Senior Strategic Advisor

The Senior Strategic Advisor provides high-level strategic advisory support to enhance decision-making and organizational effectiveness within the Regional Programme Division of UN-Habitat. The role supports the realization of the UN-Habitat Strategic Plan 2026–2029 through strengthening programme governance, institutional alignment, and improving programme development and implementation approaches.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic advice and analytical support on divisional priorities, organizational performance and emerging opportunities.
• Prepare executive briefing notes, discussion papers, strategic analyses and decision-support materials.
• Support prioritization and sequencing of strategic corporate and divisional initiatives.
• Support engagement with Regional Directors, senior management, HQ divisions and strategic partners.
• Support implementation and continuous refinement of the integrated Regional Programme Division business model.
• Translate strategic priorities into practical institutional frameworks, operational approaches and implementation roadmaps.
• Strengthen clarity on governance arrangements, roles, responsibilities and accountability across HQ, Regional Offices and Country Offices.
• Identify opportunities to improve organizational effectiveness and operational performance.
• Strengthen programme development methodologies, quality, design and strategic positioning across Regional and Country Offices.
• Support integrated programme approaches that reinforce the nexus between normative and operational work.
• Provide strategic inputs into priority programme concepts, pipelines, partnerships, donor positioning and resource mobilization opportunities.
• Develop practical guidance that strengthens programme quality, results articulation and implementation consistency.
• Strengthen programme governance frameworks, quality assurance and implementation oversight.
• Develop practical management and implementation frameworks and institutional guidance.
• Facilitate structured leadership consultations and alignment processes across HQ, Regional and Country Offices.
• Support targeted organizational realignment or reset processes where required.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen business processes, programme delivery and organizational performance.
• Develop standardized tools, templates and operational guidance that promote consistency and continuous improvement.
• Capture and synthesize lessons learned and strengthen cross-regional knowledge-sharing.
• Strengthen internal communication, alignment messaging and shared understanding of priorities and ways of working.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree in international development, public administration, governance, organizational development, management, public policy, communications or a related discipline.
• A first-level university degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
• A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible international experience in strategy realization/operationalization, organizational effectiveness, institutional strengthening, programme development or organizational performance is required.
• Demonstrated experience providing strategic advisory support to senior executives and facilitating complex alignment processes is desirable.
• Proven experience developing and implementing organizational business models, institutional frameworks and implementation strategies is desirable.
• Extensive experience strengthening programme development, programme governance, strategic positioning and donor-facing narratives is desirable.
• Experience in fragile or politically complex contexts is highly desirable.
• Experience in humanitarian, development or United Nations environments is desirable.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Knowledge of another official United Nations language is considered an asset.

Skills

• Strategy Realization
• Organisational Effectiveness
• Institutional Strengthening
• Program Development
• Orgnisational Performance
• Strategic Advisory
• Complex Alignment Facilitation
• Business Models Development
• Institutional Frameworks
• Implementation Strategies
• Programme Governance
• Strategic Positioning
• Donor Relations
• Experience in Fragile Settings
• Humanitarian Development
• United Nations Environment Experience

Languages

English