Habitat for Humanity’s Asia Pacific Area Office (APO) is searching for a qualified Urban Policy Manager. Located in the Housing and Human Settlement (HHS) Department of the APO and based in Manila, Philippines, this position will be responsible for supporting the growth and development of Habitat for Humanity’s urban programs in Asia-Pacific. S/he will report to the Senior Manager – Land, Urban, and Policy, as part of the Urban, Land and Policy Team in HHS.
The Urban Policy Manager will provide thematic expertise to support delivery of varied and innovative urban programs in the Asia Pacific (AP) region. S/he will strengthen the capacity NOs to implement shelter/housing and settlement programs in urban environments, facilitate knowledge exchange between practitioners, build and strengthen urban networks with external agencies and organizations, and support the development of national office urban housing strategies (where applicable). This role will work collaboratively with other functional areas in the AP Housing and Human Settlement team to achieve a coordinated approach for addressing the challenges of urban shelter and settlements programming, as well as engaging with partner organizations, government agencies and donors for a holistic community-based outcome. The position will also contribute to the implementation of HFHI’s global urban approach. The ideal candidate will possess a sound working knowledge of pro-poor urban development and low income urban housing models and will demonstrate significant practical experience in leading initiatives that bring together these two areas of knowledge, including a focus on informal settlements and slum upgrading.
- Work collaboratively with the AP Communications team, the Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter, and the APHF Steering Committee to disseminate information and collateral about the awards
- Manage the email account for receiving applications and organizing applications.
- Maintain close communication and relationships with Innovation Award jury members; members are from a variety of stakeholders including corporate sponsors, universities, international development banks, NGOs, etc.
- Collaboratively finalize the scoring criteria for applications.
- Manage the collaborative scoring of applications by the jury members. Facilitate the discussion to select the top three award winners
- In addition to the Innovation Awards, the Urban Policy Manager will also provide technical input into other aspects of the APHF (e.g. speaker suggestions), as well as provide technical support to the Philippines’ National Housing Forum.
Program Implementation and Support:
- Provide thematic expertise on affordable housing and supportive housing regulations and policies as they apply in the urban environment to Habitat AP programs and projects (development and humanitarian)
- Identify and guide scalable and sustainable models for urban programming adapted to the different contexts in the Asia Pacific region.
- Provide technical advice and guidance to National Offices in development of national urban strategies.
- Support NOs to develop translate strategic urban or policy priorities into projects for implementation that deliver tangible impacts on the ground, and help secure funding for these projects.
- Ensure that systems thinking is applied in urban programming to ensure that urban shelter programming issues are integrated through every functional area (such as disaster response and risk reduction, advocacy, market development, water sanitation and hygiene, etc.).
- Contribute to communication and change management processes to support implementation of Habitat’s AP regional urban strategy and its integration with Habitat’s Global Urban Approach.
- Develop business plan for consultancy services function in urban development and urban policy under Habitat’s APO, to increase impact on the urban housing sector, through mainstreaming of pro-poor urban policies and technical assistance.
- Coordinate a scoping exercise across the region to identify appropriate opportunities for consultancy services in urban development and urban policy to local governments of secondary cities, as well as identify key subject matter experts, universities, research institutes, etc., which could be engaged for these services under the Habitat brand.
- Lead and coordinate consulting services engagements to local governments, from Habitat’s APO in the design and implementation of local housing policies, planning, programs and projects, by managing external consultants to deliver the services.
Capacity Building
- Support and advise NOs in the recruitment, orientation and training of suitably qualified and experienced staff to implement urban shelter programs; provide ongoing support to those staff.
- Assist in the coordination and facilitation of learning events or workshops linked to urban programming issues. Lead individual learning sessions on urban shelter programming within regional forum(s).
- Support and advise individual NOs and the community of practice members as they pilot and implement new urban programming approaches, models, and tools.
Knowledge Management
- Coordinate an urban programs community of practice amongst committed NOs to review, adapt, and pilot new urban shelter/housing programming tools and models
- Contribute research material, project documentation, synthesis reports, and other resources to the global urban team; encourage and support practitioners and organizational leaders to contribute to the global urban community of practice.
- Lead and coordinate research activities within the region related to the development of appropriate urban programming models.
- Minimum of 5 years working experience on programming for poor urban communities, pro-poor social or housing policy, or developing low cost housing solutions in urban environments.
- Expertise in tangential Habitat field of operation: housing finance or disaster resilience.
- At least 3 years’ experience working on pro-poor policies or programs – preferably housing – particularly in an urban context
- Experience coordinating or working with other urban and policy actors such as the UN, World Bank, National Governments, the US Government, the EU, INGOs, and INGO coordinating bodies, etc.
- Active support of HFHI Values: Team Collaborator – Good Steward – LEAN/Continuous Improvement – Graceful Candor – Heart for the Mission – Personal Integrity
Preferred:
- Work experience in multiple Asia Pacific countries.
- An understanding of key government housing related policies and governance systems particularly in an urban context in the Asia-Pacific region and/or countries.
- Understanding of advocacy, campaigning and communications and how they contribute to achieving program goals
- Preferred experience with working governmental and local authority institutions