JOB VACANCY

As an international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations, the federally owned Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH supports the German Government in achieving its development-policy objectives. It provides viable, forward-looking solutions for political, economic, ecological and social development in a globalised world. GIZ promotes complex reforms and change processes. Its corporate objective is to improve people’s living conditions on a sustainable basis. For more information see: www.giz.de

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, program Kosovo for Green is seeking to fill the position of:

Technical Urban Development Advisor

The overall purpose of the post

The Technical Urban Development Advisor will play a central role in advancing Kosovo’s sustainable urban development through the Kosovo for Green program. This position is designed to provide expert guidance in developing spatial planning tools, establishing databases, and overseeing the integration of sectoral and spatial planning data at both the national and municipal levels. The advisor will work closely with governmental and municipal partners to implement climate-sensitive, sustainable, and resilience-focused planning practices.

The advisor will provide guidance and coordinate the work of implementing partners to ensure they contribute to the realisation of their assigned specific outputs of the program.

Main tasks and responsibilities:

The Technical Urban Development Advisor will be responsible to:

• Support the development of a centralized spatial planning database for Kosovo, incorporating data from national, municipal, and sectoral sources that is structured to support climate resilience, sustainable urban planning, and policy decision-making at all levels
• Serve as a technical liaison between national and municipal entities, ensuring that spatial planning tools and resources are utilized effectively
• Analyze and consolidate existing datasets from the Kosovo Spatial Plan and Municipal Development Plans, identifying and systematizing missing data to build a robust and accessible information repository
• Conduct in-depth assessments of national and municipal spatial data, ensuring they align with Kosovo’s urban planning requirements and are integrated into a unified database
• Standardize data collection practices across sectors to ensure consistency, reliability, and ease of access for stakeholders involved in urban planning
• Provide technical advice on spatial planning policy development, supporting national and local government initiatives with evidence-based insights
• Work with national policymakers to align Kosovo’s urban development framework with EU standards, especially focusing on climate resilience and sustainable infrastructure
• Design and conduct workshops to build the capacity of municipal and national authorities on data collection, spatial planning, and sustainable development practices
• Support and develop spatial planning/urban development concepts for the national and local level related to legal framework revision, public space planning and development and disaster risk assessments for selected municipalities in Kosovo
• Lead initiatives to incorporate digital transformation practices into Kosovo’s urban planning framework, making spatial data more accessible and useful for stakeholders
• Assist to monitoring the progress and documentation of program activities, identify bottlenecks and recommend alternatives for improvement. Support in reporting, evaluation and monitoring of activities at the national and local level.

Other duties/additional tasks

• Providing guidance to the Program Manager and Program Component manager on the strategic approach towards national/local processes and activities
• Support positioning of the program strategically towards partners and stakeholders
• Continuing personal development, ensuring capacity compliance with the needs of the assigned function and the associated tasks and obligations
• Perform other duties as required by Program Component Manager.

Required qualifications, competencies and experience

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Spatial Planning, GIS, Data Science, Architecture, Urban Management, or a closely related field
• Specialization in spatial data management or sustainable urban development is an advantage.

Professional experience

• At least five years of experience in urban planning, data management, or a related advisory role,

e.g. in database development, spatial planning, and data analysis

• Experience in GIS software, spatial databases, and data management tools to support the collection, standardization, and integration of planning data
• Demonstrated ability to manage and execute projects that improve public space, infrastructure, and urban livability
• Experience in local governance, democratization, public services, and performance management,
• Experience in institutional development and knowledge management
• National and/or international advisory experience related to local policy development and legal framework
• Knowledge and experience of urban planning on central and local levels, development processes of

the built environment, and its associated sustainable principles.

Other knowledge, additional competences

• Excellent working knowledge of English; knowledge of German is an added value
• A solid understanding of land-use policies, and EU or similar environmental standards
• A solid understanding of the software used in urban planning
• Proficient knowledge of Microsoft Office programs
• Solid knowledge of GIS tools and database systems, such as ArcGIS, QGIS, or similar platforms,
• Highly motivated, structured and strategic thinking, well organized and independent working style,
• Knowledge about the value of the environment, ecosystem, and biodiversity
• Service-oriented attitude and interpersonal skills, including adapting communication to different recipients and networking in Kosovo and with the international community
• Able to establish a good and considerate working relationship with all staff in the organization, demonstrating respect for their respective roles and responsibilities
• Willingness to upskill as required by the tasks to be performed – corresponding measures are agreed with management.

Location: GIZ Office-Pristina

Expected start date: January/ February2025

How to apply?

Interested and, suitably qualified and experienced candidates are invited to submit their electronic application in English, in PDF version, to [email protected]

• CV (Europass template is recommended)
• Letter of motivation
• Diploma(s), references/recommendations
• Exclusively to ensure transparency and avoid any potential conflict of interest, please provide the name(s) of any individuals who are related to you or you may know that have either previously worked for or are currently employed by GIZ, to the best of your knowledge (GIZ, in this case, will act in accordance with Article 13 of the Law No. 06/L –082 on Protection of Personal Data)
• Subject of the email: Name & Surname Urban Development AdvisorK4G Applications that do not meet these rules will not be considered!

Deadline for the application: 18th of November 2024

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted and invited to the next stage of recruitment.

GIZ encourages female candidates, candidates from ethnic communities, and candidates with a disability to apply.

*Disclaimer Data Privacy

GIZ is committed to ensuring the security and protection of the personal information we process.

Declaration of Consent

You agree that your personal data will be used for the purpose of the recruitment process, only. The information will only be accessed by recruitment staff and panel members. You understand that your data will be held securely and will not be distributed to third parties. You have a right to change or access your information. You understand that your personal data will be deleted after six months when this information is no longer required for this purpose.