JOB DESCRIPTION

Result of Service

The Urban Planning Assistant aims to provide programme implementation to the UN-Habitat Azerbaijan Country Office.

Work Location

Baku

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the UN agency mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. In Azerbaijan, UN-Habitat supports the Government – particularly the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture (SCUPA) of the Republic of Azerbaijan – to advance inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable urbanization. This support aims to strengthen national capacities to localize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 11 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – especially SDG11 – and the New Urban Agenda (NUA). UN-Habitat’s Country Office, established in mid-2023, collaborates closely with SCUPA to support the development of normative and planning activities, including the development of National Urban Policy (NUP), the drafting of urban reconstruction and rehabilitation plans in conflict-affected areas, the implementation of an climate adaptation projects, and capacity-building through the exchange of innovative practices that foster sustainable communities in both rural and urban areas. UN-Habitat also co-leads in partnership with the Azerbaijan government the design, programming, and delivery of the thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) that will be held on 17-22 May 2026 in Baku. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Under the direct supervision of the Head of the UN-Habitat Azerbaijan Country Programme and in close collaboration with SCUPA’s team of planning experts, the Urban Policy Programme Assistant will perform the following key functions: 1. Programme Coordination and Implementation

• Support the operational management of project activities in line with approved work plans and budgets.
• Liaise with government partners, municipalities, academia, and civil society to facilitate project implementation and consultations.
• Assist in preparing work plans and progress reports as per UN-Habitat’s standards.
• Monitor timelines, deliverables, and follow-up actions to ensure smooth implementation, with a particular attention to key milestones, such as WUF13.
• Maintain organized documentation, record of meetings, correspondence, and files. 2. Research and Policy Support
• Conduct background research, data collection, and thematic analysis related to urban policy, with a focus on subject matters such as city planning, housing, environment, climate change, open spaces, health, mobility, rural-urban linkages and accessibility.
• Prepare analytical summaries, briefing notes, and inputs to national reports and concept papers.
• Contribute to the drafting and editing of knowledge products (e.g., thematic briefs, case studies, policy notes). 3. Stakeholder Engagement and Event Management
• Assist in identifying and mapping key stakeholders, ensuring inclusive participation of government, academia, youth, private sector, and NGOs.
• Support the organization of national and local consultations, seminars, technical workshops, and training sessions, including the drafting of concept notes, agendas, logistics notes, invitations, coordination of participants, presentations, support documentation, pre and post surveys, and post-event reports.
• Undertake, coordinate and facilitate day-to-day operations of the project at the local level, ensuring the timeline of project activities adheres to the work plans..
• Liaise with vendors, service providers, and participants to ensure effective delivery of events and follow up on payments. 4. Communications and Visibility
• Contribute to the development of the project’s Communication and Visibility Plan, including the drafting of social media content, press releases, and newsletters, to support policy advocacy initiatives on identified urban policy issues.
• Assist in maintaining the visibility of the National Urban Policy processes across UN-Habitat channels and national partners by supporting advocacy campaigns on identified urban policy issues, with a particular consideration of local audiences.
• Act as UN-Habitat focal point on national programmatic aspects, regularly update the project leaders and team on relevant issues that might affect project implementation and provide partners with information regarding the progress of the project.
• Provide photography, short video, and event documentation support when required. 5. Monitoring and Reporting
• Support results-based monitoring by maintaining activity trackers, indicators, and progress data.
• Assist in preparing quarterly and annual implementation reports.
• Support the evaluation of project outputs and lessons learned for knowledge sharing. 6. Other
• Perform other tasks relevant to the initiative, as assigned by the supervisor.

Qualifications/special skills

Bachelor’s degree in development studies, political science, social science, urban management, architecture and planning, social communications, or related fields would be considered an asset. An advanced university degree would be considered an advantage. Minimum two (2) years of relevant and progressive work and research experience in development, urban, environmental, climate change and socio-economic domains capacity development, coordination, and communications are required. Experience in facilitating and conducting consultations and events is an asset. Experience in providing coordination support for project activities with multi-stakeholders, particularly with development partners, national and local government entities, communities, women and youth, is desirable. Experience working with international organisations, particularly UN agencies, international institutions and think tanks, would be considered an advantage. General knowledge and understanding of sustainable development, the United Nations” Sustainable Development Goals, and progress is a plus. Excellent communication skills, including formal writing and public speaking are required. Interpersonal proactive management, ability to work independently, and good personal organization are required. A high level of computer literacy in the Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams), as well as online Google tools (Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Forms), is required. Familiarity with social media platforms (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X/Twitter, etc.) are required. Content production is desirable.

Languages

Fluency in both oral and written English and Azerbaijani is required. Fluency in Russian would be an advantage.

Additional Information

Not available.

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.