Sustainable Tourism Specialist at UNESCO Uganda
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Job Description
Description of assignment title
Sustainable Tourism Specialist
Assignment country
Uganda
Duty stations
Kampala
Work location
UN Premises
Expected start date
04/01/2026
Duration
6 months
(with possibility of extension)
Sustainable Development Goal
12. Responsible consumption and production
Host entity
UNESCO UGA
Modality
Onsite
Type
International
Volunteer category
Specialist UCoS to Mar2026
Work arrangement
Full-time
Number of Assignments
1
Details
Mission and objectives
Established in 1965, UNESCO Nairobi serves as the Regional Office for Eastern Africa, supporting 13 Member States: Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, and Uganda.
The Office supports Member States in advancing UNESCO’s mandate in culture, education, natural sciences, social and human sciences, and communication and information.
Context
This United Nations Volunteers (UNV) assignment is hosted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Regional Office for Eastern Africa (Nairobi) to be based in Kampala Antennae Office and contributes to the “Support to Sustainable Tourism Value Chain in Uganda” project.
“Support to Sustainable Tourism Value Chain in Uganda” project is a multi-partner contribution agreement funded by the European Union, with Enabel as the lead agency and UNESCO as a implementing agency, which aims to increase Uganda’s attractiveness as a sustainable tourism destination and to enhance local communities’ participation in and benefits from tourism in natural and cultural landscapes. Within this framework, UNESCO is responsible for Output 2.2: “Conservancies and protected landscapes have access to the technical and financial support required to scale up their operations.” UNESCO’s engagement focuses on integrating cultural heritage, biodiversity conservation, community participation, gender equality, youth empowerment, and Indigenous knowledge systems into sustainable tourism development. Activities are implemented in collaboration with national authorities, Enabel, and key partners including the Weny Weny Foundation, Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU), and Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu (Rwenzururu Kingdom), and aligned with Uganda’s Vision 2040, National Development Plans, and the EU–Uganda Forest Partnership.
The UN Volunteer will be based under the UNESCO Uganda antenna office, with a primary focus on supporting the implementation of Output 2.2 consisting of the following planned sub-activities:
1. Community cultural mapping and business planning: Support communities and tourism circuits to document cultural and natural heritage, including Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), and to develop viable eco-tourism business plans and grant proposals.
2. Heritage- and biodiversity-sensitive tourism design guidelines: Support the development and application of guidelines for culturally appropriate and environmentally sustainable tourism infrastructure in selected circuits.
3. Youth heritage guide certification programme: Support the development and delivery of a certification programme to strengthen youth—particularly young women’s—skills in cultural and natural interpretation and responsible tourism.
4. Youth conservation corps for nature-based tourism: Support youth-led teams engaged in conservation activities and tourism services such as trail maintenance, wildlife monitoring, guiding, and destination stewardship.
5. Ugandan Green Flag Trails: Support the development and certification of low-impact community-based hiking, biking, and canoe trails linking conservation and cultural sites.
Job Industry
Job Salary Currency
Job Salary Fixed
NoKey Deliverables
Under the supervision of the head of the UNESCO Uganda antenna office in close coordination with the Regional Advisor for Culture at the UNESCO Regional office in Nairobi and project partners, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks, among others:
• Contribute to the planning, development, and implementation of project activities related to conservancies, protected landscapes, cultural heritage, and sustainable tourism.
• Support the administrative and operational management of project activities, including logistics planning, assistance at meetings, workshops, trainings, and missions.
• Assist in the preparation of project materials, including briefing notes, presentations, background documents, agendas, and reports.
• Participate in internal and external coordination meetings, briefings, and consultations with partners, stakeholders, and beneficiaries.
• Support outreach, communication, and visibility activities, including the compilation of content for reports, presentations, and knowledge-sharing materials.
• Assist with the collection, organisation, and analysis of project data, including gender- and youth-disaggregated information, to support monitoring and reporting for cultural heritage, eco-tourism, and conservation.
• Carry out any other related tasks as requested by the head of the UNESCO Uganda antenna office
Essential Qualities
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3 years LanguagesKiswahili, Level: Basic, Desirable English, Level: Fluent, Required Required education levelMaster's degree in Advanced higher degree (Master’s or equivalent) in a relevant area, e.g. Tourism, Culture, International Relations, Social Sciences, Project Management or a related field; a first-level university degree or equivalent in combination with relevant training and/or professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. Competencies and values• Accountability • Adaptability and flexibility • Creativity • Judgement and decision-making • Planning and organising • Professionalism • Self-management Skills and experience• At least 3 years of professional work experience at the national and/or international level; experience of project management as well as development and implementation of programmes is an asset, as is experience working in the UN or other international development organization; • Other desired/mandatory required technical knowledge • Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills; • Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing; • Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development; • Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel; • Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment; • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines; • Desirable: valid national driver’s license and proven ability to drive manual gear 4x4 over rough terrain; • Sound security awareness; • Have affinity with or interest in Culture, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN system. Area(s) of expertiseAdministration, Communication, Community development
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