Programme Implementation Coordinator

Result of Service

The incumbent will work in close collaboration with programme, operations and project teams to support the achievement of project objectives and organizational priorities.

Work Location

Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil

Expected duration

Six (6) months, with possibility of extension

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 in 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. To properly implement the projects in Brazil, a Programme Implementation Coordinator is required.

Report to UN-Habitat Manager

The Programme Implementation Coordinator reports to the Head of Brazil Office, who will evaluate him/her.

Responsibilities

The Programme Implementation Coordinator will support the implementation of projects in Brazil, and their activities, with the following responsibilities:

Team Engagement and Portfolio Tracking

• Provide guidance to the day-to-day operations of the Programme Implementation and Institutional Relations area, ensuring the effective organization, prioritization, and distribution of work among technical and administrative analysts.
• Provide guidance to the personnel involved in project implementation, ensuring high-quality technical delivery and compliance with established deadlines.
• Monitor team performance, workload allocation, and implementation progress, promoting efficient resource utilization, and timely completion of activities.
• Provide guidance to the implementation of multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring alignment across initiatives, consistency in approaches, and effective use of resources.

Project Planning and Implementation

• Collaborate with the implementation of projects, providing technical guidance to project teams to ensure timely, efficient, and high-quality delivery of results.
• Review and provide technical guidance on work plans, implementation strategies, periodic narrative reports, and other project management instruments.
• Collaborate in monitoring project timelines, budgets, deliverables, milestones, and quality standards, ensuring corrective measures are adopted whenever necessary.
• Advise project teams on the planning and implementation of project activities, promoting consistency with agreed methodologies, work plans, expected results, and institutional priorities.
• Ensure the consistent application of project management methodologies, tools, workflows, and procedures across the project portfolio.
• Collaborate with the continuous improvement of project implementation processes, identifying opportunities to enhance effectiveness, efficiency, and quality.
• Ensure that project management, monitoring, reporting, and knowledge management tools are maintained, updated, and effectively utilized across all projects.

Risk Management and Quality Assurance

• Identify, assess, and monitor project implementation risks, including operational bottlenecks, delivery gaps, coordination challenges, resource constraints, and external factors that may affect project execution.
• Develop and recommend mitigation measures and corrective actions to address identified risks and implementation challenges.
• Provide support in monitoring critical risks and defining appropriate follow-up actions.
• Ensure compliance with UN-Habitat regulations, operational procedures, templates, workflows, and quality standards throughout project implementation.
• Promote quality assurance practices across projects, ensuring that technical outputs meet organizational and partner expectations.
• Collaborate with the resolution of operational challenges affecting project implementation and escalate strategic issues when required.

Strategic and Technical Guidance

• Provide technical and programmatic guidance on the localization and implementation of international development agendas, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.
• Provide technical advice and support for the design and implementation of ongoing and future projects.
• Identify opportunities for methodological and operational improvements across projects and recommend approaches to strengthen project effectiveness, consistency, and impact.
• Provide support to project teams in applying innovative approaches, tools, and methodologies that contribute to improved programme delivery.
• Contribute to strategic discussions regarding programme implementation, operational efficiency, and portfolio performance.

Partnerships and Representation

• Provide support to the identification, development, and follow-up of strategic partnerships relevant to UN-Habitat's mandate and programme portfolio.
• Maintain regular coordination with partners, consultants, government counterparts, and other stakeholders involved in project implementation.
• Participate in meetings, workshops, conferences, and consultations with partners to support programme implementation and strengthen institutional collaboration.
• Participate in technical meetings, forums, consultations, working groups, training activities, and project-related events.
• Facilitate coordination among internal teams and external partners to ensure alignment of activities and achievement of project objectives.

Knowledge Management and Reporting

• Organize the systematization and dissemination of methodologies, lessons learned, good practices, and project experiences generated through programme implementation.
• Promote knowledge exchange and cross-project learning across project teams, regional offices, and headquarters.
• Identify opportunities for institutional learning and capacity development, supporting continuous improvement in project implementation and management practices.
• Provide support to the development of technical products, knowledge materials, guidance notes, and other resources that contribute to organizational learning and programme visibility.
• Ensure that project knowledge, documentation, and implementation records are properly maintained and accessible for future use.

