Result of Service

The Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Drainage Consultant reports to the Head of Brazil Office. He/She shall duly and timely perform his/her obligations, under this Term of Reference. The consultant will work in close collaboration with the UN-Habitat’s operational and technical teams.

Work Location

São Gonçalo, Brazil

Expected duration

Two (2) months

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 on 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. In 2023, UN-Habitat launched a project with the aim of supporting the Municipality of São Gonçalo to reduce social inequalities based on the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda. This project is dedicated to improving the capacities and conditions of the local administration in monitoring urban conditions and trends at the local level, providing evidence-based information to build sustainable and locally integrated urban policies. In 2024, UN-Habitat was invited to contribute to the development of the participatory Action Plan for a project under the Periferia Viva Programme, aimed at the urbanization of an informal settlement, with resources already secured for its implementation. To ensure the successful implementation of this project UN-Habitat has created a new team, which requires an Environmental Technician with a focus on drainage solutions. The scope of the Action Plan includes physical-environmental analysis, flood-related risk analysis, and the definition of urban project guidelines. Therefore, an Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Drainage Consultant with a focus on drainage solutions is needed to ensure a detailed approach to the topic, especially in areas subject to flooding located in the peripheral territory of the Periferia Viva program in Jardim Catarina, São Gonçalo. Report to UN-Habitat Manager The Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Drainage Consultant reports to the Head of Brazil Office, who will evaluate him/her. Responsibilities The Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Drainage Consultant will support the implementation of project activities related to environmental preservation, climate resilience, and sustainable drainage, with the following responsibilities: a) Conduct an environmental assessment to support the Technical-Community Diagnosis of the Periferia Viva Action Plan, with a primary focus on water bodies and Permanent Preservation Areas (APPs), erosive processes, native vegetation, land occupation and use by drainage basin, and priority areas for preservation. b) Conduct flood risk analyses to support the Technical-Community Diagnosis of the Periferia Viva Action Plan. c) Analyze, review, and, when necessary, suggest adjustments to engineering projects for Ipuca, focusing on climate resilience and sustainable drainage solutions. d) Prepare guidelines report for the executive projects to be developed for the urbanization of Ipuca. e) Collaborate with other team members to prepare the necessary technical documents corresponding to the project. f) Systematize the entire process through the delivery of organized documentation, including meeting minutes, photographs, attendance lists, raw data, analytical notes, and georeferenced maps, in accessible and editable formats. g) Present the results and deliverables to UN-Habitat and local partners through visual, clear, and accessible formats (executive reports, illustrated presentations, posters, short videos, etc.). h) Ensure compliance with UN-Habitat’s standards for visibility, data protection, and ethics, respecting the rights, privacy, and representation of community participants. i) Participate in meetings with UN-Habitat teams, the Municipality of São Gonçalo, and other relevant stakeholders to align expectations and refine the scope of analysis. j) Ensure all content is aligned with UN-Habitat standards, methodologies, and expectations, while maintaining confidentiality and data protection protocols. 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 Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Drainage Consultant shall assist the implementation of the project, according to the established responsibilities and the delivery of the following products: Product 1 - Technical Revisions and Consolidation Report Description: Product 3 shall consist of a comprehensive report documenting the incorporation of comments, technical recommendations, and required adjustments arising from review processes conducted by the Municipal Government of São Gonçalo, Caixa Econômica Federal, and the UN-Habitat coordination team. The document will cover the revision and consolidation of all technical materials produced within the scope of the project, including physical-environmental and flood risk assessments, thematic mappings, analyses of land use and occupation, and technical guidelines for urbanization, environmental preservation, climate resilience, and infrastructure interventions. This product must detail all revisions carried out, including:

Methodological refinements and improvements in analytical approaches;
Updates to primary and secondary data, including any complementary field verification;
Adjustments to technical analyses, risk assessments, and proposed interventions;
Enhancements in clarity, technical consistency, and internal coherence across all materials;
Alignment with applicable legislation, institutional requirements, and technical guidelines. The final consolidated material must be presented in a complete and revised form, demonstrating that all requested adjustments have been properly incorporated and that the output meets the required technical standards, ensuring clarity, reliability, and usability for decision-making and implementation. Expected delivery date: 15 days after signing the contract.

Qualifications/special skills

Education Required:

Bachelor's degree in Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Sanitary Engineering or related fields is required, or additional three (3) years of relevant experience to the post, beyond the requirement. Desirable:
Postgraduate degree (Lato Sensu or Stricto Sensu) in Sustainable Urban Drainage, Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Sanitary Engineering or related fields is desirable. Work experience:
Minimum of four (4) years of experience in drainage projects and urban stormwater management is required, especially related to sustainable urban drainage design.
Experience in the use of nature-based solutions is desirable.
Experience in design and/or work in informal settlements is desirable.
Previous experience within the UN System is desirable. Skills:
Good handling of technological tools, such as Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Of-fice, is required.
Good command of geographical information systems (GIS) software, such as QGIS, MapInfo and ArcGIS, is desirable. Competencies
Professionalism: Experience working in an inter-institutional environment, project management, monitoring-evaluation; approaches and strategies regarding good ur-ban governance and local and regional development.
Planning and organization: Professional approach to work, strong sense of responsi-bility, operate with minimal supervision; proven organizational skills and ability to manage a workload efficiently and within set deadlines.
Communication: Ability to write clearly and effectively; listen to others, interpret mes-sages correctly and respond appropriately; show openness in information sharing and keep everyone informed; solid abstract reasoning skills together with a proven capac-ity to write documents for diverse audiences.
Teamwork: Ability to work with teams, demonstrate leadership, conflict management and consensus facilitation skills; ability to work in a multicultural and multi-ethnic envi-ronment, and to respect diversity; sensitivity to the main streaming of vulnerability; willingness and ability to work in difficult environments. Knowledge Management
The person must know the processes, procedures, and norms of UN-Habitat, to guar-antee an adequate quality of the activities described above, following the standards of the organization.
The person will propose formats and procedures that allow the efficient implementa-tion of the activities related to the project development.
The person must know the file of the Office, work with it, and ensure its proper maintenance, accessibility for all staff, and due updating.
The person will prepare databases related to the project running.
The person will make sure that all relevant technical information will be adequately shared with the correspondent staff.
The person will ensure that all produced material will be fit-for-purpose and delivered, in an organized way, for posterior consultation and use of the Agency.
The person will only share the information produced with the team agency, assuring the privacy of the content.

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 is required. Working knowledge of English is desirable.

Additional Information

Travel details: Applicable. The consultant must be available to travel to the places related to the activities in the country, if requested by the Head of Brazil Office. Missions will be coordinated and financed by UN-Habitat, according to the United Nations travel rules and guidelines. Remuneration LICA 2 (part-time 14%) – BRL: 2.200 (Total net amount) UNOPS Salary Scale The consultant will receive a total amount of BRL: 2.200 according to the following schedule:

Payment 1: Upon delivery and approval of Product 1 (BRL: 2.200) 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. Only complete applications in English will be considered. 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
Other Experience and Expertise (e.g. Internships/ voluntary work, etc.)* * Please note that Internships, self-employment and part-time count as 50%. In addi-tion 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.