Technical lead - Urban Planning Framework and Classification of Municipalities - Senior Urban Planner and Designer

General

• Familiarise oneself with the urban development context in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia including the history of the municipal sector and the planning system 

• Prepare and manage the overall project work plan including determining key deliverables, milestones and timelines

• In cooperation with the Stakeholder Engagement Specialist ensure regular coordination and consultation with relevant stakeholders

• In cooperation with the technical experts ensure that all deliverables follow a rigorous and evidence-based approach to ensure quality and methodological soundness

• Regularly report progress of the initiative to Senior Leadership and other relevant committees (both within the project management as well as to MOMRAH)

• Prepare capacity building tools and activities to equip local, regional and national stakeholders with the knowledge they need to implement the reformed municipal and planning systems

• Ensure alignment between the progress of this initiative and the other initiatives involved in the Spatial Planning Reform and Visual Appeal Program in Saudi Arabia

Classification of Municipalities/Urban Planning Framework (Spatial Planning Act)

• Work in collaboration with different disciplines (economist, legal, municipal and governance, social and housing/urban) and in strict cooperation and coordination with other projects leads on the restructuring of the planning framework, the NUP and the restructuring of the municipal system. 

• Support the drafting of the Planning Act.

• Contribute to written outputs (background papers, reports, studies, etc.) to support the classification and re-configuration of municipalities, the planning framework, and other related reports requiring a planning perspective. 

• Until the recruitment of additional specialized experts, provide overall leadership and guidance in the preparation and implementation of a methodology for classifying and re-configuring the municipal system in Saudi Arabia 

Other Urban Planning Tasks

• Provide urban planning inputs and introduce international planning principles and practices including best practices in compact urban form and sustainable urban development.

• Provide Technical advisory role to MoMRAH and the wider team.

Education:

• Master’s degree in urban planning, urban design, architecture, or other relevant fields. PhD is an asset.

Experience:

• 7 years progressive experience working internationally with urban planning related issues at local, regional and/or national levels (experience with multilevel governance is an asset); Previous experience in the Middle East is required. Experience in KSA or related knowledge and experience is an Asset

• Progressive experience in working in a project management role, including a proven track record of delivering high-quality results on time working with different disciplines and tasks in a dynamic and challenging environment is required. 

• Experience working on issues related to urban planning, land use planning, compact urban form, municipal service provision, laws and regulations, municipal systems and its relation to land and urban planning, etc is required. 

• Familiarity with UN-Habitat's work and approach, and knowledge of SDGs and NUA are an asset.

Additional Skills:

• Experience in leading multi-disciplinary teams towards the delivery of complex tasks is desired.

• Experience in preparing high-level presentations and communicating effectively to technical and non-technical audiences is desired.

• Familiarity with the UN-Habitat Urban legal and governance tools as well as other international relevant tools is desired.  

• Experience in mentoring and capacitating younger staff is desired. 

• Previous experience in the Middle East is required.

• Previous experience in Saudi Arabia is an asset.

Language:

• Fluency in written and oral English is required for this assignment. Working knowledge of another UN language would be considered as an advantage.