Chief Technical Advisor (CTA)

Organization: UNDP Saudi Arabia, through Stars Orbit Consultants and Management Development (SOC).

VA No. VA24-54

Position Title: Chief Technical Advisor (CTA)

Type of Contract: International or National Consultancy

Duty Station: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Duration: 12 Months (with possible extension depending on performance, continued need and budget availability)

Vacancy Date of Issue: 24 April 2024

Vacancy Closure Date: 2 May 2024

Expected Starting Date: As soon as possible

This vacancy is announced by UNDP Saudi Arabia through Stars Orbit Consultants and Management Development (SOC). SOC is a sub-contractor for UNDP Saudi Arabia, assisting the programme in implementing their activities through HR and contract management of consultants working in their support.

Project Description

• The project will provide a strategic framework for UNDP and UN-HABITAT to provide substantive technical assistance, advisory, and quality assurance services to the Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing (MoMRAH) to deliver on the following six initiatives of the Spatial Planning and Visual Appeal Program that are the focus of this project:
• The Regional Plans, Local Plans and Urban Codes under MOMRAH’s jurisdiction are efficiently and effectively delivered following international best practices.
• National Urban Policy.
• Local planning departments are empowered and enabled through a new Operating Model for Planning Departments.
• The municipal system is improved and restructured, updating settlements boundaries, revising classification and categorization of Saudi human settlements, and optimizing service delivery towards efficiency and sustainability.
• The Saudi Planning framework is restructured, planning tools are redefined, updated and improved in line with the new classification and categorization.
• The existing MoMRAH Urban Design Studio is upscaled in a fully-fledged Urban Lab and capacitated to spearhead and device innovative tools and projects-based satellite Labs in support of MoMRAH mission.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide advisory services to the Deputy Minister for Urban Planning and Lands – MOMRAH in the fields of urban planning, urban design and urban code.
• Lead the team leaders of the three initiatives and supervise and manage the teams who will deliver the tasks and activities to assure that their outcomes are properly achieved in a timely manner.
• Support the National Project Officer to assure the allocation is widely distributed over tasks and activities.
• Attend the meetings with high level government representatives and diplomatically negotiate the requirements and tasks to be delivered.
• Attend meetings with the deputyship of urban planning and lands and other deputyships in MOMRAH, as required.
• Coordinate with the UN-HABITAT team leader to assure the deliverables of UN-HABITAT outcomes are delivered as per the project document signed.
• Establish procedures and coordination channels with UN-HABITAT team leader to assure complementary mechanisms for common initiatives.
• Through MOMRAH, align the activities and tasks including the deliverables of the three initiatives with relevant departments in MOMRAH to serve the objectives of the Municipal Transformation Strategy.
• Through MOMRAH, align the activities and tasks including deliverables of the three initiatives with DASC and other RDAs.
• Assure the Capacity Building program and activities are delivered adequately based on Best Practice.
• Assure the KPls of the UNDP agreement with MOMRAH are achieved.
• Seek the support of the UNDP office in Riyadh and globally to support the projects activities and outcomes.
• Recommend candidates of long term and short term consultants and experts to be recruited for the project.
• Prepare the material and presentations needed for the Board of the Project and attend meetings, if needed.
• Prepare quarterly reports for the progress of the projects activities based on the Project Document requirements and submit to UNDP country office and relevant departments in MOMRAH.

Institutional Arrangement

The CTA will report to the Head of the Urban and Local Development at UNDP Saudi Arabia and the National Project Manager.

Core Competencies:

Achieve Results: LEVEL 4: Prioritize team workflow, mobilize resources, drive scalable results/strategic impact

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 4: Easily navigate complexity, encourage/enable radical innovation, has foresight

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 4: Create systems and processes that enable learning and development for all

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 4: Proactively initiate/lead organizational change, champion new systems/processes

Act with Determination: LEVEL 4: Able to make difficult decisions in challenging situations, inspire confidence

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 4: Construct strategic multi-partner alliances in high stake situations, foster co-creation

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 4: Create ethical culture, identify/address barriers to inclusion

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Master’s degree in urban planning, regional planning, urban design, architecture, engineering, project management, business administration, or any discipline relevant to sustainable development.

Experiences:

Strong background in urban and regional planning in the Gulf region, particularly Saudi Arabia. A minimum of 15 years’ experience

Required Skills:

• Extensive experience in national, regional and local development;
• Extensive experience in operational planning and implementation of social and economic development activities;
• Experience with Sustainable Urban Development and SDGs;
• Experience in drafting national spatial policies and reflecting at regional and local levels;
• Previous country or regional experience (Saudi Arabia and Gulf states) is an asset;
• Working experience with UNDP/UN agency is an asset

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section:

• Conceptualizes and analyzes problems to identify key issues, underlying problems, and how they relate
• Ability to identify beneficiaries’ needs and to match them with appropriate solutions.
• Shares knowledge and experience and provides helpful feedback and advice.
• Excellent leadership and communication Klls (with groups, individuals and diversified stakeholders).
• Excellent interpersonal skills and is able to negotiate with diplomacy and tact.
• Focuses on results for the client and responds positively to feedback.
• Ability to handle a large volume of work, possibly under time constraints.
• Strong time management and deadline-sensitive abilities.
• Remains calm, in control and works well under pressure.
• Excellent report writing skills.

Language:

Proficiency in the English is required.