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 on 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 2023, UN-Habitat launched a project with the aim of supporting the Municipality of São Gonçalo to reduce social inequalities based on the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda. This project is dedicated to improving the capacities and conditions of the local administration in monitoring urban conditions and trends at the local level, providing evidence-based information to build sustainable and locally integrated urban policies. In 2024, UN-Habitat was invited to contribute to the development of the participatory Action Plan for a project under the Periferia Viva Programme, aimed at the urbanization of an informal settlement, with resources already secured for its implementation. To ensure the successful implementation of this project UN-Habitat has created a new team, which requires an Environmental Technician with a focus on drainage solutions. The scope of the Action Plan includes physical-environmental analysis, flood-related risk analysis, and the definition of urban project guidelines. Therefore, an Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Drainage Consultant with a focus on drainage solutions is needed to ensure a detailed approach to the topic, especially in areas subject to flooding located in the peripheral territory of the Periferia Viva program in Jardim Catarina, São Gonçalo. Report to UN-Habitat Manager The Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Drainage Consultant reports to the Head of Brazil Office, who will evaluate him/her. Responsibilities The Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Drainage Consultant will support the implementation of project activities related to environmental preservation, climate resilience, and sustainable drainage, with the following responsibilities: a) Conduct an environmental assessment to support the Technical-Community Diagnosis of the Periferia Viva Action Plan, with a primary focus on water bodies and Permanent Preservation Areas (APPs), erosive processes, native vegetation, land occupation and use by drainage basin, and priority areas for preservation. b) Conduct flood risk analyses to support the Technical-Community Diagnosis of the Periferia Viva Action Plan. c) Analyze, review, and, when necessary, suggest adjustments to engineering projects for Ipuca, focusing on climate resilience and sustainable drainage solutions. d) Prepare guidelines report for the executive projects to be developed for the urbanization of Ipuca. e) Collaborate with other team members to prepare the necessary technical documents corresponding to the project. f) Systematize the entire process through the delivery of organized documentation, including meeting minutes, photographs, attendance lists, raw data, analytical notes, and georeferenced maps, in accessible and editable formats. g) Present the results and deliverables to UN-Habitat and local partners through visual, clear, and accessible formats (executive reports, illustrated presentations, posters, short videos, etc.). h) Ensure compliance with UN-Habitat’s standards for visibility, data protection, and ethics, respecting the rights, privacy, and representation of community participants. i) Participate in meetings with UN-Habitat teams, the Municipality of São Gonçalo, and other relevant stakeholders to align expectations and refine the scope of analysis. j) Ensure all content is aligned with UN-Habitat standards, methodologies, and expectations, while maintaining confidentiality and data protection protocols. 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 Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Drainage Consultant shall assist the implementation of the project, according to the established responsibilities and the delivery of the following products: Product 1 - Technical Revisions and Consolidation Report Description: Product 3 shall consist of a comprehensive report documenting the incorporation of comments, technical recommendations, and required adjustments arising from review processes conducted by the Municipal Government of São Gonçalo, Caixa Econômica Federal, and the UN-Habitat coordination team. The document will cover the revision and consolidation of all technical materials produced within the scope of the project, including physical-environmental and flood risk assessments, thematic mappings, analyses of land use and occupation, and technical guidelines for urbanization, environmental preservation, climate resilience, and infrastructure interventions. This product must detail all revisions carried out, including: • Methodological refinements and improvements in analytical approaches; • Updates to primary and secondary data, including any complementary field verification; • Adjustments to technical analyses, risk assessments, and proposed interventions; • Enhancements in clarity, technical consistency, and internal coherence across all materials; • Alignment with applicable legislation, institutional requirements, and technical guidelines. The final consolidated material must be presented in a complete and revised form, demonstrating that all requested adjustments have been properly incorporated and that the output meets the required technical standards, ensuring clarity, reliability, and usability for decision-making and implementation. Expected delivery date: 15 days after signing the contract.
Qualifications/special skills
Education Required: • Bachelor's degree in Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Sanitary Engineering or related fields is required, or additional three (3) years of relevant experience to the post, beyond the requirement. Desirable: • Postgraduate degree (Lato Sensu or Stricto Sensu) in Sustainable Urban Drainage, Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Sanitary Engineering or related fields is desirable. Work experience: • Minimum of four (4) years of experience in drainage projects and urban stormwater management is required, especially related to sustainable urban drainage design. • Experience in the use of nature-based solutions is desirable. • Experience in design and/or work in informal settlements is desirable. • Previous experience within the UN System is desirable. Skills: • Good handling of technological tools, such as Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Of-fice, is required. • Good command of geographical information systems (GIS) software, such as QGIS, MapInfo and ArcGIS, 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.
