Urban Finance Consultant
Organizational Context
UN-Habitat, based in Nairobi, is the UN agency for human settlements, mandated to promote sustainable towns and cities. It leads UN efforts in coordinating human settlement development and collaborates with local governments. UN-Habitat is a key player in localizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and co-chairs the Local2030 Coalition, supporting cities globally in achieving SDG progress through data, finance, and capacity building.
Job Purpose
This consultancy aims to support the City of Moscow in developing its first Voluntary Local Review (VLR) as part of UN-Habitat's SDG Cities Flagship Programme. The role involves contributing technical expertise to the financial dimension of the VLR, ensuring alignment with UN-Habitat methodologies and the SDG Cities Assessment framework. The consultant will analyze municipal financial data, assess financing gaps for SDG implementation, and prepare high-quality financial inputs for the VLR and related discussion papers. This work supports Moscow's progress towards the 2030 Agenda by providing evidence-based recommendations for urban planning and financing decisions, and enhancing local capacity for SDG localization.
Responsibilities
Conduct a thorough review of Moscow’s public finance registry to compile and classify capital infrastructure investments from the last three financial years. Coordinate with municipal departments to geo-reference major capital assets, creating a spatial matrix for thematic mapping. Analyze expenditure patterns to identify priority spatial areas, infrastructure delivery mechanisms (including PPPs and green financing), and financing gaps relative to SDG targets. Prepare high-quality technical inputs, including graphs, tables, and narrative text, for the financial sections of the VLR and SDG Discussion Papers. Refine all data layers based on feedback from UN-Habitat review teams and government counterparts, ensuring the accuracy and relevance of the financial analysis.
Work Experience
A minimum of five years of relevant work experience in public finance, public policy, or urban governance research is required. Experience in municipal finance, synthesizing complex financial datasets, and working with international development agencies like the UN is also required. Experience in the Russian Federation/Moscow, SDG-related work, or VLR/VNR development is desirable.
Skills
Strong analytical skills, ability to synthesize complex municipal financial datasets, proficiency in public finance and policy analysis, experience with SDG localization and urban sustainability reporting, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, planning and organization, professionalism, and teamwork.