digital jobs.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation package
• Professional development opportunities
• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits
• Inclusive and collaborative work environment

How to Apply