Result of Service

Under the guidance of the Head of the SDG Cities and Multilevel Governance Team, the Coordinator will advance UN-Habitat’s SDG Localization and multilevel governance agenda by steering a coherent, high-impact workstream and delivering senior-level results in the areas of: (1) coordination; (2) advocacy and strategic engagement (2) narrative, knowledge development and communications.

Work Location

Kenya

Expected duration

4 months

Duties and Responsibilities

BACKGROUND The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the United Nations agency for human settlements. Based in Nairobi (Kenya), it is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. UN-Habitat is the lead agency within the United Nations system for coordinating activities in the field of human settlement development and the UN leading the collaboration with local and regional governments and their networks. 2026 marks a pivotal year for sustainable urbanization, as SDG 11 comes under in-depth review, offering an opportunity to confront what the evidence shows. Since 2015, the population living in slums and informal settlements has grown by over 130 million people, reaching 1.16 billion in 2024, and nearly 45 per cent of households worldwide spend more than 30 per cent of their income on housing. Urban air quality remains five times above the WHO safe threshold, and in Voluntary National Reviews, disaster impacts have emerged as the most referenced SDG 11 theme worldwide, signaling that cities are managing the consequences of insufficient investment rather than its causes. This crisis falls hardest on older persons, persons with disabilities, refugees, migrants and Indigenous Peoples. It is within this context that UN-Habitat's Strategic Plan 2026–2029 identifies SDG localization and participatory multilevel governance as key means of implementation to advance adequate housing, land management, and basic services. During the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in 2015, 193 Member States, convened at the Global Summit on Sustainable Development to adopt the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are universal and relevant to all Member States, from both the Global North and Global South. As demonstrated in the past years of implementation, it is widely acknowledged that the local level and local action are critical for the overall success of the 2030 Agenda – the SDGs need to be localized. In addition, during the second session of the United Nations Habitat Assembly, the Brazil-promoted Resolution on Localizing the SDGs received wide consensus and was co-sponsored by twelve other countries. Through the resolution, Member States further mandated UN-Habitat to strengthen the capacities of local and national governments on SDG data, reporting and integrated planning as well as on multilevel governance approaches for SDG localization. Action 55(e) of the Pact for the Future calls on the United Nations system to strengthen and systematize its engagement with local and regional governments in support of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It recognizes that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals depends on effective multilevel governance, stronger coordination across the UN system, and meaningful partnerships that connect global commitments with local action, ensuring that national priorities are translated into tangible results for communities. The Local2030 Coalition, co-chaired by UN-Habitat and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on behalf of the Regional Economic Commissions, is the United Nations' system-wide platform for advancing SDG localization. Powered by 14 UN agencies and five constituencies, it serves as the UN's structural mechanism for ensuring coordinated, coherent support to localization across the system. Through shared tools such as the Localization Blueprint and the SDG Localization Marker 2.0, the Coalition provides a common framework to align local priorities with global commitments, strengthen multilevel governance, and mobilize resources for locally led, sustainable territorial transformation. UN-Habitat is the United Nations focal point for work with local and regional governments and the custodian of the New Urban Agenda and has been at the forefront of SDG Localization since the very endorsement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Most recently, UN-Habitat has been mandated to co-chair the Local2030 Coalition, the UN-System initiative on localizing Agenda 2030. The operational work of UN-Habitat to support SDG Localization aims to contribute to the Local2030 Coalition mandate, network and actions. UN-Habitat's global footprint on SDG localization exceeds 30 countries, working through the United Nations system and in cooperation with the main United Nations and international partners. Building on its operational capacities and technical leadership, and in view of contributing to the Local2030 Coalition, the Agency developed the most integrated approach to localizing the SDGs in the United Nations system, working on three levels: (1) supporting city prosperity through the SDG Cities Initiative; (2) supporting national governments to develop National SDG Localization Frameworks through the Partnership Platform on Localizing the SDGs. Within UN-Habitat's Headquarters in Nairobi, under the Global Solutions Division, the SDG Cities and Multilevel Governance Team coordinates UN-Habitat's operational work on SDG Localization including SDG Cities, the Partnership Platform on Localizing the SDGs and supporting corporate engagement with the Local and Regional Governments constituency. It mobilizes partners and resources, builds capacities and innovates tools to support operational delivery through regional and country offices. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES The Coordinator will steer the SDG Cities and Multilevel Governance Team’s advocacy, knowledge management, policy and communications workstream, providing technical guidance and quality assurance to the Team’s Communications Officer and Advocacy, Knowledge Management and Web Development Consultant: Coordination

