UN-Habitat Jobs 2026
United Nations Human Settlements Programme
Explore current vacancies with United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), including hiring locations, requirements, duties, salaries, grades, contracts, career insights and application links.
Updated daily
All UN-Habitat Jobs
Showing 6 of 6 active roles.
Urban-Rural Linkages Intern
Development Coordinator
Special Assistant, Administration
Senior Strategic Advisor
Programme Management Officer, Administration
Director, Corporate Management Division
Popular UN-Habitat Job Searches
Common ways candidates explore UN-Habitat careers by opportunity type, location and field.
About UN-Habitat
UN-Habitat is the United Nations programme for sustainable urbanization and human settlements. It helps national and local governments, communities and partners make cities more inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable through urban policy, housing, land, planning, basic services, climate action and crisis recovery. As the UN’s focal point for cities, it connects global commitments such as the New Urban Agenda and SDG 11 with practical urban programmes.
- Established
- 1978
- Global Workforce
- ~343
- Annual Budget
- USD 190.3m resource requirements (2026)
- Global Presence
- 90+ countries
UN-Habitat Hiring Locations
Countries with active UN-Habitat vacancies right now.
Working with UN-Habitat
Working at UN-Habitat means treating urbanization as a route to better lives rather than simply a question of buildings or maps. Its work spans adequate housing, land and property rights, neighbourhood upgrading, public space, urban planning, municipal finance, water and sanitation, mobility, climate resilience, digital innovation and post-crisis recovery. Teams help cities and national governments diagnose problems, design policy, mobilize investment, build local capacity and deliver projects with communities.
Why Work at UN-Habitat?
Shape cities around people
Turn housing, planning and service challenges into more inclusive urban futures.
Put adequate housing first
Advance land, housing and basic services where inequality is most visible.
Link urban action and climate
Build resilient settlements through practical planning, finance, infrastructure and community partnerships.
How to Apply for UN-Habitat Jobs
Once you find a suitable UN-Habitat vacancy on IGO Jobs or the UN-Habitat careers page, submit your application through UN-Habitat's official recruitment portal. Below is a guide on how to apply.
Official UN-Habitat application route ↗1Start with the official UN-Habitat opportunity page or UN Careers
Use UN-Habitat’s Join Us page, IGO Jobs or UN Careers to identify the exact opportunity. Read the office, contract type, duty station, functional area, duration and mandatory criteria. Urban planning, technical-cooperation and operations roles can have very different eligibility and local-recruitment conditions.
2Use Inspira for UN-Habitat recruitment
UN-Habitat states that opportunities are published on Inspira and that selection and recruitment are conducted only through this channel. Sign in or create a UN Careers/Inspira account, then open the matching Job Opening. Do not submit an unsolicited CV in place of an application unless an official vacancy explicitly instructs otherwise.
3Complete the online profile with urban-sector evidence
Enter your education, work history, language skills, certifications and relevant technical experience directly in the system. Link each role to work such as urban policy, housing, land, infrastructure, municipal systems, data, climate resilience or community engagement, using complete dates and evidence rather than a broad sector label.
4Tailor responses to the programme and local context
Use the vacancy’s duties to select results that fit its actual assignment. Explain your contribution to a plan, policy, consultation, service-improvement project, investment case or recovery programme; identify the public and community partners involved and the concrete outcome. Address social inclusion, affordability and environmental considerations where they are relevant.
5Verify all requirements and submit before the deadline
Check every mandatory question, attachment, work-history entry, language claim and eligibility declaration before submitting. A saved draft is not an application. Note the specified closing time and retain the confirmation and Job Opening number after a successful submission.
6Prepare for a role-specific UN assessment
Shortlisted candidates may be assessed through a written exercise, interview or other method appropriate to the post. Prepare examples that show technical competence and collaborative delivery: how you analysed an urban problem, involved affected residents, managed stakeholders and achieved a usable result. References and administrative checks may follow for finalists.
Recruitment safety: No legitimate UN-Habitat recruitment process asks candidates to pay for an application, assessment, interview, appointment or visa. Use the official Inspira/UN Careers route identified by the vacancy and be cautious of requests for money or financial details. Verify unexpected messages against the official listing rather than relying on a logo or an email signature.
UN-Habitat Market Insights
Current vacancy activity and the career areas represented across active UN-Habitat listings.
Active jobs
20
Added this month
17
+14 vs last monthTypical posting age
12 days
Most active month
August
Least active month
July
Most active duty station
Nairobi
Based on IGO Jobs internal index data. See methodology and sources.
Top Job Functions
Top Grades
Top Contract Types
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Frequently asked questions about UN-Habitat careers
Where do I apply for UN-Habitat jobs?+
UN-Habitat says that its opportunities are published on Inspira, the United Nations human-resources gateway, and that its recruitment and selection processes are conducted through that channel. Find the specific vacancy, open the linked Job Opening in UN Careers/Inspira, complete the required online profile and questions, and submit before the published closing time.
What kinds of professionals does UN-Habitat hire?+
UN-Habitat needs urban planners and housing, land, infrastructure, climate, finance, data and policy specialists, alongside programme, partnerships, communications, procurement, finance and administrative colleagues. The mandate is broad, but each post has a specific deliverable and location. Match your experience to the assignment’s actual urban challenge rather than treating every role as a general sustainable-development position.
Is UN-Habitat work only in Nairobi?+
Nairobi hosts the headquarters, but UN-Habitat works in more than 90 countries through country and regional programmes. Opportunities can therefore be in field locations, regional offices or other duty stations as well as Nairobi. The vacancy notice controls the expected presence, travel, security conditions and whether local recruitment or national knowledge is required.
What makes a strong UN-Habitat application?+
Use evidence of outcomes that matter in cities and settlements: a plan adopted, a housing or land solution designed, a service improved, investment mobilized, urban data made usable or communities meaningfully engaged. Explain your individual role and the stakeholders involved. A technical CV is stronger when it also shows how you managed inclusion, affordability, climate and governance trade-offs.
Are UN-Habitat consultancies the same as staff jobs?+
No. Consultancy, individual-contractor, project and staff arrangements can differ in duration, benefits, location, tax treatment and selection process. The terms stated in the Job Opening are authoritative. Before applying, confirm the contract category, expected outputs, reporting line, duty station and whether the role is a locally recruited assignment or an internationally recruited post.
Does UN-Habitat charge an application fee?+
No legitimate UN-Habitat recruitment process asks candidates to pay for an application, assessment, interview, appointment or visa. Use the official Inspira/UN Careers route identified by the vacancy and be cautious of requests for money or financial details. Verify unexpected messages against the official listing rather than relying on a logo or an email signature.