Programme Assistant - Technical Support, Smart Cities Integration - NUP

Org. Setting and Reporting

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the United Nations programme working towards a better urban future. Its mission is to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all. This post is in the Egypt country programme, Cairo duty station. Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Egypt Country Programme Manager 

BACKGROUND

UN Habitat in Egypt

Established in 2005, UN-Habitat Egypt continues to grow rapidly to address the ever-growing needs of Egypt’s urban cities. Urbanization is a key driver of development and cities are seen to be on the frontline of many of the global challenges the world is currently facing. As the world rapidly urbanizes, cities are facing challenges in meeting the needs of growing populations. In order to capture the potential of these populations, sustainable living communities are necessary. SDG 11 emphasizes inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities.

UN-Habitat Egypt has been providing technical support to national counterparts on a wide range of urban issues. Adopting an integrated approach, UN-Habitat Egypt has supported reforming and improving urban planning and management through three main sub-programmes, namely, Urban Planning and Design; Local Development and Urban Economy Policies; And Urban Basic Services and Climate Change.

Project: Smart Cities Integration into the National Urban Policy (NUP)

This project focuses on embedding smart cities principles and technologies within Egypt’s National Urban Policy framework. The aim is to strengthen urban governance, resilience, and sustainability by leveraging data, innovation, and digital transformation to improve service delivery, mobility, environmental monitoring, and citizen engagement.

By developing smart cities components aligned with Egypt’s Vision 2030 and the New Urban Agenda, the project supports both local and national decision-makers in transitioning towards digital, inclusive, and evidence-based urban planning.

Duties and responsibilities  

The candidate will fulfil the following duties and responsibilities:

The Programme Assistant – Technical Support will contribute to the effective implementation of the Smart Cities Integration component of the NUP project. The incumbent will assist in technical research, data collection, stakeholder coordination, reporting, and project logistics.

1.Technical and Administrative Support

• Provide assistance in organizing  meetings, consultations, and workshops.

• Support in preparing basic background documents and meeting materials.

• Assist in compiling and formatting information, notes, and documents related to smart city activities.

2. Logistical and Operational Support

• Support logistics for project events, travel, and coordination with service providers.

• Help maintain accurate filing systems, inventories, and document archives.

• Coordinate small-scale procurement and printing of project materials as required.

3. Stakeholder and Communication Support

• Provide support in preparing communication materials.

• Maintain updated contact lists and assist in distributing project communications.

• Support field coordination under the guidance of the project team.

4. General Programme Support

• Assist in data entry, formatting of reports, and follow-up tracking on activity timelines.

• Perform other related tasks as required by the supervisor for smooth project delivery.

• Professionalism:  Knowledge of internal policies, processes and procedures generally and in particular those related to programme/project administration, implementation and evaluation, technical cooperation, programming and budgeting. Understanding of the functions and organization of the work unit and of the organizational structure and respective roles of related units.  Ability to identify, independently assess, formulate recommendations and/or resolve a wide range of issues/problems,  undertake research and gather information from standard sources and to work well with figures including ability to analyze and understand financial data. Ability to design information data bases from multiple sources into an integrated programme evaluation system.  Ability to direct, supervise and train office support staff.  Demonstrated ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments given and discretion, resourcefulness and ability to deal proactively and tactfully with offices throughout the organization. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work. Able to perform analysis, modeling and interpretation of data in support of decision-making.

• 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 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.

• Planning& Organizing:  Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

• 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; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Education: 

High school certificate or first level university degree in Urban Planning, Architecture, Engineering, Information Technology, Geography, or a related technical discipline is required. 

Experience: 

4 years of relevant experience in urban development, or technical project support is required and a past experience in  multi-stakeholder projects is desirable , Past experience with government agencies, private sector actors, and donors is desirable. 

Language:

Fluency in oral and written Arabic and English is required.

1. Contract type: ICA
2. Contract level: Local ICA Support, level 4
3. Contract duration: 12 months (Renewable according to budget availability and performance satisfaction

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses ( they take around 4 hours to complete)  in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.