Integrate the core team members of the SDG Cities and Multilevel Governance Team as Advocacy, Policy and Knowledge Coordinator.
Supervise and provide technical guidance to the Communications and Strategic Engagement Officer and the Advocacy, Knowledge Management and Web Development Consultant – aligning their workplans, reviewing outputs and ensuring one coherent narrative across the team.
Coordinate planning and delivery with relevant UN-Habitat Teams, Sections and Offices, ensuring alignment with corporate priorities and senior management guidance as well as with Regional and Country Offices.
Coordinate planning and delivery with the Secretariat of the Local2030 Coalition – based in Bilbao – to ensure alignment and smooth delivery of the Section’s priorities. Advocacy and Strategic Engagement
Lead the design and delivery of the Team’s integrated advocacy and strategic-engagement strategy that strengthens UN-Habitat’s leading role on SDG Localization and multilevel governance in global, regional and national policy processes – reinforcing UN-Habitat’s corporate agenda and the Local2030 Coalition.
Plan, lead and deliver the SDG Cities and Partnership Platform on Localizing the SDGs networking, advocacy, and technical exchanges efforts including: 1) the SDG Cities Global Community, in coordination with the SDG Cities technical lead; 2) the Partnership Platform on Localizing the SDGs advocacy and partnership strategy.
Steer UN-Habitat’s positioning on SDG Localization and Multilevel Governance across key intergovernmental moments and their follow-up – the HLPF and SDG 11 review, the World Urban Forum, World Cities Day, the Regional Forums on Sustainable Development and the UN Water Conference – translating outcomes into concrete institutional follow-through.
Coordinate and provide high-level strategic and substantive direction on advocacy products – talking points, speeches, concept notes, policy positions and background documents – ensuring coordination, drafting, analytical quality and message coherence and discipline.
Represent the Team in project activities and cultivate strategic relationships with relevant technical counterparts in governments, local and regional government networks (UCLG, GTF) and other partners such as OECD, UNDESA and development partners.
Oversee the stakeholder mappings, advocacy trackers and engagement calendars maintained by the team, ensuring coordinated outreach, timely follow-up and a shared line of sight across the workstream. Narrative, Knowledge Development and Communications
Act as custodian of the Team's overarching narrative on SDG Localization and multilevel governance - ensuring a single, coherent and continuously updated storyline is carried consistently across advocacy, knowledge and communications products, speakers and channels, and refreshed as intergovernmental and operational developments unfold.
Set the direction of the Team's knowledge agenda, in coordination with the initiative leads and the Technical Hub, defining the priority policy questions and flagship products that reinforce UN-Habitat's corporate positioning.
Lead the development, technical review and quality assurance of policy papers, guidance notes and flagship reports, ensuring analytical rigour, coherence and policy relevance.
Steer the knowledge-to-policy-to-implementation pipeline, turning evidence from SDG Cities, National SDG Localization Frameworks and Voluntary Local and Subnational Reviews into policy sources, operational support and advocacy narratives.
Guide the systematization of knowledge resources, repositories and the SDG Localization knowledge platform led by the Advocacy, Knowledge Management and Web Development Consultant, ensuring consistency, accessibility and a coherent user journey.
Guide and quality-assure the communications strategies and products of the Team led by the Communications and Strategic Engagement Officer, ensuring they amplify the corporate narrative and reach the right audiences at the right moments.
Ensure a continuous feedback loop across knowledge, advocacy and communications, so that evidence, messaging and outreach stay mutually reinforcing and aligned with one team voice.
Ensure the Team's substantive contribution to corporate reporting, Strategic Plan 2026–2029 monitoring and institutional learning, in coordination with the Team's corporate focal point. REPORTING LINE The selected candidate will report to the Head of the SDG Cities and Multilevel Governance Team, within UN-Habitat’s Global Solutions Division. The Coordinator will provide day-to-day technical guidance, quality assurance and workplan alignment to the Team’s Communications and Strategic Engagement Officer and the Advocacy, Knowledge Management and Web Development Consultant, ensuring a single, coherent advocacy, policy, knowledge and communications agenda across the workstream.

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced university degrees in Public Affairs, Political Science, Social Sciences, Urban Studies, Communications, Development Studies or other relevant area is required. A minimum of five years of relevant professional experience in sustainable development, urban development, governance, public policy, or international development, with proven expertise in coordinating teams, leading advocacy and policy initiatives, conducting policy analysis, stakeholder engagement, knowledge management, and programme coordination. Demonstrated ability to prepare high-quality reports, briefing notes, concept notes, and other substantive documents, as well as experience organizing events, workshops, consultations, and multi-stakeholder processes. Experience supporting intergovernmental processes, policy dialogues, and international forums is required. Desirable experience:

Experience working with or within the United Nations system or other international organizations.
Knowledge of SDG Localization, multilevel governance, territorial development and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Experience working with governments, local and regional authorities, international organizations, development partners or civil society organizations.
Familiarity with partnership-building, peer learning initiatives and communities of practice.

Languages

Fluency in English is required for this specific consultancy. Knowledge of another UN official language, specifically Frenche and Spanish (written and oral), is an asset.

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.

Coordinator - Advocacy, Knowledge Management and Communications Consultant