Project Analyst – Knowledge Management

UNOPS mission is to expand the capacity of the UN system and its partners to implement peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations that matter for people in need.  Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, UNOPS vision is to always satisfy partners with management services that meet world-class standards of quality, speed and cost effectiveness.

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.  UN-Habitat office in KSA has been working in a number of projects to support UN-Habitat mandate and to boost the implementation of the NUA and the SDGs especially goal 11 as well as support the implementation of the Saudi Vision 2030 and its different programs that corresponds with the mandate of UN-Habitat. The Saudi Arabia Office is affiliated to The Regional Office of Arab States (ROAS), which is responsible for the implementation of the UN Habitat Work Programme at Regional and at Country level for all domains of change under the UN-Habitat Strategic Plan (2020-2023). The KSA country programmes and projects are establishing a wide program to enhance UN-Habitat's capacity of delivery at the country level.

UN-Habitat has been tasked by the Quality-of-Life Program in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia to provide technical and advisory services for the design, development, and promotion of a global Quality of Life Index with a universal, and standardised method that will provide coherence and alignment for all development partners, including the UN system. The project is composed of three different phases over a period of 36 months. 

The project is composed of three outcomes as follows: 

• Enhanced technical and institutional capacity of participating countries and cities to adapt and use the Global Quality of Life Index as a decision-support system that relies on reliable, timely, and disaggregated data. 

• Enhanced understanding of local, national and global urban Quality of life trends, and challenges that hinder effective implementation of policies/ actions and formulate transformative actions.

• Enhanced capacity of local and national governments and development partners to adapt, use and report on Quality-of-Life urban trends, including through the voluntary local and national review processes using the harmonised Global Urban Monitoring framework.

One Project Analyst - Knowledge Management will be recruited to support the implementation of the project, particularly the knowledge production, management, partnerships and substantive preparation of high-level events.. 

The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS. 

UNOPS is committed to achieving a truly diverse workforce.

The Project Analyst will work under the overall guidance of the Project Manager of the “Technical Support to Quality of Life Index Project” (QoLI) in cooperation with the Quality of Life Center in Saudi Arabia . She/He will be part of the project team and responsible for supporting the implementation of the project, particularly from the knowledge development and management side. He/She will be responsible for the following duties:

1-       Knowledge Management and Production

• Lead and Coordinate research and analysis in the relevant areas related to the project and prepare background documents, reports and other research materials as requested by the project experts

• Own and Maintain the necessary knowledge products related to latest trends and initiatives on urban sustainability and quality of life at global, regional, national and city levels, in coordination with the project experts and be able to advice and provide recommendations on these products when required

• Develop and coordinate the Project’s knowledge management strategy and support knowledge sharing within the project team, with UN-Habitat offices, project sponsor and partners of the project implementation (local governments, knowledge institutions, UN organisations, etc).

• Liaise with the Quality-of-Life Centre relevant department(s) on knowledge development and sharing

2-       Partnerships

• Manage engagement with knowledge institutions (academia); partners and cities in coordination with and as requested by the project senior experts. Initiate and coordinate new engagements when the possibility arises.

3-       Programme Delivery

• Coordinate the content preparation of meetings (i.e meeting presentations, development of programmes, engagement with participants, etc.), in close collaboration with the ICT expert and Programmatic lead

• Coordinate substantive preparations (Analytical notes, programme) for global events

• Develop and implement capacity-building and training tools and sessions as required

Expected deliverables:

• Knowledge Management Strategy

• Notes and reports on key initiatives of relevance to the QoLI Project

• Communication and training materials

• Sets of meeting concepts, background documents and presentations

• Monthly updates to the project team on progress in assigned tasks and responsibilities.

• Meeting notes, summary and reports

Professionalism: 

Strong conceptual skills. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery in the UN-Habitat focus areas of knowledge and innovation; 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.

Teamwork: 

Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organisational 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 and 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.

1. Contract type: International ICA
2. Contract leve: I-ICA 2
3. Contract duration: 6 months (with possibility of extension)

• 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. 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.