UNOPS

The UNOPS Africa Regional Office, based in Nairobi, Kenya, oversees the delivery of over 250 projects across 40 countries, with a focus on fragile and conflict-affected settings. Supported by more than 1,000 personnel across five multi-country offices—spanning North, West, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Horn of Africa—the office advances national priorities through strategic initiatives in Climate Action, Health, Infrastructure, Peace and Security, Middle-Income Country Support, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The Regional Office provides strategic leadership, operational support, and oversight in key areas including Partnerships, Communications, Management and Oversight, Infrastructure and Project Management, Health and Safety, and Security. By promoting excellence in project delivery, fostering knowledge sharing, and driving continuous improvement, the office contributes to sustainable infrastructure, transparent resource management, and a better quality of life for communities across the continent.

Based in Nairobi, UNOPS East and Southern Africa supports sustainable development across 14 countries, including Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Tanzania, Zambia, Zanzibar, and Zimbabwe. Since 1995, UNOPS has expanded its footprint in Kenya, delivering services in project management, infrastructure, procurement, and financial management. Across the region, the office implements diverse, partner-funded initiatives that respond to national priorities. In Mozambique, this includes delivering specialized equipment (EU), supporting health services (UNICEF), promoting agro-processing (KOICA), and advancing peacebuilding efforts through a Multi-Donor Fund. UNOPS also supports agricultural input distribution and the Northern Crisis Recovery Project, both funded by the World Bank. In Malawi, efforts include developing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centres in partnership with the EU and the British Council. These initiatives reflect UNOPS’ commitment to strengthening national capacities, enhancing service delivery, and supporting progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the region.

Under the overall guidance of the Country Manager and the direct supervision of the Urban Planning and Resilience Specialist, the Urban Planning Associate will provide substantive support to the Smart SDG Cities Programme and the UN-Habitat work in Ghana under her/his field of specialization to achieve maximum impact. 

The Urban Planning Associate will support the implementation of urban planning projects in the Country Office (CO) with a focus on developing spatial plans and maps, facilitating participatory workshops, and delivering targeted spatial analytics aligned with UN-Habitat work in Ghana.  

The Ghana Smart SDG Cities Initiative accelerates the achievement of SDGs in cities through systematic processes of data collection and analysis; developing city development strategies that incorporate Smart SDG cities approaches; strengthening key local institutional capacities in areas of planning, governance, revenue and service delivery as key to promoting sustainable urban development; advancing the implementation of high impact local initiatives through supporting their preparation and financing; and over all providing awareness and education on smart SDG challenges and solution to the inhabitant particularly women, youth and persons with disability.

The Urban Planning Associate will provide technical and administrative support to the Urban Planning and Resilience Specialist in the design, implementation, and monitoring of urban planning projects in Ghana. The Associate will assist in data collection, analysis, and report writing, as well as in coordinating stakeholder consultations and capacity-building activities. The role ensures that urban planning initiatives are aligned with UN-Habitat’s goals and objectives for sustainable urban development.

Required

•  A minimum of 6 years of relevant work experience with completion of secondary education is required OR
• First-level university degree (undergraduate, bachelor, or equivalent) in Urban Planning, Architecture, Geography, or a related field relevant to urban development and spatial planning r a related field with 2 years of experience. will be considered an asset.

Required

• A minimum of six (6) years of professional experience in urban planning and design, including the use of computer-aided design and GIS software for spatial data management
• A minimum of two (2) years with a Bachelor’s degree and proven work experience in urban planning and design, including the use of computer-aided design and GIS software for spatial data management;

Desired

• Experience in the management of urban development programmes and planning projects 
• Experience in analyzing, summarizing, and presenting spatial and socio-economic datasets using relevant software (e.g., GIS, SPSS, Excel, etc.); 
• Experience in coordinating planning-related trainings and stakeholder workshops
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling web-based management systems; 
• Experience in the areas of slum upgrading and housing, and ability to code in Python or R will be an added advantage

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.