The Urban Programs Manager will provide leadership and support to HFH AFR National Offices (NOs) in building capacity to implement shelter/housing and settlement programs in urban environments, facilitate knowledge exchange between practitioners, build and strengthen urban networks with external agencies and organizations, and support the development of national urban housing strategies (where applicable). This role will work collaboratively with other functional areas in the AFR Operations team to achieve a coordinated approach for addressing the challenges of urban shelter and settlements programming, as well as engaging with partner organizations, government agencies and donors for a holistic community-based outcome. The position will also contribute to urban global initiatives, including the Global Urban Community of Practice and the co-development of practice-guiding tools and other knowledge products, as well as global capacity building initiatives and events. The ideal candidate will possess a sound working knowledge of pro-poor urban development and low-income urban housing models and will demonstrate significant practical experience in leading initiatives that bring together these two areas of knowledge, including a focus on informal settlements and slum upgrading.
Duties & Responsibilities
- Program Implementation and
Support:
- Provide technical advice and
guidance to National Offices in the development of national urban
strategies and programs that respond to the rapid urbanization trends in
the region, aligning them with local strategic urban or policy priorities,
and ensuring the adoption of impactful, comprehensive, and participatory
approaches to their work.
- Identify and guide scalable and
sustainable models for urban programming adapted to the different contexts
in the African region.
- Offer technical expertise on
adequate and affordable housing and inclusive urban development during
proposal development processes to ensure the technical integrity of
projects with an urban emphasis, both at the country and regional levels,
for development and humanitarian fields.
- Apply systems thinking in urban
programming to ensure that urban shelter programming issues are integrated
through every functional area (such as disaster response and risk
reduction, advocacy, market development, water sanitation and hygiene, VGH
etc.).
- Capacity Building
- Support and advise NOs in the
recruitment, orientation, and training of suitably qualified and
experienced staff to implement urban shelter programs; provide ongoing
support to those staff.
- Assist in the coordination and
facilitation of learning events or workshops linked to urban programming
issues. Lead individual learning sessions on urban shelter programming
within regional forum(s).
- Support and advise individual NOs
and the community of practice members as they pilot and implement new
urban programming approaches, models, and tools.
- Development and implementation of
consultancy services
- Develop a business plan for
consultancy services in urban development, policies, and planning, and
urban housing schemes and projects under HFH AFR AO. These services would
focus on providing technical assistance to public entities, mainstreaming
pro-poor, inclusive, and sustainable approaches to urban development and
housing.
- Coordinate a scoping exercise
across the region to identify appropriate opportunities for such
consultancy services, as well as identify key subject matter experts,
universities, research institutes, etc., which could be engaged for these
services under the HFH brand.
- Lead and coordinate consulting
services engagements to public entities from Habitat’s AFR AO in the
design and implementation of local housing policies, planning, programs,
and projects, by managing external consultants to deliver the services.
- Participation and management of
events
- Lead or contribute to the
effective management and success of conferences, seminars, forums,
roundtables, and other national and regional events. This includes (but is
not limited to) Regional Housing Forums, Urban Housing Practitioners’
Hubs’ events, etc.).
- When leading the management of
the events, drive entire project life cycles, from event vision and
concept to timeline management, budgets, vendors, staffing, execution,
creation of different supporting committees (internal and external) and
reporting for the events.
- Internal and External Liaison and
Coordination.
- Assist in administering and
convening meetings with key stakeholders to strategically position HFH AFR
as a regional lead in addressing affordable and adequate housing issues
particularly in the urban context.
- Participate and actively
contribute in appropriate HFHI forums, working groups and networks related
to urban programs.
- Nurture and maintain strategic
relationships with external actors at regional level (e.g. UN-Habitat,
World Vision prominent cso/professional/academic/research institutions) to
contribute to organizational learning and build Habitat for Humanity’s
credibility and influence in the area of urban programs.
Applications
will close on 26th March 2024.
How To Apply