Department/Office: United Nations Human Settlements Programme
Duty Stations: Juba, South Sudan
Expected Duration: 6 months with the possibility of extension based upon performance and funds availability
Background
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the United Nations agency mandated by the General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities, with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. In October 2016, at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III), Member States adopted the New Urban Agenda, an action-oriented framework that sets global standards for sustainable urban development and guides how cities are planned, managed, and lived in. Through partnerships with governments and other stakeholders, UN-Habitat advances sustainable urbanization, inclusive governance, climate resilience, and access to adequate housing, land, and basic services.
UN-Habitat, in partnership with UNHCR, is implementing the EU Operational Support to the IGAD Platform, a regional programme covering Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, and the IGAD region. The programme aims to strengthen the capacity of governments, institutions, and communities to address the challenges associated with forced displacement, return movements, and rapid urbanization, while promoting sustainable development and resilience.
South Sudan continues to face complex humanitarian and development challenges driven by protracted displacement, climate-related shocks, rapid urban growth, and limited institutional capacities. In response, the programme supports integrated approaches that strengthen governance systems, advance housing, land and property (HLP) rights, empower local communities, and improve access to climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable services. Within South Sudan, the programme places particular emphasis on supporting displacement-affected communities and host populations in Aweil, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.
Through a long term urban and humanitarian-development nexus approach, the programme seeks to enhance institutional and community capacities to manage displacement and return dynamics while fostering inclusive, climate-resilient, and sustainable urban development. Interventions focus on improving local planning processes, strengthening land governance, promoting durable solutions, and supporting sustainable service delivery that contribute to social cohesion, resilience, and long-term development outcomes.
To support the effective implementation of the South Sudan component of the EU Operational Support to the IGAD Platform, UN-Habitat seeks to engage an International Project Manager based in Juba, South Sudan. He / She will provide overall project management, coordination, and technical leadership for the UN-Habitat South Sudan component of the EU Operational Support to the IGAD Platform.
The incumbent must possess strong expertise in urban and regional planning, sustainable urban development, and the humanitarian-urban development-peace nexus, with demonstrated experience managing projects and teams in displacement-affected and rapidly urbanizing contexts.
The assignment will contribute to UN-Habitat's mandate of promoting sustainable urban development and durable solutions for displacement-affected communities through effective project planning, implementation, monitoring, reporting, stakeholder engagement, and partnership coordination, ensuring timely delivery of project results in accordance with UN-Habitat and donor requirements.
Responsibilities
This position is based in Juba, South Sudan, within the Regional Office for Africa and the Sub-Regional Unit for Horn and Eastern Africa. Under the direct supervision of the International Project Coordinator based in Nairobi, Kenya HQ the International Project Manager (Individual Contractor) will be responsible for the following:
Strategic Leadership and Partnerships
Support the implementation of the South Sudan component of the European Union (EU) Operational Support to the IGAD Platform, ensuring alignment and coordination with the regional, Sudan, and Ethiopia components to achieve timely delivery of overall programme objectives.
Represent UN-Habitat in programme and partnership coordination meetings in close collaboration with the International Project Coordinator.
Coordinate and supervise the UN-Habitat project team in South Sudan, Juba and Aweil, and possible other Citiesensuring effective project implementation through strategic and technical planning, regular workplan review, quality assurance, and timely follow-up on project activities, milestones and budget compliance.
Report regularly to UN-Habitat Headquarters and the International Project Coordinator on project progress, key activities, challenges, lessons learned, and emerging opportunities to enhance the achievement of project outcomes and outputs.
Liaise and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders, participating to the Area Based coordination meetings held in Juba including representatives of the European Union Delegation, IGAD, UNHCR, IOM, government counterparts, and other partners, to strengthen coordination, donor engagement, and collaboration in support of project goals.
Monitor project performance and provide technical guidance to ensure compliance with donor requirements, UN-Habitat standards, and programme objectives.
Coordinate with government counterparts, UN agencies, implementing partners, consultants, and other stakeholders to support effective project implementation and partnership engagement.
Portfolio Development and Resource Mobilization
Promote and advocate for UN-Habitat’s mandate, programmes, and strategic priorities in South Sudan, representing the organization in inter-agency coordination forums, technical working groups, and partner platforms.
Establish and maintain relationships with national and state government counterparts, fostering policy dialogue, institutional collaboration to support programme implementation and sustainable development objectives.
Support UN-Habitat’s portfolio in South Sudan by identifying funding opportunities, donor mapping and research, monitoring calls for proposals, and contributing to resource mobilization efforts in line with organizational priorities and strategic country programme objectives.
Draft high-quality concept notes, project proposals, and programme documents, incorporating technical evidence, stakeholder inputs, and contextual analysis to strengthen programme design and enhance fundraising opportunities.
Technical and Field work Validation
Translate, validate, and analyse technical findings, transforming data and stakeholder feedback into actionable recommendations, technical inputs, and programme documentation to inform evidence-based planning, decision-making, and project implementation.
Facilitate stakeholder consultations, technical workshops, capacity-building trainings, coordination meetings, and field missions, including the preparation of agendas, briefing materials, presentations, meeting minutes, and mission reports to support effective engagement and knowledge sharing.
Support the development, review, and finalization of evidence-based reports, technical guidelines, normative products, and knowledge resources, ensuring quality assurance and alignment with UN-Habitat methodologies, standards, and programme objectives.
Provide substantive technical support to project monitoring, evaluations, surveys, assessments, documentation of lessons learned, identification of best practices, and dissemination of knowledge products to strengthen programme effectiveness and impact.
Perform other related duties as required.
Ultimate results of service:
The International Project Manager will lead and oversee urban development initiatives that integrate humanitarian response, resilience-building, and durable solutions approaches. The incumbent will be responsible for coordinating multidisciplinary technical teams involved in urban planning, urban design, spatial analysis, land management, and infrastructure development, ensuring that project interventions are technically sound, contextually appropriate, and aligned with national and local development priorities.
The International Project Manager must be capable of clearly articulating and communicating project strategies, technical approaches, progress, achievements, challenges, and impacts to a wide range of stakeholders, including government counterparts, donors, development partners, local authorities, and communities. The incumbent will provide technical guidance and quality assurance to project activities and ensure that urban planning and development components contribute effectively to humanitarian response objectives and long-term sustainable urban development outcomes.
The South Sudan component of the EU Operational Support to the IGAD Platform is effectively coordinated and implemented, with project activities delivered on time and within budget, partnerships effectively managed, and quality monitoring and reporting systems in place, contributing to the achievement of project objectives and expected results in accordance with donor and UN-Habitat requirements.
Qualification Requirements/Evaluation Criteria
Education:
Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in urban and regional planning, geography, engineering or architecture at the territorial scale or physical sciences relevant to development and management of human settlements or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Language:
Fluency in oral and written English is required.
Knowledge of local Arabic or/and South Sudanese languages is an asset.
JFQ/JSQ:
At least five (5) years of relevant professional experience in project management or support to project management within humanitarian, urban development, recovery, resilience, or displacement-related programmes is required.
Experience working with government counterparts, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, implementing partners, and community representatives is required.
Experience related to durable solutions, protection, housing, land and property rights, local governance, climate resilience, or community-based programming is desirable.
Experience working in South Sudan and/or a similar humanitarian and displacement-affected context is required.