International Urban Design Lead Expert
Organizational Context
UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, promotes socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. It serves as the UN system's focal point for urbanization and human settlement matters. UN-Habitat in Azerbaijan provides technical advisory services for sustainable urban development, focusing on post-conflict recovery, SDG localization, and New Urban Agenda implementation, collaborating closely with national counterparts.
Job Purpose
This consultancy aims to provide strategic and technical leadership for the sustainable post-conflict recovery and urbanization of cities and towns in Azerbaijan. The role involves guiding the development of master plans, detailed design solutions, and design guidelines, ensuring they are context-sensitive, technically robust, and aligned with international and national urban development policies. A key objective is to translate strategic planning into implementable spatial proposals, foster inclusive and resilient urban development, and build capacity among local actors. The position contributes to the localization of SDGs and the New Urban Agenda, supporting the Government of Azerbaijan's ambitious reconstruction plans for conflict-affected regions and the resettlement of internally displaced persons.
Responsibilities
The International Urban Design Lead Expert will provide overall technical design leadership for the project, ensuring coherence and robustness in master plans, detailed design solutions, and design guidelines. Responsibilities include compiling and analyzing planning precedents, leading the preparation of settlement master plans in alignment with policies and standards, and advising on data analysis for context-specific strategies. The role involves leading the development and technical review of detailed design solutions for public functions, public realm, and housing, emphasizing feasibility, accessibility, and Build Back Better principles. Furthermore, the expert will lead participatory design processes and multi-stakeholder engagement, develop sustainable urban design guidelines for knowledge management and replication, and provide day-to-day technical guidance to international and local experts. Ensuring plans align with sustainable urban development principles, SDGs, and climate resilience is crucial, alongside quality assurance of project outputs and designing capacity-building activities.
Work Experience
A minimum of 7 years of relevant work experience in urban development, planning, and design is required. This includes proven experience in programme/project management, participatory urban design, stakeholder engagement, and leading urban design projects at various levels. Experience translating strategic objectives into spatial proposals and working with public sector institutions, particularly in crisis/post-crisis contexts, is essential. Proficiency with urban/spatial planning software and strong design communication skills are also required.
Skills
Urban Design, Urban Planning, Sustainable Urban Development, Project Management, Participatory Design, Stakeholder Engagement, Design Communication, Spatial Analysis, AutoCAD, Adobe Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop), SketchUp, Capacity Building, Knowledge Management, SDG Implementation, New Urban Agenda.