Post Date: Mar 26, 2025

Closing Date: Apr 09, 2025

Reference: 2025-03-247

Number of Vacancies: 1

Salary Range: As per company salary scale

Years of Experience: 8 years

Probation Period: Not Specified

Contract Type: LICA

Contract Duration: 9 month

Contract Extensible: Yes

Minimum Education: Bachelor’s Degree

Gender: Any

About UN-Habitat

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. The UN-Habitat Afghanistan country office is part of the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP). The position is located in Kabul province, Afghanistan.

Learning from the experience in the last 30 years and recognizing the realities of the current context in the country, UN-Habitat in Afghanistan designs and implements projects in settlements of all sizes, putting the needs of people first, targeting the most vulnerable and meeting local needs by focusing on area-based and community-driven outputs. The portfolio currently covers projects ranging from humanitarian responses to supporting recovery and meeting basic human needs. UN-Habitat collaborates closely with the UN country team as well as with technical and financial partners in Afghanistan, in alignment with the UN Strategic Framework for Afghanistan (UNSFA) and the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plans (HRNP).

Afghanistan is experiencing a continuous humanitarian crisis, with over half a million people in the need of humanitarian assistance. Many people are displaced due to climate change, internal displacement or massive returns from neighbouring countries, and many have sought refuge in the relative safety of cities, which are growing rapidly. The number of people living in unplanned, underserviced and informal settlements, including in risk prone areas, is increasing and living  conditions as well as access to services is inadequate. The unfolding crisis in Afghan cities, which is accelerated by climate change impacts and natural disasters, is occurring in a context of underlying vulnerabilities, including infrastructure deficits, insecure livelihoods and pervasive tenure insecurity. Most at risk are displaced people in informal settlements, with women, disabled and ethnic minorities being particularly vulnerable.

UN-Habitat applies a participatory and community-driven approach, using participatory spatial planning and action planning processes to enable communities to identify and implement priority service and infrastructure investments to support their socioeconomic recovery processes and creating an enabling environment for durable solutions. UN-Habitat’s community-cantered “People’s Process” is a proven and effective approach to reduce vulnerability at scale in the Afghan context. UN-Habitat builds upon its long tradition of partnering with communities in informal settlements to create sustainable and safe settlements, improve living conditions and adequate livelihood opportunities to those most in need.

Job Summary

The advertised position directly reports to the National Programme Manager and under close supervision of International Programme Manager. They will work closely with technical advisors, project engineers, social organizers and other relevant stakeholders like community groups, contractors and other similar implementing partners to implement the project outputs at provincial level.

Duties & Responsibilities

Responsibilities

• The Team leader will manage and coordinate operational activities at the field level, provide leadership to the field team, and ensure efficient and timely implementation of project activities.

Key responsibilities include:

Project Management and Coordination

• Lead and oversee project operations at provincial level, ensuring activities align with the project’s objectives and are completed on time and within budget.
• Act as the main focal point for project implementation activities at the field level, ensuring communication flow between field teams and central management.
• Liaise with local government officials, community leaders, and stakeholders to manage expectations and coordinate activities.

Team Leadership and Oversight

• Supervise and support field-based staff, ensuring accountability and effective performance.
• Monitor progress on activities implemented by field staff, ensuring compliance with workplans, activity targets, and donor requirements.
• Ensure all staff are adhering to UN-Habitat policies (e.g., Environmental and Social Safeguard Standards).

Technical Guidance and Problem Solving

• Ensure the delivery of technical inputs (e.g., construction package, or cash-for-work activities) meets quality standards.
• Work with engineers, social organizers, and local teams to resolve challenges at the project sites.
• Verify compliance of construction and social activities with approved safety, accessibility, and sustainability measures.

Community Engagement

• Mobilize communities and beneficiaries through participatory methods alongside field teams.
• Address grievances raised by community members or local leadership, mediating and escalating any disputes if required.

Monitoring, Reporting, and Knowledge Management

• Conduct regular visits to project sites, verify progress, and provide feedback to technical and operations teams.
• Prepare accurate and detailed progress reports, including M&E data collection.
• Document lessons learned, best practices, and methodologies to inform scaling up or replication of activities.
• Conduct regular field surveys and assessments; map information and ensure documentation and identify and document good practices/lessons learned; bring to the attention of program manager and recommend solutions.
• Ensure adherence to UN-Habitat operational policies, procedures and standards of conduct and perform any other task assigned by the supervisor.

Results expected.

• All project activities are implemented according to project plans, timelines, and budgets while meeting the required quality standards.
• Strong coordination and effective communication are maintained with all stakeholders (internal and external).
• Community satisfaction is enhanced, ensuring complaints are mitigated promptly and effectively.
• Accurate and timely field reports (narrative) submitted to management for strategic decision-making.
• Field staff remain motivated, productive, and in compliance with UN-Habitat policies and guidelines.

Competencies:

Professionalism:

• Ability to identify and resolve budgetary problems and identify sources for data collection. 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

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 decisions, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect their own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Job Requirements

Qualifications

Education:

• A university degree in civil engineering, urban planning, project management, or any other relevant field is required.
• A postgraduate degree or specialized certification in project management (e.g., PMP/PRINCE2) is highly desirable.

Experience:

• Minimum 8 years of experience in managing and coordinating field activities, particularly in post-conflict/developing country contexts, 02 Years relevant experience with master’s degree.
• Proven leadership experience in urban infrastructure projects, cash-for-work initiatives, or community-based development programs.
• Familiarity with donor-funded projects, particularly JICA, UN-Habitat, or similar entities.
• Experience liaising with local governments, community members, and construction contractors in fragile environments.

Skills:

• Strong field coordination, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Knowledge of ESSS principles, M&E frameworks, and result-based management.
• Technical knowledge of construction standards, sustainable building practices, and environmental compliance.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure in politically and culturally sensitive environments.

Other Competencies:

• Strong leadership qualities, with the ability to motivate and manage a diverse team.
• Excellent problem-solving, conflict resolution, and communication skills.
• Willingness to travel extensively in challenging conditions.

Language:

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English and Local/National Language of the duty station is required.
• Other:
• Build support with national counterparts, during the project period; Ensure high-quality and timely achievement of relevant activties and targets; Support capacity development efforts with project partners for the required components; Support UN-Habitat’s contribution to multi-stakeholder national coordination and advocacy forums; Support ‘learning by doing’ capacity development efforts throughout the programme period with programme partners for improving local safety and security, especially for women, youth and marginalised urban groups; Support coordination with other partners’ programmes in target cities

Submission Guideline

Submission guidelines

Interested Afghan National Candidates should submit the following required documents.

1.      A cover letter that shows how your qualifications and experience meet the VA requirement.

2.      An update and signed P11 form for the individual contractor (IC) that contains all your information.

To the hr-kbl-hab@un.org  indicating on the SUBJECT line the vacancy number of the position, please note that applications received after the closing date (09 April) will not be given consideration. Only short-listed candidates whose applications meet the above criteria will be contacted for an interview.

Note: Subject line must be: (2025-03-247) or your application may not be considered.

Submission Email: hr-kbl-hab@un.org

For more details about UN-HABITAT and UN-HABITAT Afghanistan Country Programme refer Website: www.unhabitat.org and www.unhabitat.af