United Nations Human Settlements Programme Intern - Street Design and Low Carbon Mobility Jobs in Kenya

United Nations Human Settlements Programme Intern - Street Design and Low Carbon Mobility Jobs in Kenya

Org. Setting and Reporting

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all.

For close to forty years, UN-Habitat has been working in human settlements throughout the world, focusing on building a brighter future for villages, towns, and cities of all sizes. The position is in the Urban Basic Services Section.

Urban environments continue to grow at unprecedented rates. Two-thirds of the global population, or six billion people, will live in cities by 2050.

While they are economic powerhouses and present unprecedented social, economic, cultural and educational opportunities, unsustainable urban development puts enormous pressure on the provision of basic services to citizens, especially mobility, sanitation, water, solid waste management, and energy.

UN-Habitat, as a custodian of the ‘urban’ Sustainable Development Goal 11, is mandated to contribute to the creation of sustainable and inclusive human settlements, striving for a better quality of life for all in an urbanizing world. Within this ambitious mission, UN-Habitat’s Urban Basic Services Section focuses on the provision of essential services to urban residents, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable groups who are at risk of being left behind – children, women, the elderly, indigenous groups, people with disabilities and the urban poor.

Within UN-Habitat’s Urban Basic Services Section, the Urban Mobility team works on a diverse range of projects striving towards achieving sustainable mobility in urban environments.

This is especially relevant in a rapidly urbanizing world, where the response to increased demand for access to economic opportunities and vital services is often car-based urban development, tailored to and facilitating private car ownership.

The impacts of this approach are concerning: transport-based emissions make up a quarter of global carbon dioxide emissions, traffic-related accidents are the leading cause of mortality among young people and congestion results in a significant loss of national and local GDPs. There is thus an urgent need for a shift towards sustainable, accessible and efficient mobility in cities.

The urban mobility team works towards this aim. Its broad portfolio includes work on the development of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans, for instance in Kenya; stimulating the use of non-motorized transport and its integration in sustainable mobility networks, as done through the United Nations Road Safety Fund project in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Mozambique and Guinea; and the design and implementation of safe, accessible and integrated mobility projects on the ground, for instance through the Nairobi River Regeneration Initiative.

The team supports building the capacity of local and national authorities to stimulate sustainable urban mobility, and, through its projects around the globe, significantly contributes to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals are in line with the New Urban Agenda, with a focus on leaving no one behind.

This knowledge and good practices are promoted at a local, national, regional and international scale through workshops, conferences and public outreach events including Open Street
Days, Placemaking Events, or Bicycle Events.

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Nairobi, Kenya, Urban Basic Services Section internship is for 6 (six) months.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, applicants may be requested to undertake the internship remotely in view of constraints regarding visa issuance, international travel, and access to UN premises. Applicants must be willing and prepared to undertake the internship remotely for a part or the entirety of the internship.

The work hours during the internship shall be determined based on individual discussion between the intern and the supervisor(s) taking into consideration the minimum requirements of the Organization and the time difference between the hosting office and the location of the intern.

The Internship is UNPAID and full-time.

Interns work five days per week under the supervision of a staff member in the department or office to which they are assigned.

Responsibilities

Daily responsibilities will depend on the individual's background, the interns' assigned office as well as the internship period.

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Management Officer, Urban Basic Services Section the intern will:

Provide technical support to

ongoing urban mobility initiatives, with a focus on street designs and urban designs;

Develop and review urban mobility proposals, with a focus on street design and complete streets;

Support the team in the development of situational analyses reports, generate maps, plans, and conceptual and detailed designs for ongoing projects such as the Nairobi River Regeneration Initiative, or the UN Road Safety Fund project;

Develop professional communication materials, including layout and design (maps, illustrations, tables, and graphics), for urban mobility publications and documents;

Undertake desk research on the latest academic and policy pathways toward and best practices for innovative urban mobility, and produce written briefs and reports that feed into the team’s ongoing projects;

Support staff in project meetings and capacity-building sessions with a focus on smart and electric mobility, including the preparation of technical notes and presentations for such meetings and follow-up on activities;

Support staff in literature review and project development activities;

Any other tasks as assigned in relation to urban mobility.

Competencies

Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively. Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately. Asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication. Tailors' language, tone, style and format to match the audience. Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals. Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others. Places team agenda before personal agenda. Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position.

Client orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view. Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect. Identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions. Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems.

Education

Applicants must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:

Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher);

Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree program (minimum Bachelor's level or equivalent);

Have graduated with Bachelor's degree, Masters, PhD or equivalent

Be computer literate in standard software applications (Microsoft Office).

Have demonstrated a keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter.

Have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which includes a willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.

Preferred Areas of Studies:

Urban Planning/Design; Transport Planning/Engineering; Transport Geography, Urban Geography, with specific attention to
Transport/Mobility and skills in GIS, CAD, Illustrator; or another related field.

Work Experience

No working experience is required to apply for the United Nations Internship Programme. Your training, education, advance course work or skills should benefit the United Nations during your internship.

Experience and understanding of theories and concepts of, and approaches to,
sustainable urban mobility planning and design, combined with a demonstrated capacity for the in-depth analysis of context-specific urban mobility systems is required.

Experience in developing strong graphic materials, as well as illustrated proposals and substantive reports, and being computer literate in standard software applications is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship, fluency in written and oral English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

How to Apply

For more information and job application details, see; United Nations Human Settlements Programme Intern - Street Design and Low Carbon Mobility Jobs in Kenya

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