Senior Specialist – Biennial Report on Global Infrastructure Resilience
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About
Location: New Delhi, India
Grade and No. of position: Senior Specialist (1)
Salary and Benefits: Competitive
Contract: Fixed Term Contract (3 years), extendable for up to another 3 years, Full-Time, National /International Hire.
Applications
Job posting date: 21st January 2026
Closing date: 10th February 2026
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to early submissions during the shortlisting and selection process. The position will remain open until it is filled.
About CDRI
The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) is a partnership of national governments, UN agencies and programs, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector, and knowledge institutions that aims to promote the resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks in support of sustainable development.
Mission
“To support countries to upgrade their systems to ensure disaster and climate resilience of existing and future infrastructure.”
Impact (that CDRI aims to achieve)
By 2050, over US$10 trillion of new and existing infrastructure investments and services are resilient to natural hazards and climate change through enhanced capacity, informed policy, planning, and management, leading to improved quality of environment, livelihood, and life of over 3 billion people.
CDRI Mandate & Value Proposition
CDRI has been envisioned and established as a global network to advance the agenda, support coordinated action among stakeholders, and focus on bringing voices from vulnerable geographies and populations to international policy forums. Internationally agreed-upon goals in the SFDRR, the SDGs, and the Paris Climate Agreement provide the foundational framework that guides the Coalition’s vision and mission.
As a global partnership, the Coalition aims to ensure that the investments of its members and partners are aligned and well-coordinated in support of the shared ambition of disaster and climate resilience of new and existing infrastructure. The two unique yet interconnected roles that CDRI shoulders in this direction are:
- A Strong Coalition Driving Collaborative DRI Action: In 2026, CDRI stands as a partnership of 53 national governments and 12 international organizations. The Coalition enjoys robust political support, which propels its efforts to advance the interests of its members and partners.
- A Solution-Focused Centre of Excellence for DRI: As a Centre of Excellence for DRI, the Coalition strengthens the individual and collective capacities of its members and partners by aggregating and sharing knowledge, brokering need-based partnerships, and strengthening capacities through collaborative learning and action.
Strategic Work Plan 2023-2026
CDRI’s Strategic Work Plan 2023-26 describes the broad contours of its priority actions and planned initiatives in the next four years. The Strategic Work Plan sets out a clear direction for the Coalition to pursue a transformational agenda for DRI in response to a changing risk landscape and evolving on-ground realities of its members. In the next four years, the Coalition will continue to leverage the expertise of its Member Countries and partners to develop context-specific, innovative solutions for resilient infrastructure towards the achievement of national priorities and global commitments of its members.
With the strategic work plan for 2023 – 2026, CDRI has set out the following strategic outcomes.
Strategic Outcome 1: A strong Coalition that has the membership, resources, and global leadership to drive global, national, regional, and local DRI action.
Strategic Outcome 2: Global DRI research, Coalition-led peer engagement, and CDRI- curated and generated knowledge promote risk-informed policy and practice.
Strategic Outcome 3: Enhanced capacities of government, private enterprises, and communities to implement post-disaster recovery and DRI action at scale.
CDRI Headquarters (Secretariat)
The CDRI headquarters is established in New Delhi, India, to act as the Secretariat of the Coalition. The Secretariat functions under the direction of the International Governing Council and the Executive Committee to implement the programmes of CDRI.
Position
The position is open to candidates of all nationalities.
All nationals demonstrating 10 years of international work experience in at least 5 countries across 2 UN geographic regions (from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, and Oceania) would be considered for international positions (International hire).
Objective of the position
CDRI is looking for an experienced professional for the position of Senior Specialist. The incumbent will lead and ensure the effective accomplishment of activities for the Global Infrastructure Resilience (GIR) Report under Strategic Objective 2.
Key Roles and Responsibilities
Support the Lead Specialist in the coordination of the development and publication of the GIR Report.
The preparation of the GIR Report will be done by a Drafting team led by a Coordinating Lead Author, thematic consultants and organizations. It will also involve detailed consultations with many institutional partners, technical and high-level experts and other stakeholders. The Senior Specialist - GIR Report will support the Lead Specialist and other members of the Core Team at the CDRI Secretariat in coordinating and organizing consultations with various stakeholders. He/she will work closely with the Report Drafting team to undertake desk research, literature review and development of concept papers and background notes as required.
Contribute to defining the Scope of Work and onboarding of the institutional partners and experts for development of the GIR Report
The Senior Specialist will support the Lead Specialist to define the scope of the work of the GIR Report, and identification and onboarding of lead institutions and experts. This will include, but not be limited to, organizing and facilitating detailed stakeholder consultations, extensive literature review, discussions with key partners, development of terms of reference and evaluation of proposals, etc. as needed.
Providing project management support and technical review of draft inputs from the institutional partners and experts
The Senior Specialist will support the Lead Specialist and the Drafting Team of the GIR Report in managing timely delivery of assigned tasks and thematic tracks towards development of the GIR Report. This would include reviewing the various technical reports submitted by the institutional partners and technical experts, organizing regular progress review meetings, documentation and coordination of feedback, tracking progress of milestones among other activities.
Supporting outreach and delivery of knowledge products and events for the GIR Report
As part of the development of the report, the CDRI will develop and implement an outreach and dissemination plan through various platforms and channels viz. social media, organizing and participating in knowledge events, such as workshops, webinars, consultation meetings, etc., related to the Pillars of the GIR Report. This will involve advance planning, coordination with other stakeholders, development of knowledge documents and briefing notes, social media content, etc. The Senior Specialist will support the Lead Specialist, working in close coordination with the Report Drafting Team and the CDRI Advocacy, Communication and Partnerships Teams, in designing, curating and delivering the knowledge products and events for outreach and dissemination of the GIR Report.
Miscellaneous Tasks
The Senior Specialist will work closely with the Lead Specialist- GIR Report and Director RKM&CB to help the CDRI implement its annual work plan around the Flagship report. Additionally, the Senior Specialist will provide any other technical and coordination support as needed towards delivery of CDRI’s mandate and Strategic Work Plan.
Qualifications
Post-graduate (master’s or equivalent) qualifications in engineering, planning, architecture, environmental sciences, climate change, applied sciences, social sciences, or a related field are preferred. Candidates with international education are desirable.
Experience
- A minimum of 08 years of progressively responsible experience in programme/project
Management in infrastructure, disaster risk reduction, sustainable development, environment, or related areas is required.
- Experience of working on complex planning processes, projects, data, and risk modelling and research studies is desirable.
- Experience of working with multiple stakeholders and establishing productive cooperation with a diverse number of partners, including governments, the UN, multilateral systems, business, science, and civil society, is required.
- Experience of working in International Organizations/ UN system is desirable.
- Experience in representing organizations at high-level international conferences and events is desirable.
- Experience in advocating for the core mandate of organizations with a wide range of partners is desirable.
Reporting line
- The Senior Specialist for the Global Infrastructure Resilience Report would report to the Lead Specialist – Biennial Report on Global Infrastructure Resilience Report.
Language requirements
- Fluency in English, both oral and written.
- Knowledge of any of the UN's official languages will be an asset.
How to apply
If you have experience working in a similar capacity and want to make an active and lasting contribution to a global initiative spearheaded by India, please apply through the online application form: https://app.cdri.world/career/public/.
CDRI is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, and culture. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with strict confidence.
CDRI has ZERO Tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment and gender / racial discrimination. Any selection, therefore, will be subject to satisfactory reference and background checks.