Smart Cities Specialist

Job Description

The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) is seeking a Smart Cities Specialist to support the USAID/Guatemala Creating Economic Opportunities (CEO) project.

Background:

The USAID/Guatemala Creating Economic Opportunities (CEO) project supports economic growth, private sector development, competitiveness, and job creation in Guatemala. It strengthens the promotion of investment and trade, catalyzes productive infrastructure; develops the workforce of Guatemala, and improves the business enabling environment. A central objective of the CEO Project is to strengthen the private sector as a growth engine to reduce poverty, improve living conditions, and create sustainable economic opportunities in Guatemala for Guatemalans. By focusing on the country’s secondary cities as natural investment and growth platforms, cultivating partnerships between stakeholders in the public, private and civil society sectors, as well as emphasizing an ecosystem conducive to innovation and entrepreneurship, the CEO project is playing a key role in job creation, facilitating investment, and allowing prosperity beyond the interior of the country. As part of its focus on innovation, CEO has identified a municipality whose political leadership has committed to transforming the municipality into a Smart City which can generate safer space with better local services and an environment of innovation that encourages creative solutions, promotes job creation and reduces inequalities.

Job Description:

The Smart Cities Specialist will facilitate the transformation of a small Western Highlands municipality in Guatemala into a Smart City. The Specialist will travel to Guatemala to gather information, interview stakeholders and discuss options with local government officials and staff. S/he will develop an Action Plan with key strategies and the model that will drive the transition of the municipality into a Smart City. The strategy will include concrete actions to attract investment, promote job creation and improve infrastructure to enhance the quality of life for citizens and encourage business growth.

What you’ll do

• Collect and analyze information and initial plans developed by the municipality related to their vision/conceptualization of Smart City concepts.
• Analyze the municipality’s governance and planning capacities (Municipal Development Plans, Urban Plans, Operational Plans, among others).
• Analyze the status and potential of municipal services that could be improved using Smart City technologies/concepts, identifying the critical challenges and opportunities for moving forward with the implementation of a Smart City Action Plan.
• Identify synergies and strategic alliances with the public and private sectors (local, national and foreign) that could be harnessed in support of the transformation of the municipality into a Smart City.
• Identify viable technological solutions for the territory to respond to the problems or opportunities identified.
• Develop an action plan for transforming the municipality into a Smart City to improve the efficiency of municipal management and promote local economic development in a systematic and sustainable way.
• Identify short, medium and long-term actions (and investment plans) for the municipality to facilitate its transformation, along with clear implementation methodologies, indicators and timelines.
• Identify a portfolio of potential investment projects and potential resources for financing.

What you need to be successful in this role:

Education

• Master’s Degree in information technology, urban/city planning, economics, government, business administration, systems engineering, sustainable development, international trade, or related careers.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Individuals must have experience in the development and implementation of Smart City technologies/projects and the minimum qualifications indicated below:

• Five or more years of recent experience (preferably public sector) providing guidance to cities to lead to their transformation into a Smart City.
• Experience in the conceptualization and execution of economic development projects with Smart City concepts.
• Experience implementing urban design projects with the use of technological tools.
• Experience in developing strategies for Smart Cities with multidisciplinary groups.
• Experience working in developing/transitional countries to implement Smart City concepts.
• Fluency in spoken and written Spanish.

HOW TO APPLY:

• If you believe you are the candidate we are looking for, please email your cover letter (indicating on the subject line Smart Cities Specialist) and Curriculum Vitae (CV) to Mr. Tyler Dickerson at tdickerson@icma.org

CLOSING DATE: July 9, 2019

About the Organization

Founded in 1914, ICMA (International City/County Management Association) is the premier local government leadership and management organization. Its mission is to create excellence in local governance by advocating and developing the professional management of local government worldwide. In addition to supporting its nearly 9,000 members, ICMA provides publications, data, information, technical assistance, and training and professional development to thousands of city, town, and county experts and other individuals throughout the world. Since 1989, ICMA International has leveraged the experience of local government practitioners and veteran international consultants to further the ICMA mission to create excellence in local governance worldwide. ICMA International has successfully designed, implemented and evaluated more than 500 international projects, establishing a solid reputation for its practical, hands-on approach to meeting global challenges faced by communities around the world