Deadline: 5 November 2021
Location: Surakarta
Job Type: Full Time
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) to contribute in our urban governance initiatives in different cities across Indonesia.
About Kota Kita
Kota Kita (KK) is a growing non-profit organization based in Indonesia with expertise in urban
planning and citizen participation in the design and development of cities. Kota Kita works
with citizens to make their cities a better place. We bridge dialogues between governments
and citizens by influencing urban policies, encouraging open access to information, providing civic education, and facilitating the involvement of all citizens — especially the
marginalized and excluded. Without their voices, we will never realize a city shaped and
informed by empowered citizens — A City for All.
Kota Kita has an interdisciplinary team with a design-driven approach to develop tools and
methods for city-making. We take on issues such as governance, inclusivity and climate
change resilience. 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.
Program Summary:
Urban Governance Initiatives
Our Urban Governance initiatives work to promote participatory approaches in urban
governance and policies by empowering citizens and advocating priorities for urban projects at the neighborhood, district, city, and national levels. We believe that citizens should be at the heart of the decision-making process that determines the environment and the quality of living of the urban centers they reside in. They are entitled to governance that is inclusive,
transparent, and socially just.
Kota Kita has established a strong commitment to build a strong civil society that contributes
to more inclusive urban development. In the current time, we are engaged in diverse projects within the theme of urban governance and community participation, including:
● Urban water governance and management
● Civil society learning and reflection to strengthen public accountability
● Women economic empowerment
● Youth citizenship and community participation
● Community co-design project initiatives
Activities will include:
● Developing comprehensive report, documentation, policy briefs and guidelines
● Site visit, survey, and mapping
● Extensive desk-based research
● Stakeholder engagement with communities, civil society organizations, local
governments, privates, and donors
● Contributing to developing advocacy and campaign materials
Responsibility
Kota Kita seeks [1] one program officer that will support various aspects of urban governance and community participation initiatives. The program officer will report to the program manager and participate in regular check-in with the Executive Director. The program officer will need to be a creative problem solver; a design thinker, a multi-tasker with the ability to work on different project 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 officer 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 urban
governance initiatives
● To closely and actively communicate with local government and stakeholders and
facilitate workshops and meetings with communities and other stakeholders
● To analyze 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 urban governance and community
participation 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, public policy, or other relevant fields.
● At least 2-3 years of working experience in the relevant fields or equivalent.
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
● Community development and facilitation
● Public policy and governance research
● Design thinking
● Community participation and engagement
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
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 located in Surakarta (Solo), Central Java, but currently operating in many cities.
The project requires the applicant to be based in Surakarta with regular visits to other cities in Indonesia.
Period of Engagement
Immediately.
Application requirements
To apply for this position, you must submit the following materials to work@kotakita.org with
subject PO for Urban Governance Initiatives on or before 5 November 2021:
1. Your most recent CV, including:
○ Salary history of past employment.
○ Salary requirement for this position.
○ Two professional references.
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?
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
For more information about us and our work, find out more on our:
Website: www.kotakita.org
Instagram: @kotakitaorg
Twitter: @kotakitaorg
LinkedIn: Kota Kita Foundation
Comments