Senior Urban and Territorial Planner Consultant

About the role

UN-Habitat's Regional Programme Division (RPD) is recruiting a Senior Urban and Territorial Planner consultant to strengthen the delivery and reporting of the Water as Leverage Multilevel Climate Action (WaL MCA) Programme and related country initiatives, support resource mobilization, and provide cities and communities with Urban Lab knowledge and guidance materials on evidence-based urban and territorial planning. The consultant works remotely, reports to the head of the Urban Lab and collaborates daily with the wider team, regional and country offices and other divisions.

Key responsibilities

• Coordinate and substantively support the consolidation of the WaL MCA Programme and related country initiatives, including India and Kenya.
• Compile, analyse and document programme outputs, implementation experience and lessons learned, and prepare draft narrative reports linking country experience with programme-wide learning.
• Develop concept notes, funding proposals and supporting materials for resource mobilization, aligned with donor priorities and UN-Habitat strategy.
• Conduct desk reviews, synthesize evidence and carry out policy and programme analysis on urban and territorial planning, water, climate action and resilience, producing concise analytical products and recommendations.
• Provide technical advice on urban and territorial profiling, planning, design and strategic investment, including maps, diagrams and graphics where needed.
• Facilitate knowledge management and exchange through presentations, training materials, workshops and capacity-building activities.
• Contribute to portfolio and project development, reports, publications and institutional products of regional and country offices, the Urban Lab and UN-Habitat.
• Draft and organize Urban Lab guidance materials on evidence-based urban and territorial planning, and ensure all deliverables align with the UN-Habitat Strategic Plan 2026-2029, the 2030 Agenda and the New Urban Agenda.

Required profile

• Advanced university degree (master's or equivalent) in Architecture, Urban Development, Urban Planning and Design, or a first-level degree plus two years of qualifying experience.
• At least seven years of progressively responsible experience in urban and territorial planning, urban development, climate resilience, water-sensitive planning, programme development, research or related fields, including project/programme coordination.
• Experience preparing reports, analytical products, guidance materials or lessons-learned documentation.
• Experience contributing to concept notes, funding proposals or resource-mobilization materials.
• Experience organizing and facilitating workshops, training sessions or stakeholder meetings.
• Fluency in English; knowledge of another UN official language is desirable, and French, Portuguese or Spanish is an advantage.

Required skills

• Experience coordinating and managing multi-stakeholder projects involving local authorities, urban practitioners and international organizations (an asset).
• Familiarity with participatory processes and stakeholder engagement methodologies (an asset).
• Working knowledge of the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda (an asset).
• Working experience with international development agencies and the United Nations (an asset).