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General Information

Publication for
Partner
Partner Name
UN-HABITAT United Nations Human Settlements Programme
Position Title
Project Senior Associate
Job Category
Project
Duty Station(s)
Aleppo
Seniority Level
Associate
ICS Level
ICS 07
Contract Type
ICA - LICA - Support - Regular
Contract Level
LICA 7
Posting Start Date
07-Jun-2026
Posting End Date
21-Jun-2026
Duration
1 year

Job Highlight

This role offers the opportunity to contribute directly to UN‑Habitat’s urban recovery and resilience‑building efforts in Aleppo. The Project Senior Associate will support evidence-based planning and implementation by providing technical, logistical, and analytical support across damage assessments, urban profiling, Housing–Land–Property (HLP) documentation, GIS analysis, and coordination with government and community stakeholders. The position plays a key role in ensuring that project activities are effectively delivered, well‑documented, and aligned with recovery priorities.

About the Country/Multi-Country Office

UN-Habitat’s Syria Country Programme has worked closely with Syrian cities and communities to develop an urban resilience and recovery approach. UN-Habitat supports local authorities and communities to collect better urban data to reach a common understanding of urban recovery needs; jointly identify neighborhood and municipal area response priorities, straddling humanitarian, resilience-building and recovery phases; and to design and implement housing, infrastructure and basic services, urban environment, and urban cultural heritage projects that directly respond to these local priorities. UN-Habitat Syria currently has offices in Damascus, Homs, Aleppo, and Deir Ezzor, operationalizing projects across the country.

About the Group

UN-Habitat’s Aleppo hub is responsible for overseeing coordination, partnerships and project implementation in northern Syria. The hub supports recovery planning, rehabilitation of infrastructure, public spaces, housing and public buildings, cultural heritage preservation, strengthening Housing, Land and Property (HLP) rights, and capacity building of local authorities, among other activities.

Job Specific Context

UN-Habitat’s projects in Syria build on comprehensive multi-sectoral urban analysis and a participatory area-based approach that integrates key considerations such as cultural heritage, gender and social cohesion, among others. This process supports the identification of prioritized recovery interventions which, in turn, support a balanced and sustainable recovery of urban areas and create an enabling environment for returns of displaced populations. The success of the project portfolio builds on the diverse expertise, skills and experience of UN-Habitat’s team of urban specialists.

Role Purpose

The purpose of this role is to strengthen UNHabitat’s operational and analytical capabilities in Aleppo by supporting the collection, organization, and analysis of urban data; facilitating coordination with partners and authorities; and contributing to the monitoring and documentation of a wide range of recovery-related interventions. The Project Senior Associate ensures effective planning, technical accuracy, and timely implementation of project activities, while supporting broader organizational efforts to advance urban resilience and sustainable recovery in the governorate.

Functions / Key Results Expected

Under the overall supervision of the Deputy Head of Country Programme and the daily guidance of the Area Urban Planning Manager and Project Manager, the Project Senior Associate is responsible for providing technical, analytical, coordination and logistical support to a wide range of UNHabitat interventions in Aleppo and Idleb. This includes the following key functions:


  • Support Housing, Land and Property (HLP) components across all relevant projects in Aleppo and Idleb, in close collaboration with the HLP team in Damascus and project managers, including reviewing technical documentation, supporting equipment delivery, monitoring digitization processes, and preparing HLP-related progress reports.

  • Support in leading work for the Aleppo Office, working in coordination with the GIS team in Damascus to ensure that project activities are supported by accurate, timely and well-structured spatial data, maps, layouts and analytical products across all sectors.

  • Maintain and continuously update a spatial database covering project activities in the northern areas, including georeferenced project outputs, field verification data, activity tracking information and other spatial layers needed for planning, reporting and decision-making.

  • Support damage assessments and urban profiling tasks, including field data collection, verification, documentation, preparation of analytical outputs, and facilitating coordination with partners for data validation and standardization.

  • Provide GIS and mapping support for all operational projects, including housing, infrastructure, environment, cultural heritage and solid waste, by producing technical maps, digitizing layouts, conducting spatial analysis, and generating field-ready documents.

  • Assist in the planning, preparation and implementation of workshops, training sessions and stakeholder meetings, including the preparation of materials, logistical arrangements, on-site coordination, moderation support and documentation of discussions and outcomes.

  • Contribute to coordination and technical integration with municipalities, directorates and relevant authorities, facilitating information flow, supporting compliance with technical standards, and ensuring alignment of implementation activities with approved workplans and methodologies.

  • Conduct regular field visits to monitor activities, verify the accuracy of collected data, assess implementation progress, and provide technical observations to project managers.

  • Support information management systems, including dashboards, internal databases, and reporting platforms, by updating datasets, preparing analytical summaries, and ensuring consistency and accuracy of spatial and non-spatial information.

Skills

Data Management, Geographic Information Systems, Land Administration, Urban
Respect
Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organisational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.
Collaboration
Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.
Partnerships
Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).
Excellence
Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.
Adaptability
Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.
Decision-making
Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.
Communication
Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Education Requirements

Required


Bachelor’s degree in urban planning, architecture, or engineering is required.


Experience Requirements

Required: 


Minimum of three (3) years of progressive experience in housing, land and property (HLP) and Geographic Information System (GIS), or less according to education level. 

Demonstrated ability to work effectively in Word, Excel and GIS software (i.e: ArcGIS or QGIS)

Previous experience in monitoring field work and implementation.


Desired:


Professional experience with international organizations in project management, coordination, data management, analysis and visualization. 

Experience in building and infrastructure damage assessments.

Language Requirements

LanguageProficiency LevelRequirement
ArabicFluentRequired
EnglishFluentRequired

Additional Information

  • 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.
 
Terms and Conditions
 
  • 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.