Duties and Responsibilities
Background The main mandate of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is to promote sustainable development of human settlements and policies conducive to adequate housing for all. Within this framework, UN-Habitat supports central and state governments, as well as local authorities and other partners, for the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, the 2030 Agenda with the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda. UN-Habitat helps the urban poor by transforming cities into safer, more inclusive, compact, integrated, resilient and connected places with better opportunities where everyone can live with dignity. It works with organizations at every level, including all spheres of government, civil society, and the private sector to help build, manage, plan and finance sustainable urban development. The Regional Office for Latin American and the Caribbean – ROLAC – is based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Agency puts emphasis in developing and managing activities in the host country. Indeed, for the past years, UN-Habitat has expanded its portfolio in Brazil by working with the three tiers of government to support the formulation and implementation of more effective, sustainable, participative, and socially fairer urban economic, social, and environmental policies. In 2025, the Municipal Government of Rio de Janeiro had the Periferia Viva Maré Project selected under the Periferia Viva Program – Favela Urbanization, coordinated by the Ministry of Cities and implemented locally. Its objective is to articulate public policies and strengthen community-based initiatives in peripheral territories, promoting improvements in living conditions, particularly in the program’s priority areas: urban infrastructure, social facilities, social and community strengthening, innovation, technology, and the expansion of opportunities. UN-Habitat and the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro have maintained a longstanding partnership, and the agency was selected to serve as the Technical Assistance partner for the implementation of the project. To properly implement the above-mentioned project, a Programme Assistant is required. Report to UN-Habitat Manager The Programme Assistant reports to the Head of Brazil Office, who will evaluate him/her. Responsibilities The Programme Assistant will support the implementation of the project, and its activities, with the following responsibilities: a) Provide administrative and logistical support for the planning, execution, and follow-up of project activities, including meetings, missions, and events. b) Assist in the preparation, organization, and consolidation of technical reports, presentations, and documentation for internal use and for external partners. c) Support the coordination and communication among stakeholders, including counterparts involved. d) Maintain updated records and filing systems related to project activities, ensuring timely documentation of results achieved. e) Perform other related duties as required to ensure effective implementation and monitoring of the project. The consultant will be responsible for completing all courses and training activities that are indicated to him/her by his/her supervisor. The security course BSAFE, from UNDSS, is required to be accredited during the first month of employment. The consultant will be responsible for his/her own security, so the person should get familiarized with United Nations security mechanisms and comply with them according to the Framework of Accountability for the United Nations Security Management System. Outputs/Work Assignment The consultant shall be paid a monthly allowance, upon presentation and approval by the Head of Brazil Office of monthly activities’ report.
Qualifications/special skills
Education Required: • Bachelor’s degree in International Relations, Geography, Social Work, Social Sciences, or related fields is required, or additional three (3) years of relevant experience to the post, beyond the requirement. Work experience: • Minimum two (2) years of experience in the areas mentioned above, particularly in research in favelas, community mobilization, and teamwork. • Experience in the social area and in supporting fieldwork, preferably in the public sec-tor and in vulnerable areas, is desirable. • Previous experience working in the United Nations is desirable. Skills: • Good computer skills in Windows and Office packages and Web search engines are required. • Good handling of online event and conference tools is desirable. Competencies • Professionalism: Experience working in an inter-institutional environment, project management, monitoring-evaluation; approaches and strategies regarding good ur-ban governance and local and regional development. • Planning and organization: Professional approach to work, strong sense of responsi-bility, operate with minimal supervision; proven organizational skills and ability to manage a workload efficiently and within set deadlines. • Communication: Ability to write clearly and effectively; listen to others, interpret mes-sages correctly and respond appropriately; show openness in information sharing and keep everyone informed; solid abstract reasoning skills together with a proven capac-ity to write documents for diverse audiences. • Teamwork: Ability to work with teams, demonstrate leadership, conflict management and consensus facilitation skills; ability to work in a multicultural and multi-ethnic envi-ronment, and to respect diversity; sensitivity to the main streaming of vulnerability; willingness and ability to work in difficult environments. Knowledge Management • The person must know the processes, procedures, and norms of UN-Habitat, to guar-antee an adequate quality of the activities described above, following the standards of the organization. • The person will propose formats and procedures that allow the efficient implementa-tion of the activities related to the project development. • The person must know the file of the Office, work with it, and ensure its proper maintenance, accessibility for all staff, and due updating. • The person will prepare databases related to the project running. • The person will make sure that all relevant technical information will be adequately shared with the correspondent staff. • The person will ensure that all produced material will be fit-for-purpose and delivered, in an organized way, for posterior consultation and use of the Agency. • The person will only share the information produced with the team agency, assuring the privacy of the content.
