UN-HABITAT Intern – Urban Planning & Design Jobs in Kenya
Org. Setting and Reporting
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. The position is located within the Planning, Finance & Economy Section, Urban Practices Branch, UN-HABITAT, Nairobi, Kenya.
The Urban Practices Branch (UPB) is the tools and methodology production centre of the UN-Habitat that develops normative guidance and cutting-edge tools through communities of urban practices and is the operational level responsible to undertake technical cooperation projects, such as the construction of water and sanitation facilities, shelter, and other work.
The Planning, Finance & Economy Section (PFES) is responsible to support urban and territorial planning at all scales including through the development of planning policy, norms and guidelines, urban design and public space design, urban finance (municipal finance and urban development/projects finance), and local economic development.
Within the PFES, the Humanitarian and Development workstream aims to utilize Urban and Spatial Planning as a tool by which to bridge the gap between humanitarian and development activities.
UN-Habitat headquarters, regional and country offices, and several partners deploy a wide range of planning projects and tools in different countries to bring together diverse solutions to address the commitments within the Global Compact on Refugees, Global Compact for Migration, Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, which include exploring “Alternatives to Camps”, supporting the paradigm shift towards the integration of refugee and host communities in combined programming, and development of sustainable and long-term solutions as part of multi-actor and comprehensive responses to “Leave No One Behind”, ensuring the most vulnerable populations are promoted and protected.
Responsibilities
Daily responsibilities will depend on the individual’s background, the intern’s assigned office as well as the internship period.
Under the direct supervision of the Programme Managers of the Planning for Humanitarian-Development Practices Umbrella Programme of the Planning, Finance & Economy Section, the intern will contribute to the team in the following ways;
Specific Duties:
Support the data collection for the baseline assessment reports.
Support the spatial analysis and mapping for the development of plans, maps and strategies.
Participate in spatial planning discussions on the transformation of refugee settlements into integrated settlements, on Urban Migration responses.
Assist in the drafting of content for reports, and preparation of presentation materials.
Perform any other duties as assigned by the supervisor.
Task Opportunities:
Familiarizing oneself with urban planning and development, data collection and analyses, territorial planning, humanitarian-development-peace nexus, refugees and displacement response, climate migration.
Competencies
Professionalism: Knowledge and understanding of urban design theories, concepts, and approaches. Creativity and ability to conduct a strong analysis of urban form and urban systems. Understanding of urban design contexts and challenges. Ability to develop high-quality graphic materials and reports as well as supporting graphics (report visuals, graphs, charts, etc.).
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. Tailors’ language, tone, style, and format to match the audience. Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals. Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; 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.
Education
Applicants must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:
Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher).
Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree program (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent).
Have graduated with Bachelor’s degree, Masters, PhD or equivalent.
Be computer literate in standard software applications (Microsoft Office, Excel and PowerPoint).
Have demonstrated a keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter.
Have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which includes a willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.
Preferred areas of studies:
Urban Planning, Urban Design, Architecture, or related field that is relevant for sustainable urban development and urban planning and design.
Work Experience
No working experience is required to apply for the United Nations Internship Programme. Your training, education, advance course work or skills should benefit the United Nations during your internship.
Strong mapping and graphic representation skills are required.
Working proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; Adobe Creative Cloud applications such as Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop; AutoCAD, GIS software such as ArcGIS, QGIS, etc. is desirable.
Previous experience in urban planning and design or GIS, with direct proven experience in drawing, cartography and preparing graphical material using computer assisted design tools is desirable.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship position, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language is desirable.
How to Apply
For more information and job application details, see; UN-HABITAT Intern – Urban Planning & Design Jobs in Kenya
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