Urban Planner
Organizational Context
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the UN agency for human settlements, promoting sustainable urban development globally. This role is within the UN-Habitat Ethiopia Country Programme, focusing on Amhara Region, and supports an EU-funded regional program aimed at strengthening institutional capacities for durable solutions, improved settlement management, land governance, and climate-resilient urban development.
Job Purpose
This Urban Planner Consultant role supports UN-Habitat's initiatives in Amhara Region, Ethiopia, by enhancing access to practical training, settlement assessments, and spatial evidence for inclusive, climate-resilient, and displacement-responsive planning. The purpose is to contribute to better-informed settlement development and investment decisions, integrating durable solutions, land governance, and tenure security. The consultant will work under the supervision of the Programme Manager, collaborating with the UN-Habitat Ethiopia team to achieve these objectives over a 12-month period, focusing on capacity development, settlement planning, climate-smart approaches, and land governance.
Responsibilities
Key responsibilities include supporting training needs assessments and institutional mapping for authorities, contributing to training curricula development, and facilitating leadership training sessions. The role involves undertaking settlement assessments and urban diagnostics to identify development challenges and community needs, preparing recommendations for settlement upgrading, and supporting the integration of durable solutions and displacement-responsive planning. Additionally, the consultant will support climate-smart planning through data analysis, suitability and hazard mapping, and preparing climate-resilient recommendations. Responsibilities also extend to contributing to housing, land, and property assessments, supporting tenure security tools, and providing technical support during consultations. Finally, the role requires liaising with stakeholders, preparing technical reports, and documenting lessons learned.
Work Experience
A minimum of seven years of relevant professional experience in urban planning, settlement development, or a related field is required. Experience using GIS and spatial planning tools for settlement assessments and analysis is essential. Experience in displacement, refugee response, recovery, or durable solutions programs, as well as in capacity development (including training material preparation and delivery), is desirable.
Skills
Urban planning, settlement development, spatial analysis, GIS and spatial planning tools, capacity development, training material preparation, training delivery, displacement-responsive planning, durable solutions, land governance, tenure security, stakeholder engagement, reporting, knowledge management.