Capacity Development Specialist (multiple positions), DS-Kyiv, LICA-7, UN-HABITAT

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UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable and resilient towns and cities. It is the focal point agency for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system. UN-Habitat envisions well-planned, well-governed and efficient cities and towns, with adequate housing, infrastructure and universal access to employment and basic services such as water, energy, and sanitation. Responding to crisis and post-crisis context is part of UN-Habitat’s mandate and strategic plan. 
In Ukraine, UN-Habitat is supporting national and subnational governments in their recovery efforts, linking short term reconstruction needs to longer term resilience solutions. At local level, UN-Habitat provides support to recovery planning efforts of local governments, through its Urban Lab established in Kyiv. The programme also strives to increasing Ukrainian urban planning and design capacities, through support to academia, think tanks and practitioners among others. At national level, UN-Habitat provides support to the government of Ukraine, and more specifically to the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development, on the development of national policies and instruments that guide regional and local governments’ recovery.
UN-Habitat’s engagement towards a sustainable recovery of cities in Ukraine is underpinned by its efforts to strengthen the digital and data capacities of national, regional and local government entities to improve decision making and enable implementation of climate resilient recovery planning, through UNITAC, a collaboration between UN-Habitat, the Office for Information and Communication Technologies (OICT) and the HafenCity University (HCU).   
 

Rationale and context of the assignment

UN-Habitat is now planning to engage a Capacity Development Specialist to support the workstream on capacity building and training delivery and enhance partnerships with relevant stakeholders to boost the development of curricula/ upskilling courses/ learning resources in relation to urban issues and reconstruction. 

Duties and main responsibilities 

Within the delegated authority and under the direct supervision of the head of programme in Ukraine or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the Capacity Development Specialist will:
•     Analyze the current capacity gaps, challenges, and priorities, considering the political, economic, and social context of Ukraine. Identify priority areas for capacity building, 
•     Develop a capacity development strategy and action plan in collaboration with key stakeholders, including academia, training institutions/programme, NGOs and INGOs, aligned with national and local priorities.
•     Design and implement capacity development programs, including training, workshops, mentoring, and coaching, tailored to the needs of the target groups.
•     Facilitate knowledge sharing and exchange of best practices among stakeholders.
•     Establish and maintain partnerships with government agencies, international organizations, NGOs, and the private sector to leverage resources and expertise for capacity development initiatives.
•     Develop and implement a monitoring and evaluation framework to assess the effectiveness and impact of capacity development activities.
•     Regularly collect and analyze data to measure progress and make necessary adjustments to the capacity development strategy.
•     Prepare and submit regular reports on the progress and outcomes of capacity development initiatives.
•     Document lessons learned and best practices to inform future capacity development efforts.
•     Communicate the results and impacts of capacity development activities to stakeholders and the broader public.
•     Build and maintain a network of capacity development practitioners and experts for knowledge exchange and collaboration. 
•     Produce concepts in support of boosting the development of curricula/ upskilling courses/ learning resources in relation to urban issues and reconstruction and prepare funding proposals to secure financial resources for capacity development projects.
•     Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

Results Expected: 
The ultimate result of this assignment is to develop reports/ analysis/ concepts/ funding proposals to address capacity development needs and facilitate training delivery at the local level on UNITAC dedicated digital tools and solutions. 
Reporting requirements
The Capacity Development Specialist will work under the overall supervision of the Head of Ukraine Office. The Specialist will collaborate closely with UNITAC and other stakeholders. 
Outputs and Expected Deliverables
The incumbent is required to provide various project outputs as above and submit a monthly report that details the project activities and achievements, ensuring transparency and accountability throughout the assignment.
Working location and travel 
The specialist is expected to be based in Kyiv, Ukraine and to work from the UN-Habitat office in Kyiv, Ukraine, for the duration of the assignment. Travel to field locations required for site visits, technical missions and engagement with stakeholders and partners will be covered by UN-Habitat.
 

Competencies

Professional: Demonstrated experience in (in)formal education, capacity assessment and development, working with a wide range of stakeholders (municipalities, academia, civil society, etc.). Technological Awareness. Keeps abreast of available technology, understands applicability and limitations of technology to the work of the office, actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks, shows willingness to learn new technology. 
Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed; Excellent drafting ability and communications skills, both oral and written; proven ability to communicate complex concepts orally; Ability to prepare written reports that are clear, concise and meaningful. 
Team work: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. 
Client orientation:  Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients ” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; Identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client. 
Planning and Organizing: Ability to prioritize activities and assignments and to easily switch between different projects.

Required Skills and Experience

Education 
•     Advanced higher degree (Bachelor degree minimum) in development, social studies, urban planning, engineering, or area related to urban sustainability or development.
•     A first-level university degree or equivalent in combination with relevant training and/or professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree
Experience
•     At least 3 years of professional work experience at the national and/or international level in capacity development, partnership or other relevant programmes; 
•     Experience with project management, website development and digital tools is an asset, as is experience working in the UN or other international development organization;
Language
•     Fluency in written and spoken English and Ukrainian is required. 

Special Considerations:
The candidate should be familiar with, and committed to the goals of UN-Habitat, and have: 
•     Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills;
•     Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing;
•     Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; 
•     Ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels;
•     Familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development;
•     Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel;
•     Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment;
•     Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; 
•     Ability to work with tight deadlines;
•     Sound security awareness;
•     Have affinity with or interest in sustainable urban development, and the UN System;
•     The candidate should be able to work independently, have good facilitation skills as well as organizational skills.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates must submit an email quoting in the email subject the post title and the duty station to the UN-Habitat Ukraine Programme, email address: recruitmentunhabitatua@un.org 

with the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications: 

The CV shall include information on the past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references.

Deadline for applications: 12 June 2025

Please note that applications received after the closing date stated below, will not be given consideration. Only short-listed candidates whose applications respond to the above criteria will be contacted for an interview.