Urban Development Specialist (INTERNAL CANDIDATES ONLY)

Cities Alliance is seeking a highly motivated and dynamic Urban Development Specialist to support its operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and Asia. Under the guidance and supervision of the Head of Global Programmes, the incumbent is responsible for the management of the Innovation Programme, located in the global window, and which includes among other, projects aimed at capacity strengthening of society and grassroots organisations working in informal settlements. She/He leads the conceptualization, implementation and day-to-day operations of the various projects under the Innovation Programme which rely significantly on grant-making. The urban specialist will also provide substantive inputs and advice, project management services and cross-support to other Cities Alliance programmes and projects within its global window, particularly on informality in cities, adaptation to climate change, and gender equality in accordance to the priorities of the Strategic Plan 2022-25. S/he will be required to represent Cities Alliance internationally, contribute to effective and efficient teamwork, delivering results on time, within budget and to the highest quality standards.

• Leads the Innovation Programme and its various projects focused on providing grants for innovators and community organizations in cities. Under the guidance and supervision of the Head of Global Programmes, s/he will be responsible for all technical and institutional aspects such as proposal appraisal, partnership, analysis and research, business development, communication as well as operational aspects such as call for proposals, award, monitoring and management of grantees;

• Ensures regular reporting to the Board and donors, as well as overall compliance with UNOPS policies and rules and the Cities Alliance Standard Operating Procedures, Manuals and Guidelines;

• Promotes the Programme and initiatives under her/his responsibilities internally and externally, and reinforce its positioning as key instruments of Cities Alliance as well as advice the management team on how to further develop, re-think and expand the Programme;

• Provides a knowledge management and learning plan for the programme, drawing key substantive and process lessons from the projects under her/his responsibility and, where appropriate, wider dissemination. This includes, using the results and learnings to refine programmatic design and improve efficiency, generating knowledge products to be shared externally and facilitating links and collaboration with other internal and external teams;

• Provides technical and managerial support for Cities Alliance advocacy and programmatic work on informality and other key themes of the Strategic Plan and co-leads initiatives on Climate Adaptation in informal settlements, with a focus on People-Public Partnerships;

• Conducts research and analysis in sustainable urban development and poverty reduction to support advocacy and business development efforts;

• Contributes to current and future growth plans for the Cities Alliance, ensuring alignment with the Strategic Plan 2022-2025;

• Supervises the work of consultants and technical specialists.

• Master’s degree in urban studies, development studies, social and political science or related fields is required. 

• A Bachelor's degree in any of the above disciplines, combined with additional 2 years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of a Masters degree

• Minimum of 5 (five) years of working experience in the design, implementation/monitoring of urban development projects or programmes is required;

• Experience working in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and/or Asia is required
  

• Proven experience working in urban informal settlement contexts, strengthening civil society/grassroot movements and fostering dialogue with local and national authorities is an asset

• Proven experience in drafting project and programme proposals and acquiring funding is an asset

• Demonstrated partnership skills, specifically with multilateral and bilateral development partners is  an asset;

• Experience with UNOPS grant making modalities and procedures is a strong asset;

• Detailed knowledge of UNOPS’ project management tools, UNOPS financial and procurement rules and regulations, and financial management tools is an advantage.

• Excellent analytical and communication skills is desirable.

• Fluency in English is required. 

• Working knowledge of French and/or Spanish is required

1. Contract type :International Individual Contractor Agreement (IICA)
2. Contract level : ICS 10 / IICA 2
3. Contract duration :  Ongoing ICA – ‘Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

UNOPS – an operational arm of the United Nations – supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by successfully implementing its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development.
UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management, and human resources.


Working with us
We are proud of our people. With a wealth of knowledge and skills in various disciplines – engineering, finance, human resources, ICT, leadership, project management, procurement, and more – they help tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time. Their work around the world supports progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).


At UNOPS, we offer a range of short- and long-term opportunities in various environments and duty stations – from Denmark and Kenya to Mexico, Switzerland, Myanmar, Senegal, Uganda, and many more.


Diversity
With over 5,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,400 personnel recruited on behalf of our partners, spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced and diverse labor force — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs. We continually strive to maintain our gender-balanced workplace. We encourage qualified underrepresented groups as per UNOPS Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy to apply for our vacancies.



Work life harmonization
UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time.
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and it is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, or disability.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.