How to land a job with UN-Habitat

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, or UN-Habitat, is the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the U.N. system. With its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, the agency works in over 90 countries and provides knowledge, policy advice, and technical assistance. The agency looks for diverse types of experience since it is both an operational and normative program under the U.N. Secretariat, said Erfan Ali, UN-Habitat’s chief of staff. While the organization is hiring across all regions, its largest portfolios of work are based in Africa and the Arab States region. Even though the job search process can be competitive and frustrating, Ali encouraged interested candidates to continue to apply, noting that they could find initial opportunities as rostered candidates. However, he suggested only applying to “relevant jobs where you have relevant expertise” otherwise, you can hurt your reputation within the agency’s recruitment team. During a recent discussion with Ali, Devex learned more about the roles and skills the agency is hiring for. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. What level of professional experience is UN-Habitat looking for? It depends on the location, the office, and the portfolio. At headquarters, we require specific types of expertise —at middle and high levels— in the areas of urbanization, urban governance, and climate change. At the same time, we also require administrative posts or experiences, and we have a large number of ground staff and HQ staff supporting the operations. In the field, it differs. At the regional and/or country level, we have senior-level and regional representatives. Those are political representatives, senior-level managers, and senior-level managers as heads of country offices. Those are usually required to have senior managerial expertise with an understanding of the technical mandate of the organization at a high level. Then you have the operational or technical level staff — project managers, engineers, architects, planners, land surveyors. We have different types of lawyers, too, because we do a lot of land management and property rights projects that require legal expertise. We also have requirements related to operational expertise — accountants, financial managers, procurement officers. Those are usually they are recruited at the national office or at a ground level staff. Are there any roles in particular that there's a demand for right now? We do a lot of work in spatial planning and through the Urban Lab [The Global Network of Urban Planning and Design Labs], so urban planners are very in demand across different programs. Spatial planning is a niche area that's usually required and integrated into the different work we do and with housing as the core mandate, that requires engineers, architects, and procurement. Urban law specialists, too. Then, data processing, data specialists, and data analysts are also very important for us and in high demand. We also work in advocacy as we are mandated to promote the agenda of smart cities. There was recently a general assembly resolution requiring us to develop the guidelines on smart cities, so we have many initiatives for smart cities and related expertise is also very much needed within the organization. What soft skills is the agency looking for? Often, many candidates possess the necessary technical skills and knowledge to do the work professionally. It is then the soft skills that determine if they get the position and can make or break it. Soft skills are important, especially for an agency like UN-Habitat where we have colleagues from different backgrounds and deployed in field operations where they work in complex environments. Some of the most sought-after soft skills are around building and maintaining a positive attitude at work, especially with colleagues, stakeholders, and partners. It fosters collaboration, teamwork, and achieving common goals. Of course, for any U.N. agency, cultural sensitivity and diversity are also important. Given the multicultural nature of our workforce, candidates should demonstrate respect, empathy, and understanding toward individuals from different cultural and social backgrounds and perspectives. The ability to adapt to changing circumstances, work under pressure, and thrive in dynamic environments is highly valued in U.N. candidates, especially considering the organization's global reach and diverse operational contexts. These soft skills can be demonstrated through the competency-based interviews that are used by our HR systems. These are designed to probe not only into technical skills and key competencies but also check soft skills through relevant past work experience. What advice would you have for professionals looking to transition from other sectors? If they don't have the expertise — not necessarily just within the U.N. but also the expertise working with NGOs, the private sector, or working outside their country — I would recommend applying to national positions first. As an agency, we focus on the technical aspects, so if you volunteered, for example, and worked on data management or data collection, the important thing for us to see is the relevant technical experience. And the type of expertise should be relevant — you cannot say, for example, that you have five years of international experience in DRC working in food distribution as that’s not our area of work. What can a candidate do to make their application stand out? When applying for positions within the United Nations, including UN-Habitat, candidates typically submit a Personal History Profile form, or PHP, instead of a traditional CV or résumé. This form is a standardized document used by the U.N. to assess candidates’ qualifications and experiences. To make it stand out and be considered, focus on three things. Firstly, tailor the form to the position. Read carefully the job description and highlight relevant experiences, skills, and achievements that directly align with the job requirements and competencies outlined in the job description. This demonstrates a clear understanding of the role and how your background makes a suitable fit. It is also important to highlight your achievements and quantify them. This could include metrics such as the number of people managed, budget responsibility, or the impact of projects on organizational goals. Quantifiable achievements provide concrete evidence of the candidate’s capabilities and accomplishments. Recruiters get many applications and to be able to sort through them and select the most relevant, we have to use automated systems and software. Hence, it is important to include in the form relevant keywords and descriptions used in the job description. This can ensure that your PHP form gets noticed. It is also important to highlight achievements and qualifications in the motivational cover letter. This is the space where the candidate can elaborate on the important points and grab the recruiters’ attention. Ready to stand out from the crowd and get noticed by the recruiters who matter most? Update your Devex profile and start connecting with top global development recruiters now.