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Org. Setting and Reporting
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the Agency for Human Settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. This mandate of the organization is detailed in the Vancouver Declaration on Human Settlements, Habitat Agenda, Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements, the Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements in the New Millennium, and Resolution 56/206. Its activities contribute to the over-all objectives of the United Nations to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development within the context of a rapidly urbanizing world. This position is located at the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), Regional Office for Arab States (ROAS) in Cairo, Egypt. The incumbent reports to the Regional Representative ROAS and will work in close collaboration with the respective colleagues at headquarters (Office of Executive Director, Programme Division, Operations Division, External Relations and Management) and country offices in the Arab region. Under the supervision of the Representative, ROAS, the incumbent is responsible for the following at a regional scope:
Responsibilities
I. Programme implementation: • Promote broad policy dialogues with national constituencies and development partners in Arab countries; • Provide inputs to human settlements analysis and needs assessments and other activities aimed at housing and urban development policy, strategy and programmes development to contribute to poverty alleviation; • Coordinate relevant activities within the Strategic framework focus areas, the work programme and Habitat country programme documents; Contribute to knowledge management and facilitate dissemination of information on good practices and their promotion and adoption at the national and local levels. II. Programme/Project development: • Identify priority interventions in human settlements within the UN-Habitat Strategic Framework, New Urban Agenda, country strategy notes, national plans and strategy for poverty reduction, with particular attention to the issues of conflict, displacement and youth; • Provide inputs to the development, launch and operation of global campaign on sustainable urbanization in the respective countries to improve awareness of sustainable urbanization issues. • Participating in the appraisal, revision and approval of project/programme design; Negotiating with bilateral/multilateral donors for resource mobilization and promoting/coordinating joint activities of strategic importance. III. Project management and advisory services: • Providing timely and appropriate technical and management advice on the projects; • Drafting Terms of Reference, identifying, selecting and making recommendations for recruitment of staff and consultants. • Leads team members efforts to collect and analyze data and provides insight to identify trends or patterns for data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. Ensures that everyone can discover, access, integrate and share the data they need. • Perform other duties as assigned.
Competencies
PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to project or programme management, administration or related area. Ability to identify issues, analyze and participate in resolution of problems. Conceptual analytical and evaluative skills to conduct independent research and analysis. Ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments given, plan own work and manage conflicting priorities. The ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management. Shows pride in work and in achievements; Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; Remains calm in stressful situation. COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. ACCOUNTABILITY: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honors commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable. LEADERSHIP: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow; empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing. MANAGING PERFORMANCE: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision- making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative, actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly.
Education
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in architecture, civil engineering, urban and regional planning, sociology, economic or physical sciences relevant to development and management of human settlements or related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is desirable.
Job – Specific Qualification
Not available.
Work Experience
A minimum of ten (10) years of progressive experience in project or programme management, administration or related area is required. Experience in the international development in the Middle East Region is desirable. Experience in the areas of human settlements is desirable. Experience working on governance, planning, human security, or policy related issues in the area of human settlements is desirable. Experience in managing and supervising diverse teams of people is desirable. Experience in data analytics or related area is desirable
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English required. Knowledge of Arabic language is desirable. Working knowledge of another UN official language is desirable. NOTE: “Fluency equals a rating of “fluent” in all four areas (read, write, speak, understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of “confident” in two of the four areas.
Assessment
Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.
Special Notice
Appointment against this position is for an initial period of one (1) year and may be subject to extension. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary- General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfill the lateral or geographical move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy. Staff members are requested to indicate all qualifying lateral or geographical moves in their Personal History Profile (PHP) and cover note. For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or under-represented in the UN Secretariat as of 31 May 2024, are strongly encouraged to apply: Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, China, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Germany, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Libya, Liechtenstein, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. Individual Contractors and Consultants who have worked within the UN Secretariat in the last six months, irrespective of the administering entity, are ineligible to apply for or be appointed to any professional and higher temporary or fixed-term positions, within six months of the end of their current or most recent service. For such positions, at least six months need to have elapsed between the end of a consultancy or individual contract and the time of application and consideration for an appointment as a staff member under the Staff Rules and Regulations of the United Nations. Internal Applicants – when completing the PHP, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up to date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you. Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation. Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as “retirement.” Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. Online applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application, if necessary. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira “Need Help?”
United Nations Considerations
According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.
No Fee
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.
