Program Associate at Global Designing Cities Initiative

Program Associate at Global Designing Cities Initiative – Global Designing Cities Initiative Kenya Job Details

About the Role

Global Designing Cities Initiative is recruiting a Program Associate to support urban design and street transformation projects across East Africa. Based in Nairobi, this full-time position sits within the organization’s regional programs team and plays a central role in translating design vision into practical city interventions. You will work closely with program managers, designers, researchers, and communications staff to deliver technical content, coordinate capacity-building initiatives, and represent the organization at key stakeholder meetings.

This role suits someone with a background in transportation planning, urban design, or a related field who understands how street design shapes urban life. Whether you’re developing technical drawings for city projects, researching local design regulations, or facilitating training workshops with government partners, you’ll contribute to concrete improvements in how cities function for their residents. NGO jobs in Nairobi increasingly demand this blend of technical skill and collaborative mindset, and this position exemplifies that need.

Key Responsibilities

• Generate technical drawings, sketches, and cross-sections for street design projects using AutoCAD, SketchUp, Adobe Creative Suite, or similar 2D/3D visualization tools.
• Review municipal, regional, and national design codes and regulations to identify barriers and opportunities for street improvements within project contexts.
• Identify and synthesize case studies and design approaches that blend global best practices with African urban contexts for use in proposals, publications, and presentations.
• Translate complex urban design and transportation concepts into clear written, verbal, and visual communications for audiences ranging from city officials to community members.
• Manage data collection, site documentation, observational studies, and impact metrics to support project evaluation and learning.
• Organize and facilitate capacity-building workshops and training sessions for local authorities, engineers, designers, and other stakeholders using Global Street Design Guide materials.
• Coordinate logistics for community engagement events, including materials preparation, printing, and production management.
• Prepare project proposals, reports, internal documentation, and briefing materials; maintain files according to organizational systems and standards.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Four years of relevant professional experience in urban design, transportation planning, or a related field; OR two years of relevant experience plus an undergraduate degree; OR a master’s degree with limited professional background.
• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and Slack.
• Strong working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite for visual communication and design.
• Experience or strong familiarity with AutoCAD and SketchUp for technical drawing and visualization.
• Ability to communicate technical urban design and transportation concepts clearly to diverse audiences—government officials, consultants, students, and community members.
• Proven capability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, meet deadlines, and take ownership of deliverables while working within a collaborative team environment.
• Alignment with values of imagination, positive impact, empathy, collaboration, accountability, and inclusive practice.

What to Expect

• Remote work arrangement based in Nairobi, with standard expectations of a 40-hour work week; occasional meetings may fall outside standard 9:30–17:30 local time to accommodate regional and global team coordination.
• Periodic travel within the region to support on-the-ground project work, typically not exceeding one week per trip and dependent on program needs and available budget.
• This Program Associate at Global Designing Cities Initiative position in Nairobi is open to qualified candidates. Click Apply below to submit your application.

Method of Application

Deadline for applications: Applications accepted on a rolling basis—please don’t delay! Final deadline is July 15, 2026.
Submit applications: Through GDCI’s application portal. If you need support, please contact [email protected].

• Attachments: Include a cover letter and resume (CV) detailing relevant work experience.
• Additional attachments demonstrating writing, digital content creation, and communication skills are encouraged.