Work Location
In-person, Nairobi, Kenya
Expected duration
6 months
Duties and Responsibilities
Org. Setting and Reporting The Planning, Finance & Economy Section is responsible for coordinating the Agency’s substantive, normative and operational work on various dimensions of planning, finance and economy. The Planning, Finance & Economy Section aims to develop, document, pilot/test and disseminate planning policies, norms, standards, tools, methodologies, regulatory frameworks, operating procedures and practices at global, regional, national and sub-national levels in support of (a) urban and territorial planning at all scales including urban design and public space; (b) urban finance (municipal finance and urban development/projects finance); and (c) local economic development. UN-Habitat – Urban Planning and Design Lab The Urban Planning and Design Lab (Urban Lab) is an initiative from UN-Habitat to promptly respond to the requests of national and local governments to support sustainable urban development. The Urban Lab is the integrative facility of the Agency where innovative processes and partnerships are translated into tangible and transformative solutions to complex urban challenges. The Lab brings together a multidisciplinary team of urban planners, and environmental, data-science, mobility, legal and financial experts, providing a holistic and proactive approach to sustainable urbanisation. In this context, the Urban Lab applies an integrated approach to systemic and strategic planning to deliver transformative change for sustainable urbanisation and to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda. The Urban Lab falls under the Planning, Finance and Economy Section, which is part of the Urban Practices Branch and Global Solutions Division. The intern will report to the Project Leader, Planning Finance and Economy Section. Responsibilities The intern will work under the direct supervision of the Chief of the Planning, Finance and Economy Section and will undertake the following duties: Specific Duties: • Support the development of urban planning and design-related initiatives and projects in the Urban Lab. • Support the Planning, Finance and Economy Section and the Urban Lab in mainstreaming sustainable planning and design principles in the urban plans at various scales, by developing urban design solutions alongside the workshops, trainings, and seminars, to steer urban planning and design toward climate adaptation and social inclusion goals. • Assist in developing methodologies and guidelines on promoting compact, connected, inclusive, vibrant and resilient built environments through UN-Habitat’s tools and methodologies, including but not limited to “My Neighbourhood”. • Assist in developing thematically or geographically tailored and contextualised Urban Design Guidelines based on the My Neighbourhood framework. • Assist in developing training material and capacity reinforcement activities for urban design principles under the “My Neighbourhood” framework. • Assist in the SDG’s localisation in urban planning and design frameworks, guidelines, policies, and tools through the identification and review of relevant innovative global publications and documents. • Assist in producing strong information and advocacy materials to support Urban Lab initiatives and projects. • Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor.
Qualifications/special skills
Applicants must at the time of application, meet one of the following requirements: a. Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher), b. Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree program (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent), c. Have graduated with Bachelor’s degree, Masters, PhD or equivalent. Be computer literate in standard software applications (Microsoft Office Suite). 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 study: 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) in Urban Planning, Urban Design, Architecture, Geography or related fields. • Have graduated with a university degree and, if selected, must commence the internship within a one-year period of graduation. • Have demonstrated a keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter. • Previous experience in developing contexts will be considered an asset. • 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. Specific requirements: • Strong graphic representation skills and good hand drawing/sketching are desirable. • Previous experience in urban planning and design, with direct proven experience in drawing, mapping and preparing graphical material using computer-assisted design tools, such as Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop), AutoCAD, and ArcGIS/QGIS etc are required. • Good and effective report writing and editing skills and proficiency in English are required. Knowledge of an additional UN language will be considered an asset. • Familiarity with digital communication strategies, and knowledge of social media platforms will be highly valued. • The candidate has a portfolio of maps and designs of which he/she is the author (please add a link in the Cover Letter). Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience. However, a field of study that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for is required. Applicants must be a student in the final year of the first university degree (bachelor or equivalent), Master’s or Ph.D. Programme or equivalent, or have completed a Bachelor’s, Master’s or Ph.D. Programme. Do you meet any of the above criteria? If yes, please indicate which one and attach proof to the application. Please note that you will have to provide an official certificate at a later stage. Previous experience in urban planning and design, with direct proven experience in drawing, mapping and preparing graphical material is required. Please explain how you could meet this desired criterion using examples. Good and effective report writing and editing skills are required. Please explain how you could meet this desired criterion using examples.
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 UN language is desirable.
Additional Information
Not available.
Intern Specific text
Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken, may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization. Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer.
No Fee
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.