Project Assistant

Birzeit University announces the need for a “Project Assistant" with a Full-time temporary contract on a project at Faculty of Engineering and Technology, according to the following qualifications and tasks:

Framework:

The position offered frames within the two-year “Palestinian Belgian Academic Collaboration on Sustainable Urban Planning in Palestine” project.

The project is part of the broader programme “Green West Bank,” promoted and financed by the Belgian Cooperation Agency—ENABEL. The project’s consortium is composed of Birzeit University’s Department of Architectural Engineering and Planning, its leading partner, and its homologous at the Belgian University of KULeuven, in collaboration with the Palestinian Ministry of Local Government (MoLG), Municipal Development and Lending Fund (MDLF) and local municipalities in the West Bank.

The programme pursues the transitioning of Palestinian urbanised spaces towards circular and all-around sustainable paradigms that tackle climate resilience, green infrastructures, and inhabitants’ quality of life, using the Spatial Development Framework (SDF) and urban design projects as technical and institutional tools.

The overarching project’s goals are pursued through two main threads:

1. academic development on circularity, sustainability, climate change and life quality;
2. development and application of urban planning tools and urban design projects in support to local authorities.
3. The academic development mainly articulates through:
   1. 2-year joint studios program involving the participation of KULeuven and two other Palestinian universities;
   2. academic staff capacity building, with the institution of a fund for sponsoring the formation and further specialization of the teaching staff at the Dept. of Architectural Engineering and Planning;
   3. infrastructural development for e-learning and advanced spatial diagnostics;
   4. curriculum development in Circular Urbanism and Spatial Development for Climate Change and Life Quality.
4. The applicative part of the programme entails:
   1. revision of SDF as a planning tool,
   2. elaboration of one SDFs and of one urban design project in three West Bank localities,
   3. revision of methodologies, methods, structure and outputs of planning tools;
   4. development of design studios results into preliminary projects suitable for implementation;
   5. Develop effective and locally tailored participative tools to involve local stakeholders in the decision-making process of their own public spaces.

Contracting Period:

21 months

Tasks:

The position’s main duty is to assist the project coordinator in carrying out activities related to the projects, including implementation activities, producing written and graphic documentation, contributing to the development of project deliverables (such as final reports and architectural drawings), preparing materials necessary for project activities and/or communicating the programme steps, and assisting with practical project administration tasks. The assistant’s duties include collaborating with and supporting the Birzeit team involved in the project.

The position entails a full-time load, roughly divided between 70% of data collection and processing and organisational functions and 30% of training and teaching functions.

The assistant’s main tasks include:

1. Assisting the project coordinator with the literature review, survey, collection and organisation of existing materials relevant to the project existing at Palestinian organisations and institutions;
2. participating in the production of reports, booklets and other deliverables;
3. supporting the work of the local coordinator concerning minor practicalities (emails, supply of materials, assistance with the project’s archive) and organisational tasks;
4. co-organizing and participating as an instructor in workshops and didactic joint activities with the project partners;
5. Engaging in preparing and teaching courses affiliated with the Department of Architectural Engineering programme at Birzeit University.

جميع الحقوق محفوظة لموقع جوبس.

Requirements

• BA in Architectural disciplines.
• Strong focus on urban development, sustainable design, and space-related projects aimed at empowering communities in Palestine.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in projects related to spatial interventions for life quality improvement, sustainability, and social and spatial justice.
• A professional profile equivalently developed at the professional and academic level, with relevant Palestinian and international experiences.
• Experience in participatory projects entailing community engagement, institutional negotiation and horizontal involvement from the civic society, with relevant participation in field activities and assistance with project management.
• Strong graphic skills in architectural design, urban space, and graphic design for communication of projects to diverse target groups (clients, stakeholders, social media, institutions, and academia).
• Experience in developing materials for international exhibitions.
• Experience in working with social media (creating content and managing the platform) to communicate architectural and research projects to the civic society.
• A demonstrated continuative engagement with academic activities, actively participating and contributing to teaching, assistance in courses’ organisation and daily management, and lecturing.
• Experience in field research activities, data collection, organisation, critical analysis, and communication in academic research projects.
• Experience in creating and managing databases and archives.
• Familiarity with writing for institutional reporting for joint projects.
• Familiarity with academic writing and academic speaking for public events.
• Familiarity with working with local institutions (like municipalities), NGOs, and grassroots organisations.

Language requirements:

• Native Arabic language
• Proficiency in English, written and spoken

Software skills requirements:

• GIS systems
• Notion
• AutoCAD
• Adobe Suite (Illustrator and InDesign in particular)
• 3D modelling software’s (including SketchUp)
• Rendering software’s

Personal Skills

The position entails collaborating closely with the project coordinator and dealing with the various project’s interlocutors, including a broad project team, project partners, academics, governmental institutions, technicians, Palestinian and foreign students, local grassroots and stakeholders.

Moreover, the position requires to engage with diverse tasks ranging from data collection and analysis design and planning-related activities, didactic and teaching, administration and reporting, participatory activities, and project communication aimed at Palestinian and international recipients.

Because of the project's richness and complexity, precision in work, flexibility, a constructive attitude, proactivity and a spirit of initiative, conciliation, and problem-solving skills are essential qualities for this job.

The candidate must have excellent communication skills and be able to dialogue with different audiences (academic, higher institutions, civic society, students, technical experts, local and international stakeholders).

The job could require the candidate to make short transfers within the West Bank and abroad.

This position highly regards a settled attitude, politeness, understanding, respectfulness and acquaintance with different cultural attitudes.

Because of the nature of the project and the diversity of tasks for this position, interdisciplinary interests and a diversified curricular experience are considered an added value.

Curiosity, openness and eagerness to learn are highly valued in this position.

For those who are qualified and interested to submit for this vacancy, please fill the application via this link ritaj.birzeit.edu/ecareers, with a CV, portfolio of relevant works and motivation letter -all in English. 

The application must include the contact of two referees (name and surname, affiliation, email and phone contact), who the selecting committee could contact during the selection process.

 A short publication demonstrating the applicant's writing skills (such as an academic essay or a report) is recommended, although not obligatory 

Application deadline Jan 27, 2025.