HOUSING LAND AND PROPERTY ASSOCIATE

Background

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the agency for human settlements. 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 has been a partner with the number of ministries at national and provincial levels, development partners, civil society organizations and academia.

UN-Habitat Pakistan Country Programme is aligned with the Pakistan United Nations Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDF 2023–2027) and the One UN Programme (OP-III). The Country Programme also supports UN-Habitat’s country programme for 2026–2029, which sets out a global agenda to place adequate housing, land and basic services at the centre of sustainable urbanization and to strengthen resilience to converging crises. UN‑Habitat’s plan links housing, land and basic services to urban climate resilience and crisis response, promoting low‑carbon, resilient housing and urban planning to mitigate climate impacts. It emphasizes integrated support for migrants and displaced people through adequate services, alongside risk reduction, recovery and reconstruction measures that strengthen urban systems in the face of climate‑driven and humanitarian crises.

UN-Habitat implements a project funded by the Government of Netherlands and focused on five cities (Haripur, Kohat, Peshawar, Karachi and Quetta) with a context of hosting Afghan refugees. The programme is to empower and support communities in selected settlements by promoting inclusive and sustainable urban development that prioritizes issues relating to housing and overcrowding, tenure insecurity, infrastructure, basic services and living conditions, economic opportunities, social cohesion and integration and improved living conditions, including preventing gender-based violence. A structured, sequenced and strongly participatory process is used to assess capacities, vulnerabilities, and problems, using systematic problem analysis to co-design collective solutions. Communities develop Strategic Settlement Plans that are jointly implemented with UN-Habitat, its Implementing Partners and relevant government agencies.

In Karachi, the Human Settlement Authority (HSA) previously known as the ‘Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority’ plays a crucial role in regularizing and upgrading slum settlements, also known as katchi abadis. Informed by the Sindh Katchi Abadi's Act 1987, the HSA's primary functions include (i) surveying and mapping slum settlements, (ii) developing development plans and identifying improvement projects, and (iii) issuing leases or legal titles to residents. In recent years the HSA has faced several challenges, which restrict its capacity to carry out informal settlement upgrading. For instance, field staff lack capacity and experience in conducting surveys and collecting data, undertaking participatory community planning, and capturing value from new revenue sources.

The Sindh Province HSA has requested technical assistance from UN- Habitat with regards to building the capacity of their field teams in innovative surveying methods and techniques, data collection, digitization of records, and development of building byelaws. By introducing new approaches and technologies into urban land management activities such as city-wide planning, slum upgrading, services and tenure provision, slum settlements are better connected to the city's larger infrastructure networks, including transportation, water, and sanitation systems. By aligning the upgradation of katchi abadis with Karachi's master plan, the HSA can ensure that these informal settlements are transformed into vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable communities that contribute to the city's overall development and prosperity. This technical assistance also complements UN Habitat’s ongoing project, supported by the Government of the Netherlands, to promote peaceful and harmonious co-existence between host communities and Afghan refugees in slum settlements in Pakistan.

Based on the foregoing, UN-Habitat is looking for a Housing Land and Property Associate to provide substantive to the Sindh Provincial Human Settlement Authority in processes related to this request. The successful candidate will be based in Karachi, but be required to perform other responsibilities in other cities within the project area including Peshawar and Quetta.

Objectives

To improve and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of land regularization and development efforts of the Sindh Human Settlement Authority in informal settlements by building the technical capacity of staff through training and integrating digital tools to streamline land registration and documentation processes.

The specific objectives are to:

1. Build technical expertise of Human Settlement Authority staff including land survey techniques, community engagement, data capture and digitalization, and participatory planning

2. Implement standardized procedures related to conducting land surveys, data capture, physical planning, and mapping

3. Improve data management

4. In collaboration with HSA, strengthen community engagement in participatory settlement planning

5. Ensure policy compliance.

Key Responsibilities

l Conduct detailed capacity assessments and identify skill gaps within the Human Settlement Authority and recommend targeted training or recruitment.

l Develop ongoing capacity-building plans for sustainability.

l Design detailed training modules focused on legal procedures, land survey techniques, GIS mapping, socio-economic assessment, and participatory planning.

l Conduct capacity-building sessions for technical staff, field workers of the Human Settlement Authority officials.

l Guide field teams in conducting pilots to support data collection, boundary demarcation, mapping, and documentation of settlements.

l Conduct workshops to build awareness on existing legal frameworks on land and property rights and settlement regularization?

l Train and facilitate field staff in organizing community meetings/lease camps to explain regularization procedures, legal rights, and responsibilities.

l Maintain detailed records of all activities, including case studies, best practices, and lessons learned.

l Develop and share reports, case studies, best practices, manuals through digital platforms

l Develop and suggest monitoring framework for regularization progress and conduct periodic evaluations of activities.

l Prepare reports on progress, challenges, and recommendations for policy adjustments.

Skills required

l Technical expertise on land administration and information

l Understanding of government procedures related to land records and urban planning

l Strong knowledge of land tenure systems, legal frameworks, GIS, map projections, and spatial data analysis.

l Experience in urban planning, informal settlements, and slum upgrading processes.

l Ability to design, develop, and deliver effective training modules and workshops.

l Planning, organizing, and managing activities within time

l Monitoring, evaluation, and reporting skills.

l Stakeholder Facilitation

Core Competencies

• Promotes UN’s values and ethical standards (tolerance, integrity, respect, results orientation, impartiality)

• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

• Works positively with team members from various backgrounds and cultural settings.

• Respectful and helpful relations with all UN staff and personnel.

• Open to embrace mediation and conflict resolution with team members and stakeholders.

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Excellent communication skills (written and oral) in support of knowledge sharing and capacity building.

• Sensitivity to and responsiveness to all partners.

Required Qualifications

Education

• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in the field of Urban Planning, Development Studies, Geography or related fields.

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in the above-mentioned fields or additional certification in GIS, land survey, or participatory planning are advantageous.

Experience

• A minimum six (6) years relevant work experience in the field of Urban Planning, Development Studies, Geography or related fields employed by UN agencies or I/NGOs or any leading projects of similar scope or results, is required.

• At least 4 years of experience, preferably with exposure to government collaboration on urban land projects and knowledge of land tenure systems in informal urban slums/settlements are required.

Language

• Proficiency in English and Urdu is essential. Knowledge of the local language is a plus.

• In line with the UN-Habitat policy on gender equity, applications from female candidates are strongly encouraged.

TOTAL POSITIONS

1

POSTED ON

February 27, 2026

EXPIRY DATE

March 15, 2026

BUSINESS

UN-HABITAT

CATEGORY

Field Operations

JOB TYPE

Full Time/Permanent

MINIMUM EDUCATION

Bachelors

CAREER LEVEL

LICA-7 (equivalent to GS-7)

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE

6 Years