Background Information – Kenya Multi Country Office (KEMC)
Located in Nairobi, Kenya, the Kenya Multi Country Office manages a growing portfolio of engagements, including associated strategic and operational risks. The KEMC sub-region currently consists of an established Operation Centre in Nairobi/Kenya which manages a portfolio of engagements in multiple countries in East and South Africa. This includes transactional projects in partnership with the Nairobi based UN Agencies, UN-Habitat and UNEP, and multiple ‘operational’ projects in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique and island states.
Objectives and scope of the position
The Technical Services Unit (TSU) engages in multidisciplinary design, assessments and advisory work, and manages relationships with other technical stakeholders such as specialist design firms for high risk structures.
The Technical Services Unit (TSU) currently provides design services for infrastructure works to Project Managers. Recently the team has expanded its offering to include consulting services such as assessments, feasibility studies and advisory services on a wide range of infrastructure types. We want to continue and further expand technical services to our partners and clients at a wider field of operations.
The TSU has a core team based in Nairobi supplemented by retainers during peak periods or where specialist expertise is required. The wider team includes architects, civil engineers, structural engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, quantity surveyors, urban planners, land specialists, economists, GIS and specialist infrastructure advisors (for dams, ICT and biomedical works) and CAD technicians as well as support personnel. Current projects are underway / imminent in Kenya, Somalia, Cameroon, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Zambia and Mozambique.
The TSU is a business unit for the Multi-Country office and comes under the direction of the Director for East and Southern Africa office (KEMC).
Under the direct supervision of the Technical Services Unit Manager, the Urban planner in collaboration with the team members and the project stakeholders will perform the following tasks:
- Work with government agencies and their Mapping Departments to assemble relevant information for spatial planning purposes;
- Review and comment on spatial plans and policies produced by public sector and agency bodies;
- Enumerate and map existing settlements and integrate key studies to develop spatial plans including identified sites for basic infrastructure.
- Use satellite imagery (triangulated on the ground), to validate data gathered
- Collaborate with the competent authority (such as local, district, provincial or national directorates) to support the land use planning of the selected land parcels and subdivision into residential plots and mapping out the supporting infrastructure required
- Identify options for relocation and or development on brownfield and greenfield sites and produce high quality spatial plans;
- Develop implementation strategy and plan for both the short, medium and long term development options.
- Translate technical documents between English and Portuguese, and act as translator in technical meetings when required.
- Any other duties as directed by UNOPS project lead.
- University Degree (bachelor’s degree) in urban planning or physical planning from a recognized University is required;
- An advanced University Degree (master’s degree) in urban planning or physical planning from a recognized University or equivalent is desirable but not required.
- Minimum 4 years’ experience in urban planning is required;
- Previous experience and knowledge of the institutional framework, land legislation and spatial planning regulation in Mozambique is an asset;
- Experience in mapping and experience working with local governments will be an added advantage.
- Full knowledge of English language is required;
- Full knowledge of Portuguese language is required.
More Information
- Job City Kenya
