Org. Setting and Reporting 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. The position is located in the External Relations, Strategy, Knowledge and Innovation Division (ERSKI) of UN-Habitat in Nairobi.ERSKI is responsible for strategic planning, programmatic direction and operationalization of UN-Habitat's focal point role for the New Urban Agenda in the UN system; knowledge management, data and reporting; innovation; resource mobilization; and strategic partnerships. The Knowledge and Innovation Branch is responsible to generate data and analysis which feeds into high-level global reporting on substantive findings as well as identifying emerging innovations and solutions which are scaleable, expanding and leveraging greater impact of the UN-Habitat work programme and strategy. The position is heading the Branch and is reporting directly to the Director ERSKI. Responsibilities •Formulates and implements the substantive work programme of the Knowledge and Innovation Branch. Oversees the management of activities undertaken by Knowledge and Innovation Branch, ensures that programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion and co-ordinates work in the different areas both within the Division and UN-Habitat and with other organizations of the United Nations System as appropriate.•Leads, supervises and carries out the work programme of the Knowledge and Innovation Branch. •Co-ordinates the work carried out by different work units under the Branch/ and by other agencies and bodies of the United Nations system; provides programmatic/substantive reviews of the drafts prepared by others.•Co-ordinates and oversees the preparation of reports for presentation to the Executive Board of the UN-Habitat Assembly, the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budget Questions, Committee for Programme Coordination, Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly and other policy-making organs, as appropriate.•Reports to the Executive Board on budget/programme performance or on programmatic/ substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those presented in biannual and/or annual reports. •Ensures that the outputs produced by the Knowledge and Innovation Branch maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced by the Sections under his/her supervision meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates. •Assists the Director in preparing the work programme of the Knowledge and Innovation Branch determining priorities and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery.•Undertakes or oversees the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Branch, including preparation of budgets, reporting on budget/programme performance, evaluation of staff performance (PAS), interviews of candidates for job openings, evaluation of candidates and preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting.•Recruits staff, taking due account of geographical balance.•Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision.•Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Knowledge and Innovation Branch and across organizational boundaries.•Leads and supervises the organization of meetings, seminars, etc. on substantive issues. Manages the substantive preparation and organization of such meetings or seminars.•Participates in international, regional or national meetings and provides programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue or holds programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions.•Represents the Division at international, regional or national meetings. Competencies PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of the substantive field of work in general and of specific areas being supervised. Ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others. Ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations. 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 situationsCOMMUNICATION: 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.CREATIVITY: Actively seeks to improve programmes or services; offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs; promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas; takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks “outside the box”; takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things; is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches.LEADERSHIP: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.VISION: Identifies strategic issues, opportunities and risks; clearly communicates links between the Organization’s strategy and the work unit’s goals; generates and communicates broad and compelling organizational direction, inspiring others to pursue that same direction; conveys enthusiasm about future possibilities. Education Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business or public administration, finance, accounting, law, social sciences or related area is required. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Work Experience A minimum of fifteen (15) years of progressively responsible experience in human resources management, administration, logistics, financial management, budget or related field is required.A minimum of fifteen (15) years of progressively responsible experience in urban research and analysis, policy formulation and innovation or related field is a desirable.Work experience in raising funds and negotiating with high level Government and multi and bilateral technical funding agency officials is desirable.Work experience of organizing and/or working with intergovernmental bodies implementing trends and best practice and innovation is desirable. Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of other official United Nations languages is desirable.NOTE: "fluency equals a rating of "fluent" in all four areas (read, write, speak, understand) and " Knowledge of" equals a rating of " confident" in two of the four areas. Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview. Special Notice This position is open for recruitment for an initial period of one year and may be subject to extension. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. On-line applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an email acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application, if necessary. If the problem persists please seek technical assistance through the Inspira "Need Help?" link.lnternal Applicants – when completing the PHP, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up to date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you.Individual contractors and consultants who have worked within the UN Secretariat in the last six months, irrespective of the administering entity, are ineligible to apply for or be appointed to any positions in the professional or above categories for temporary or fixed-term positions and their applications will not be considered.For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of 30 November 2020, are strongly encouraged to apply: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, China, Comoros, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, G
