United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is Seeking a Programme Management Officer, Human Settlements, P4

Duty Station: Nairobi | Job Opening ID: 266823

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), mandated by the UN General Assembly, promotes socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. As the UN system’s focal point for urbanisation and human settlements, the organisation works globally with partners to advance inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities. The Programme Management Officer, Human Settlements, plays a pivotal role in developing normative housing policy work, particularly in pro-poor housing delivery, slum prevention and upgrading. The position is situated within the Land, Housing and Shelter Section and the Urban Practices Branch.

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Key Responsibilities

The Programme Management Officer leads a diverse portfolio of normative, advisory, operational and administrative responsibilities that advance UN-Habitat’s Strategic Plan and strengthen global progress on equitable urban development.

1. Normative Work on Housing Policy and Slum Upgrading

The incumbent develops and implements UN-Habitat’s normative activities focused on enabling housing policies and pro-poor housing strategies through:

• Designing and coordinating research and monitoring initiatives that support slum upgrading and prevention.
• Tracking global progress and identifying innovative policy tools aligned with UN-Habitat’s Strategic Plan.
• Reviewing global developments in shelter and informal settlement upgrading to inform pro-poor policy formulation.
• Producing key knowledge products, including:
  • Policy and implementation guidelines
  • Toolkits, standards and strategy papers
  • Inputs to the World Cities Report and UN-Habitat policy statements
• Updating project and programme documentation and contributing to databases, websites, tools, and promotional materials.
• Supporting global campaigns and programmes on housing, land and sustainable urban development.

2. Advisory Services and Technical Networking

The officer provides technical advice to governments, UN-Habitat regional offices, NGOs and partners on slum upgrading and pro-poor housing through:

• Organising expert group meetings, regional policy consultations, and capacity-building workshops.
• Coordinating background materials, logistics and expert participation.
• Presenting UN-Habitat positions at national and international meetings.
• Conducting technical advisory missions and strengthening institutional and policy development.
• Supporting project monitoring, evaluation and implementation.
• Facilitating cooperation agreements, MoUs and grant agreements, ensuring accountability for allocated funds.
• Coordinating special initiatives on emergency shelters, disaster response and relief housing.
• Building stakeholder networks that promote knowledge exchange in housing and urban development.

3. Contribution to UN-Habitat and UN Inter-Agency Activities

The officer supports cross-agency initiatives by:

• Conducting research to develop thematic publications.
• Leading awareness campaigns, capacity-building activities and global advocacy on housing rights.
• Strengthening housing rights databases and monitoring systems.
• Supporting advisory mechanisms and field projects related to tenure security.
• Coordinating regional consultations and expert workshops focused on housing rights and secure tenure.

4. Programme and Project Management

The officer manages and evaluates assigned programmes by:

• Monitoring project implementation and reviewing key documents.
• Identifying risks and initiating corrective action when required.
• Liaising with partners, donors and stakeholders to ensure progress and follow-up.
• Conducting data analysis to provide insights that support decision-making, planning and reporting.

5. Support to Governing Bodies and Global Forums

The officer contributes to UN-Habitat governance processes and the World Urban Forum by:

• Preparing technical documents on slum upgrading and pro-poor housing delivery.
• Responding to requests from Member States, partners and the Committee of Permanent Representatives.
• Supplying analytical data and evidence for policy deliberations.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Strong knowledge of urban development, slum upgrading and housing policies; skilled in data interpretation and reporting; committed to high-quality results, gender-sensitive work and organisational values.
• Planning and Organising: Ability to set priorities, allocate resources effectively and foresee challenges.
• Vision: Ability to identify strategic issues and communicate organisational direction clearly.
• Communication: Excellent oral and written communication skills, with strong listening, clarity and information-sharing abilities.

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in architecture, engineering, urban or regional planning, with a focus on shelter development and slum upgrading in developing countries.
• A first-level university degree plus two additional years of experience may be accepted.
• Additional training in data analytics or data science is desirable.

Languages

• English is required.
• No additional languages specified.

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