Job Vacancies at UN-Habitat

Responsibilities:

Within delegated authority, the land expert will be responsible for the following duties:

• Lead a detailed diagnostic of formal, informal, and customary land tenure systems in Busia (Kenya and Uganda sides), with specific focus on barriers faced by informal women and youth traders
• Analyse existing land-related laws, policies, and institutional frameworks in both countries and identify gaps, overlaps, and opportunities for cross-border harmonization
• Guide the design and rollout of participatory land tenure mapping exercises, ensuring representation and validation by women, youth, local leaders, and customary landowners
• Coordinate the development and piloting of a fit-for-purpose land information system (LIS), tailored to cross-border, informal, and gender-sensitive land recording needs
• Provide technical assistance to integrate land and property data into the spatial economic development framework and local planning systems
• Support land dispute identification and management mechanisms, and advise on community-led land conflict resolution approaches
• Facilitate development of local by-laws, agreements, and protocols on tenure recognition and land use that align with both national and community systems
• Deliver targeted training and mentorship for local government officers, land boards, survey teams, and community land actors on land governance, participatory tools, and LIS management
• Collaborate with legal and gender experts to ensure all land interventions reflect inclusive, pro-poor, and gender-equitable principles
• Develop knowledge products including policy briefs, case studies, and technical guidance notes based on project findings and pilot experiences
• Contribute to the visibility and dissemination of land-related innovations, tools, and lessons from the project through technical briefs, public presentations, stakeholder workshops, and engagement with national and regional platforms

Qualifications/special skills

• Advanced degree in Land Administration, Urban or Regional Planning, Geomatics, Geography, Law, or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Minimum 7 years of professional experience in land governance, tenure reform, or land information systems in Africa is required. Proven experience working with local governments, informal communities, and cross-sector stakeholders on land governance, planning, or tenure security initiatives is required.
• Familiarity with gender-responsive land governance principles, including tools that promote women’s land rights and participation is an added advantage. Prior experience working with UN agencies or similar multilateral institutions is an advantage.

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Duties and Responsibilities

• Under the overall supervision of the Programme Lead on Finance and Economy, the consultant will be responsible for the following duties: Providing technical support in the adaptation of UN-Habitat’s financial tools to support the Section’s work on SDG localization and urban finance.
• Developing methodological guidelines and templates that standardise the assessment of local fiscal capacity and national financing architectures.
• Analysing fiscal decentralization frameworks to identify bottlenecks and formulate policy recommendations that strengthen national-to-local financing systems.
• Advising on investment readiness by reviewing project concepts and providing technical inputs on funding strategies and financial structuring for local development initiatives.
• Facilitating technical dialogues by preparing concept notes, talking points, and presentation materials for workshops with national institutions and development partners.
• Representing the Finance and Economy team in UN-Habitat internal meetings and engagements with external partners and stakeholders.
• Preparing and delivering presentations on UN-Habitat’s work on urban finance and economy.
• Providing administrative and coordination support to the Finance and Economy team.

Qualifications/special skills

• Academic Qualification; Master’s degree in Economics, Public Policy, Public Finance, Political Science, Development Studies or a related field is required.
• Work Experience; A minimum of 2 years of relevant experience is defined as professional work in urban finance, municipal or public finance, local economic development, and/or public policy (or closely related areas) is required.