National Professional Officer

Job Posting Organization:
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is an organization established by the UN General Assembly with a mission to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. It serves as the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system. UN-Habitat collaborates with various partners to build inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and communities, aiming to reduce inequality, discrimination, and poverty. Since 2015, the UN-Habitat Syria Programme has been actively working with Syrian cities and communities to enhance urban resilience and facilitate the recovery of cities in Syria. The organization operates in multiple locations across Syria, including Damascus, Homs, Aleppo, and Deir Azzor, and focuses on collecting urban data, conducting analyses, and supporting local authorities in their recovery efforts.

Job Overview:
The National Professional Officer position is located within the UN-Habitat Syria Programme at the Damascus duty station. The incumbent will report to the Deputy Head of the Syria Country Programme and will be responsible for a range of duties aimed at enhancing urban recovery and resilience in Syria. The role involves engaging with various stakeholders, including government ministries, local authorities, civil society, and NGOs, to foster collaboration and joint initiatives. The officer will also supervise a unit focused on restoring basic services and housing, ensuring effective project management and delivery. Additionally, the position requires contributing to policy and strategy development in alignment with organizational priorities and local needs, as well as collecting and analyzing data to inform decision-making and reporting. The incumbent will be expected to perform other related duties as assigned, demonstrating professionalism, planning, and accountability in their work.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Engagement, Coordination, and Networking with Stakeholders: Establish and maintain strong working relationships with government ministries, agencies, and local authorities. Coordinate and collaborate with local community, civil society, NGOs, academia, private sector actors, and other relevant partners. Support and facilitate effective engagement and joint initiatives with government, UN agencies, and other local and international partners.
• Supervision of the Unit: Manage and supervise the work of the Unit responsible for restoration of basic services and housing, including oversight of administrative, personnel, procurement, and financial matters to ensure timely, high-quality, and effective delivery of project activities. Support regular follow-up on project progress, delays, and challenges, ensuring issues are identified early and addressed in coordination with management, ROAS, and donors/stakeholders. Together with the Programme Management Unit, ensure the improvement, harmonization, and implementation of project management and progress monitoring systems across all projects.
• Contribution to Policy and Strategy Development: Support the development of UN-Habitat’s overall policies, strategies, and programmes in alignment with organizational priorities and country-level needs, particularly through liaison with government partners.
• Data-related responsibilities: Collect and analyze data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables, and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation, and reporting. Ensure that requirements and background information used for data analysis are documented.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a strong understanding of theories, concepts, and approaches relevant to programme management in urban development. They should have the ability to identify issues, analyze problems, and participate in their resolution. Proficiency in data collection using various methods is essential, along with conceptual analytical and evaluative skills to conduct independent research and analysis. Candidates should demonstrate the ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments, plan their work effectively, and manage conflicting priorities. A commitment to gender perspectives and ensuring equal participation of women and men in all areas of work is also required.

Educational Background:
An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in social science, engineering, architecture, urban planning, management, or any other field relevant to UN-Habitat programmes is required. Alternatively, a first-level university degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. Successful completion of degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics, or data science is desirable.

Experience:
A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in urban analysis, project/programme management, and coordination with authorities and local communities for recovery planning is required. Candidates should have experience working in a multicultural environment and establishing partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders. Experience in housing finance, urban planning, and urban policy development is essential, along with strategic planning and overseeing the implementation of plans. Experience in project/programme management and monitoring at the managerial level is also required. Desirable qualifications include experience managing and supervising large and diverse teams of staff and contractors, as well as two or more years of experience in data analytics or related areas.

Languages:
English and Arabic are required for this position. English is the working language of the United Nations Secretariat, and candidates must demonstrate proficiency at UN Level III in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Arabic is also required at the same proficiency level.

Additional Notes:
This position is for an initial period of one year and may be subject to extension based on satisfactory performance and availability of funds. It is open to nationals of Syria only, and candidates must be of the nationality of the country where the position is located. If no suitable local candidate is identified, Syrian nationals residing elsewhere may be considered, but they will be responsible for any costs related to traveling and relocating to Syria if offered employment. The United Nations is committed to achieving gender balance in its staff and encourages female candidates to apply. All applicants are urged to apply online as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline.