Housing Policy Analysis and Reporting Specialist

The Housing Policy Analysis and Reporting Specialist will provide technical and analytical support for the preparation, integration, and quality assurance of the project’s Issue Briefs and final synthesis report. Working closely with the UN-Habitat Canada Office team, the consultant will consolidate research findings, case studies, expert inputs, and cross-cutting analytical insights into coherent, evidence-based and policy-relevant knowledge products. These outputs will be critical to ensuring the timely and high-quality completion of the project, while generating knowledge and analytical insights that inform other components of the Canada Office’s housing programme and contribute to its broader mandate in Canada and globally.

Montreal

6 months

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. The Canada Office of UN-Habitat strengthens the organization’s mission by serving as a focal point for partnerships, applied research, and policy engagement in Canada and across North America for the implementation of UN-Habitat’s 2026-2029 Strategic Plan. Operating from the City of Montreal, the Canada Office plays a central role in four domains: partner engagement and resource mobilization; research-policy-action interface; advocacy and communication; and the advancement of sustainable urbanization agendas within the Canadian and North American context. The Canada Office places particular emphasis on knowledge and innovation with a view to accelerating housing solutions that are affordable, adequate, resilient, and compatible with national and global commitments. In this context, the Canada Office is currently implementing a strategic housing initiative commissioned by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) in February 2026 until May 2028. The project focuses on advancing affordable housing supply markets and systems in Canada through applied research, policy analysis, and expert engagement across the following five themes and related research questions which form short issue briefs for Canadian housing policy makers: The research is organized around five thematic areas addressing key dimensions of housing supply: municipal finance; market-based and hybrid models for affordable housing provision; Indigenous-led housing supply models; the role of investors and safeguards against unintended market consequences; and the integration of equity, inclusion, and climate resilience into housing supply strategies. Each thematic area is developed through a dedicated Issue Brief that draws on international experiences and identifies relevant lessons for Canadian housing policy. The project will culminate in a final report that consolidates and synthesizes the knowledge, evidence, and policy insights produced across the five Issue Briefs and other project activities. The project research supports the strengthening of housing supply pathways aligned with Canada’s housing priorities and international commitments, while also contributing Canadian expertise to global housing discourse. The initiative reinforces the Canada Office’s role as a bridge between domestic innovation and UN-Habitat’s global normative and operational work. In alignment with its housing and urban development priorities, the Canada Office also contributes to UN-Habitat’s global efforts to strengthen intergovernmental dialogue and cooperation on housing in close cooperation with UN-Habitat's Land, Housing and Shelter Section in Nairobi, Kenya. This includes supporting the work of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Expert Working Group on Adequate Housing for All (OWEG-H), which aims to advance a shared understanding and actionable recommendations for realizing the right to adequate housing within the framework of the New Urban Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. Through evidence-based research, policy engagement, and partnership-building, the Canada Office helps ensure that global innovations and lessons inform and enrich the OEWG-H’s deliberations and outputs. UN-Habitat Canada Office is seeking a motivated, highly skilled, and experienced professional to join the team. The position is initially offered as a six-month contract, with the possibility of extension based on a positive performance evaluation. Reporting line This on-site position is fulltime, and is based in Montreal, Canada. This mid-level position is under the overall guidance of the Head of Office of the UN-Habitat Canada Office and reports directly to the Programme Management Officer, Human Settlements. Applicants must be Canadian residents or citizens or have permission to work in Canada. Duties and Responsibilities The Housing Policy Analysis and Reporting Specialist will provide technical and analytical support to the implementation of the CMHC-commissioned project, with a particular focus on integrating research findings and preparing high-quality knowledge products. The consultant will contribute to the preparation, synthesis, and quality assurance of project outputs, ensuring consistency across thematic workstreams and their relevance to Canadian housing priorities and UN-Habitat’s global mandate. The consultant will also provide analytical and reporting inputs to support the broader housing policy work of the UN-Habitat Canada Office, including the development of knowledge products, policy analysis, and contributions to global housing initiatives and normative processes. Specifically, the consultant will: 1. Support the preparation and integration of project knowledge products, including Issue Briefs, case studies, technical notes, analytical papers, and the project’s final synthesis report, ensuring coherence, consistency, and effective communication of key findings and policy implications. 2. Review, synthesize, and consolidate research findings generated across the project’s thematic areas, identifying common findings, cross-cutting issues, policy lessons, and transferable international practices relevant to the Canadian housing context. 3. Provide technical and analytical inputs to Issue Briefs and other project outputs, including drafting and revising sections, strengthening analytical arguments, reviewing supporting evidence, and translating research findings into clear and actionable policy insights. 4. Support the preparation and integration of project knowledge products, particularly the project’s final report. 5. Analyze relevant Canadian and international housing policies, programmes, regulatory frameworks, and institutional arrangements, identifying emerging trends, policy innovations, implementation challenges, and lessons relevant to the work of the Canada Office. 6. Support the preparation and delivery of knowledge dissemination and policy dialogue activities, including CMHC roundtables, the Urban North webinar, expert meetings, workshops, and other dissemination events. This includes preparing analytical inputs, presentations, briefing materials, key messages, and discussion points; supporting the presentation and communication of research findings; and documenting and integrating relevant feedback and policy insights into subsequent project outputs. 7. Support identifying and synthesizing key analytical insights from Canadian housing policy and practice that can contribute to international knowledge exchange and inform UN-Habitat’s global research, normative, and operational work including the OEWG-H and global events such as WUF and the HLPF. 8. Perform other analytical, research, reporting, and knowledge-management tasks related to housing policy as required to support the effective implementation of the project and the broader mandate of the UN-Habitat Canada Office. 9. Support the identification of funding opportunities and potential partners, and contribute to the preparation of concept notes, project proposals, background documentation, and other resource mobilization materials and activities related to housing and urban development initiatives.

A Master’s degree in Economics, Geography, Urban Studies, Housing Policy, Public Policy, Urban Planning, International Development, or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. A minimum of 2 years of professional experience in housing and urban policy research, housing market analysis, public policy, urban development, or related fields, including experience preparing high-quality research and publications is required. Proven experience drafting, integrating, and reviewing knowledge products, including policy briefs, analytical reports, technical notes, case studies, research papers, and other policy-oriented publications, with strong analytical, report-writing, and editorial skills is required. Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex research findings and inputs from multiple sources and contributors into coherent analytical narratives, key findings, policy recommendations, and accessible messages for policymakers and practitioners is required. Experience analyzing housing policies, programmes, regulatory frameworks, and institutional arrangements in Canada, OECD countries, and/or other relevant international contexts is desirable. Experience supporting stakeholder engagement, expert consultations, and knowledge dissemination activities, including roundtables, webinars, workshops, or expert meetings, and translating the resulting discussions into analytical and policy inputs is desirable. Experience working with the United Nations Common System, other international organizations, government institutions, research organizations, or similar policy-oriented institutions is desirable.

English and French are the official working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position, fluency in spoken and written English is required. Proficiency and/or fluency in French is highly desirable, and knowledge of another official UN language is considered an additional asset.

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.