Environmental and Urban Resilience Expert At UN Development Programme

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Organization: UNDP Saudi Arabia, through Stars Orbit Consultants and Management Development (SOC).

VA No. VA25/120

Position Title: Environmental and Urban Resilience Expert

Duty Station: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

National or International Consultancy: National or International Consultancy

Duration: 8 Months (with possible extension based on performance, continued need, and budget availability.

Vacancy Date of Issue: 20 November 2025

Vacancy Closure Date: 03 December 2025

Expected Starting Date: 7 January 2026

Project Description

The project will provide a strategic framework for UNDP and UN-HABITAT to provide substantive technical assistance, advisory, and quality assurance services to the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing (MoMaH) to deliver on the following six initiatives of the Spatial Planning and Visual Appeal Program that are the focus of this project:

  • The Regional Plans, Local Plans and Urban Codes under MoMaH’s jurisdiction are efficiently and effectively delivered following international best practices.
  • The National Urban Policy for KSA is developed and its implementation enabled, setting the overarching framework for cross-stakeholders’ contribution and alignment in support of sustainable, resilient and inclusive urbanization.
  • Local planning departments are empowered and enabled through a new Operating Model for Planning Departments.
  • The municipal system is improved and restructured, updating settlements boundaries, revising classification and categorization of Saudi human settlements, and optimizing service delivery towards efficiency and sustainability.
  • The Saudi Planning framework is restructured, planning tools are redefined, updated and improved in line with the new classification and categorization.
  • The existing MoMaH Urban Design Studio is upscaled in a fully-fledged Urban Lab and capacitated to spearhead and device innovative tools and projects-based satellite Labs in support of MoMaH’s mission.

Scope of Work

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Ministry of

Municipalities and Housing (MoMaH), are leading the redrafting of Saudi Arabia’s National Spatial Strategy (NSS). The NSS defines the spatial framework for achieving Vision 2030 and beyond, integrating spatial, economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainable national development. The updated NSS will align with two complementary initiatives carried out:

  • The Spatial Planning Act (SPA) – establishing the statutory spatial planning hierarchy.
  • The National Urban Policy (NUP) – defining policy priorities for urban development and governance.

The updated NSS aims to integrate climate adaptation, resilience, and environmental sustainability into the national territorial framework. Within this context, the Environmental and Urban Resilience Expert will provide technical leadership in environmental systems analysis, risk assessment, and resilience-oriented spatial planning to ensure that sustainability and adaptation principles are embedded throughout the NSS process. He/ She will contribute to the environmental and climate components of the NSS by providing analytical, strategic, and policy input. The Environmental and Urban Resilience Expert will work closely with the Chief Technical Advisor (UNDP), Chief National Advisor, Analytics Team, GIS Team, relevant MoMaH and DASC departments, the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI), and other ministries and national and regional level bodies.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Environmental Systems and Natural Assets Assessment Output: Environmental Baseline Report with geospatial layers on ecosystems, hazards, and resources
  • Conduct a comprehensive environmental baseline assessment, mapping ecosystems, land cover, protected areas, biodiversity corridors, and sensitive zones based on existing data. No field work is intended for this.
  • Analyze water resources, soil quality, and natural hazards using geospatial data.
  • Identify critical environmental assets and ecosystem services relevant to national and regional development.
  • Evaluate trends in land degradation, desertification, and urban expansion impacts.
  • Climate and Resilience Risk Analysis Output: Climate and Urban Resilience Analysis Report with vulnerability maps and adaptation recommendations
  • Assess climate vulnerability and urban resilience to heat, drought, flooding, and extreme weather events.
  • Identify priority adaptation areas and resilience gaps in urban and regional systems.
  • Integrate climate risk mapping and projections (temperature, precipitation, hazard exposure) into the NSS geodatabase.
  • Develop a resilience index or framework for use in spatial scenario testing.
  • Provide guidance for low-carbon and resource-efficient spatial models.
  • Integration into Spatial Scenarios and Strategy Output: Inputs to NSS Scenario Reports and NSS Draft Document (environmental and resilience sections, maps, and policy proposals)
  • Contribute to the formulation of spatial development scenarios by integrating environmental and resilience considerations.
  • Define ecological corridors, conservation zones, and protected landscapes within the NSS spatial structure.
  • Recommend spatial strategies to support climate mitigation, nature-based solutions, and sustainable resource use.
  • Ensure alignment with the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) and related national programs (National Environment Strategy, Water Strategy, and Circular Carbon Economy).
  • Support drafting of environmental and resilience chapters of the NSS and integration into final policy recommendations.
  • Stakeholder Engagement and Institutional Coordination Output: Technical presentations, stakeholder feedback reports, and updated resilience analyses as needed
  • Participate in technical meetings, workshops, and consultations with ministries, regional authorities, and Royal Commissions.
  • Present findings and recommendations to the NSS Technical and Steering Committees.

Institutional Arrangement

The Environmental and Urban Resilience Expert will report directly to the Chief Technical Advisor (UNDP) and liaise on a daily basis with the NSS technical team and relevant MoMaH departments. Collaboration with the GIS, Spatial Planning, Environmental, and Infrastructure Experts will be continuous throughout the NSS project.

Duty Station

The assignment will be office-based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Required Qualifications:

Minimum Education Requirements

A Master’s Degree in Environmental Planning, Urban and Regional

Planning, Climate Science, Environmental Management, or any other closely related field.

Minimum Years of Relevant Work Experience

  • A master’s degree with a minimum of 10 years of relevant work experience or a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 12 years of relevant work experience.
  • Proven record in integrating environmental and climate data into spatial development or policy frameworks.
  • Experience with climate risk assessments, resilience strategies,
  • or sustainable land management.’

Required skills

  • Proficiency in environmental data management and GIS-based spatial analysis.
  • Understanding of scenario modeling and resilience assessment tools.
  • Strong communication and presentation abilities.
  • Capacity to synthesize complex environmental data into actionable planning guidance.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

  • Experience with international development organizations (UNDP, World Bank, etc.) is an asset.
  • Familiarity with Vision 2030 environmental programs, SGI, and National Environment Strategy is an advantage.

Required Language(s):

  • Fluency in the English language is required.
  • Fluency in the Arabic language is desirable.

Professional Certificates:

An asset if acquired in relevent fields.

To review the full job description, please click on the following link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-Qr_7lDfXaKYtXZZfomsUm8wqP1wL_D3/view?usp=sharing

How to apply

How to apply

  1. CV must be submitted online in PDF either througha. SOC’s portal via the following link: https://jobs.my-soc.org/apply/20251120201409/qRkN7BElxcy0uhUD6bZ4oFd5Kb. Or submit your CV to jobs@starsorbit.org (Please write UNDP Saudi Arabia / Environmental and Urban Resilience Expert
  2. During submission, please use the English language only.
  3. Indicate clear years of experience with each job (Month/Year)
  4. If the candidate is currently employed by a government institution, he/she must be able to provide an unpaid leave of absence for the duration of the consultancy.
  5. Only candidates who are short-listed will be contacted.
  6. By submitting your application, you have read the Terms of Reference for this position and agree that any false, wrong, or incomplete information might lead to your disqualification in this recruitment process.