Terms of Reference

Program Officer for Climate Change & Urban Resilience Initiatives

Program Officer

Employment Type: ​Program Officer (1 year contract with potential extension)

Number of vacant positions​: 1 position (Mid-level Program Officer)
Location: ​Jakarta (Indonesia) with travel to different cities in Indonesia
Language Required:​ fluent in English and Indonesian
Application Deadline:​ January 31, 2021

Kota Kita is growing and we are looking for passionate, impact-driven, creative yet analytical urbanists to join our team!
We look for those who genuinely want to make our cities a better place - more inclusive and more sustainable for all. We
are looking to hire one program officer (1 intermediate-level) for our climate change resilience initiatives in different cities
in Indonesia including Semarang, Jakarta, Solo, and Sleman.

About Kota Kita

Kota Kita (KK) is a growing non-prot organization based in Indonesia with expertise in urban planning and citizen
participation in the design and development of cities. We build bridges between citizens and government towards a
shared vision. We facilitate citizen participation and collaboration, inuence urban policies, encourage open access to
information, and provide civic education to empower active urban citizens. We take on issues such as governance,
inclusivity and climate change resilience. We have an interdisciplinary team with a design-driven approach to develop
tools and methods for city-making. For almost a decade, KK has worked in more than 20 cities in Indonesia on a diverse
range of projects from small scale urban interventions, city-wide assessments to large-scale strategic planning and
visioning. We build platforms for new voices for change in our cities by organizing events such as the annual Urban
Social Forum ( https://urbansocialforum.or.id/ ) - a civil society-led forum in Indonesia that brings together civil societies,
civil servants, practitioners and students that work towards improving our cities. Kota Kita had received the Ford
Foundation BUILD grant in 2019, a part of IDRC’s Think Climate Platform and has a consultative status at the UN
ECOSOC.

Employment Type
Program Officer:
● Intermediate level, Full-time 1 year contract with possibility of extension

Program Summary:
Climate Change & Urban Resilience Initiatives

Kota Kita recognizes climate change as one of the most pressing issues facing our cities today and into the future. In the
coming years, we aim to strengthen our climate change and urban resilience team and expand our practice in climate
change mitigation and adaptation through action research, urban design, community-based planning, public critical
dialogues, as well as policy advocacy. In the near term, we are engaged in a number of diverse projects within the theme
of climate change and urban resilience. Our project partners and donors include IDRC, Oak Foundation, IIED, ADB,
World Bank and BORDA. Projects are carried out in a collaborative manner with our project partners.

Our engagements in the near term includes:

● Multi-city assessment on climate change policy and regulatory framework
● Action-research on climate change adaptation and mitigation issues​ in cities including community-based
adaptation strategies
● Urban design and sustainable infrastructure
● Developing concepts for urban flood risk resilience
● Developing research on climate change and urban food system
● Developing communications and advocacy strategy on climate change and urban resilience issues
● Advising local and national government ​for more inclusive development policies for climate change adaptation
and mitigation
Activities include:
● Urban design and planning
● Mapping
● Site visits and surveys
● Stakeholder engagements with communities, civil society organizations, and local governments
● Desk-based research
● Developing comprehensive reports, policy briefs, guidelines
● and developing communications contents and campaign materials.

Responsibility

Kota Kita seeks one program officer that will support the various aspects of ​urban climate change and resilience
initiatives​. The program officers will report to the program manager, as well as regular check-ins with the program
director.

The program officers will need to be a creative problem solver; a design thinker, a multi-tasker with the ability to work on
different projects simultaneously and learn new skills and processes on the go; be able to work in a fast-paced
collaborative environment; be able to engage with stakeholders at the community level and local government level.

Working together as a team, the key responsibilities of the program officers will be:
● To develop a methodology for research activities
● To contribute to urban design and planning strategies
● To conduct surveys, site visits, and interviews to understand urban development challenges, risk and
opportunities with regard to climate change issue
● To closely and actively communicate with local government and stakeholders and facilitate workshops and
meetings with communities and other stakeholders
● To analyse and translate findings into ideas and recommendations that will directly benefit the target
communities/audiences
● To support advocacy of inclusive policies and practices in the city and beyond
● To develop campaign materials regarding climate change adaptation and mitigation based on the processes
and findings on the ground

Qualifications
The Program Officer candidate [intermediate-level] should be:
● A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in urban planning, environmental engineering/sciences, environmental
policy, or other relevant fields.
● At least 3 years of working experience in the relevant fields or equivalent. Those who have previous
experiences in climate change adaptation and mitigation projects are preferred.

Competencies
We would love to work with you if you have experience in one or more of these themes (and are extremely passionate
about it):
● Urban planning/urban development
● Climate change and urban resilience policies
● Adaptation and mitigation measures
● Green infrastructure
● Collaborative and participatory design
● Community development
● Design thinking

And if you’re good at:

● Writing, communication, and reporting
● Analyzing data
● Working with different stakeholders: government, communities and CSOs
● Stakeholder engagement/community facilitation
 ● Presentation skills and publication design
● Public campaign and advocacy

We would be thrilled if you can use one or more of these:

● GIS software (ArcGIS/QGIS or equivalent)
● Adobe Suite: InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, others or equivalent
● Microsoft Office: Word/Excel/Powerpoint/Others
● If you can do more or have more tricks up your sleeve, even better!

Because we work with a wide range of partners locally and internationally, the ideal candidate is bi-lingual in English and
Indonesian.

Benefits
What does Kota Kita offer you?
● The opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary team of passionate urban changemakers
● The opportunity to work on some of the most pressing urban challenges in Indonesia
● The opportunity to work across a variety of programs and initiatives
● The chance to work with friendly, talented team members and diverse partners, from international development
organizations, local governments, academics, research institutions, civil society organizations, youth groups,
and many others in a collaborative and innovative work culture.
● A high degree of responsibility, but also autonomy
● Competitive salaries
● Regular training opportunities

Location
Our office is primarily based in Surakarta (Solo), Indonesia but currently operating in many cities. The project will require
the applicant to be based in Jakarta with regular visits to other cities in Indonesia.

Period of Engagement
February 2021 - January 2022

Application requirements
To apply for this position, you ​must ​submit the following materials to ​work@kotakita.org with subject ​PO for Climate
Change & Urban Resilience Initiatives​:

1. Your most recent CV, including salary requirement

2. A short 2-min video about yourself
3. Writing samples: 1 in English and 1 in Indonesian. Submit samples that not only best represent your linguistic
skills but also writings that best represent your qualifications for the work.
4. To be included in your cover letter, and no more than 750 words:
○ Describe yourself - a profile
○ Tell us why you are interested in the position and how you think you can contribute
○ And tell us, in your opinion, what makes a great city?

For more information about us and our work, find out more on our
Website: ​www.kotakita.org
Instagram: @kotakitaorg
Twitter: @kotakitaorg