Other Duties

• Document and maintain an orderly and accessible information file related to all undertaken activities.
• Be responsible for the delivery of tasks according to deadlines and conduct administrative and management activities to ensure that projects meet the objectives in terms of deadlines, budget, and quality.
• Document expert group meetings, training events and other activities related to the planning, development and implementation of ongoing and new projects.
• Attend meetings and conferences promoted by UN-Habitat and the projects’ partners as requested.
• Have compliance with UN-Habitat quality standards and project requirements, ensuring consistency with institutional guidelines, methodologies and expected outcomes.
• Develop reports following ABNT guidelines, ensuring alignment with UN-Habitat’s quality standards and projects requirements.
• Ensure the adoption of ethical principles during the consultancy, particularly regarding active listening, respect for diversity, and the promotion of a safe, inclusive, and participatory learning environment.
• Perform any other management-related duties assigned by the Head of Brazil Office, consistent with the functions of the position.

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 consultant will support the implementation of projects in Brazil according to the stated responsibilities.

Qualifications/special skills

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Law, International Relations, Social Sciences, Public Administration, Architecture and Urbanism, Geography, Economics or related fields is required.
• Postgraduate degree (Lato Sensu or Stricto Sensu) in Project Management, Urban Studies, Social Sciences, Public Administration, Public Policy or related fields is required, or additional four (4) years of relevant technical experience to the post, beyond the requirement.

Work experience

• Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional experience in project/programme management on themes related to urban, sustainable or social development in Brazil is required.
• Professional experience with urban planning and management, public policies, public administration, or international cooperation is required.
• Professional experience with digital tools, software, online platforms, databases or data visualization and analysis tools is desirable.
• Previous experience within the UN System is desirable.

Skills

• Good computer skills in Windows and Office packages and Web search engines are required.
• Good handling of technological tools and use of software and online platforms is desirable.
• Good knowledge of project management methodologies is required.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of financial management principles and practices; applies sound judgment; shows persistence in meeting commitments and achieving results; demonstrates integrity and accountability.
• Planning and organization: Develops clear goals and priorities; identify priority activities and assignments; allocates appropriate time and resources for completing work and meeting deadlines.
• Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others and responds appropriately; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping stakeholders informed.
• Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues and partners to achieve organizational goals; values diversity; contributes to an inclusive and respectful work environment.

Knowledge Management

• Contribute to the documentation, organization, and dissemination of relevant technical knowledge and lessons learned related to the assignment.
• Support the preparation of tools, templates, and reference materials that facilitate effective project implementation.
• Ensure information, records and documentation produced under the assignment are properly organized and made available to authorized personnel.
• Promote knowledge-sharing and collaboration among project teams while ensuring compliance with applicable confidentiality and data protection requirements.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat, and Spanish is the working language of the Regional Office.
• For the post advertised, fluency in Portuguese and English is required. Working knowledge of Spanish is required.

Additional Information

Travel details

Applicable. The incumbent may be required to undertake official travel within Brazil, subject to project requirements and prior authorization of Head of Brazil Office. All official travel will be undertaken in accordance with applicable United Nations travel policies and procedures.

Contract type

LICA, UNOPS, with Cigna health insurance.

Remuneration

Remuneration will be determined in accordance with the applicable UNOPS Local ICA or UNDP’s salary scale and the level established through the official classification process.

Notes

Appointment against this post is on local basis and only nationals from Brazil or external candidates who hold a permanent visa in Brazil may apply.

The extension of this contract is subject to availability of funds and/or performance. Any contract extension is not automatic.

It is required for all the curricular information to be inserted in the system, which may take a few hours.

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. Due to the volume of applications received, receipt of applications cannot be acknowledged individually. Only short-listed applicants will be contacted.

Applications should be submitted through INSPIRA and must include all documents required at the system, please be ready to include the following information at the “Candidate Profile” (CP) at Inspira:

• Cover memo (maximum 1 page)
• Educational Background (incl. dates)
• Professional Experience (assignments, tasks, achievements, duration by years/ months)
• Expertise and preferences regarding location of potential assignments
• Languages (proficiency level in all languages, including mother tongue)
• Other Experience and Expertise (e.g. Internships/ voluntary work, etc.)*
• Please note that Internships and part-time work count as 50%. In addition to it, note experience not relevant to the position will not be considered.

All applications should be submitted to: Inspira

UN-HABITAT does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. If you have any questions concerning people or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of these offices and requesting the payment of a fee, please contact: recruitment@unon.org.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.