Elnaz Sultanova
Baku
Summary
Highly-motivated employee with desire to take on new challenges. Adept at working effectively unsupervised and quickly mastering new skills.
Overview
7
7
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Member of the Secretariat
Commission on Business Environment and International Rankings
01.2021 - Current
- Served as Secretary of the Construction Permit Working Group within the Commission on Business Environment and International Rankings, coordinating inter-agency communication and workflows, managing team activities and providing administrative and strategic support to senior officials of high-level government bodies.
- Supported effective G2B and B2G interactions between government institutions and business entities by ensuring alignment with corporate governance and public service delivery standards.
- Monitored and coordinated the activities of working group members and subgroups to ensure effective task execution.
- Supervised working group activities and ensured effective task management.
- Organized working group meetings, conferences and other events; prepared presentations, informational materials, press releases and speeches.
- Prepared agendas, protocols, action plans, roadmaps, diagnostic and strategic documents, official letters and business correspondence; oversaw their implementation, produced reports and submitted them to senior management.
- Conducted a diagnostic analysis for the development of the Electronic Construction Portal, evaluating technical and institutional capacities in collaboration with the implementation team and stakeholders, identifying funding needs and preparing recommendations based on the findings.
- Developed a Roadmap to enhance the quality and transparency of public services in construction permit issuance, optimize the efficiency of obtaining permits and improve system functionality; oversaw the implementation of planned activities and resolved identified issues related to the portal.
- Responded to the survey questionnaire on Environmental Protection and Construction Permitting under the World Bank’s "BReady" initiative, evaluating national legislation, practices and the current situation; provided evidence-based answers and submitted the responses to the World Bank for ranking assessment.
- Coordinated the implementation of reforms related to Environmental Protection and Construction Permitting in the country within the framework of the World Bank’s "BReady" initiative.
- Collaborated with commission members to design programs and projects aimed at improving the business environment and enhancing Azerbaijan’s position in international rankings; engaged local and international experts for their development and implementation and coordinated the activities of relevant government agencies and institutions.
Chief Advisor
Baku City General Directorate on Urban Planning and Architecture, SCUPA
06.2022 - 12.2025
- Collaborated with relevant institutions on the full digitalization of construction and occupancy permits as public services; coordinated the project end-to-end and improved system functionality. https://e-tikinti.gov.az/
- Automated the permitting process to optimize workflows and reduce permit processing time by up to 20%.
- Developed and maintained a statistical database related to applications and permits; analyzed data by districts, categories, designations, economic indicators and processing timelines; conducted diagnostic analysis and produced structured quarterly and annual reports submitted to senior management; prepared data-driven presentations for discussion at management meetings.
- Provided advice and counsel on policy, procedure and operational issues.
- Provided project management support by tracking progress across all stages of the permitting process and preparing official correspondence and final permit documentation for review and approval by relevant authorities.
- Supported effective interaction between government institutions and business entities by ensuring alignment with corporate governance and public service delivery standards.
- Ensured regulatory compliance with legally prescribed procedures and implementation timelines during the permit issuance process.
- Developed a roadmap in collaboration with relevant stakeholders for the implementation of the Master Plan of Baku City.
- Executed coordination and special assignments as directed by manager.
Senior advisor
Baku City General Directorate on Urban Planning and Architecture
07.2020 - 06.2022
- Developed façade passports for construction projects, creating the document format and incorporating comprehensive rules and regulations.
- Inspected construction projects, made decisions regarding required changes and requested revisions from designers.
- Maintained project records and prepared monthly departmental activity reports.
- Researched global best practices for the protection of architectural styles; prepared new documents, including building codes, urban planning supervision regulations, design codes and related proposals.
- Prepared coordination documents and official correspondence with relevant institutions as part of a team to secure approval of the Master Plan of Baku city, coordinated required changes and managed professional communication with design companies.
- Developed official procedural documents covering all institutional processes required for ISO certification, including the issuance of construction permits and occupancy permits in both physical and electronic formats.
- Designed procedures that fully represented the organization’s operational workflows, including management processes, documentation systems and division of responsibilities.
Commission Administrative Officer
The Public Council under the Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture
01.2021 - 12.2021
- Verified and registered candidate documents in compliance with legislative requirements.
- Organized Commission meetings, including preparation of agendas, minutes and official decisions.
- Submitted candidate documentation to the Commission for review and approval.
- Prepared and issued official response letters to candidates.
- Coordinated and organized election processes in accordance with applicable legislation.
- Organized and facilitated the first meeting of the Public Council.
- Served as a liaison, ensuring effective communication and coordination between the Committee and the Council.
Project manager
"Absheron Simasi" Competition
01.2020 - 12.2021
- Coordinated the "Absheron Simasi" competition, which included the renovation of the exterior of a specific settlement within the city to preserve its cultural heritage.
- Organized the competition by developing the program, rules and regulations, formatting the competition structure, agreeing on stages and conditions with management and managing the entire process from start to finish, including website development.
- Developed engagement strategies with participants to ensure proper execution of the project.
- Ensured confidential evaluation of submissions by the jury panel.
Architect
Qaya-Qala LLC
09.2019 - 04.2020
- Assisted project architects and engineers during both site and office phases of construction projects.
- Assisted in communicating design changes and technical updates to engineers and contractors, ensuring accurate implementation on site.
- Monitored and reported on the status and progress of construction projects.
- Prepared work schedules, progress reports and project documentation.
- Assisted in cCoordinating project activities and implementing quality control procedures in accordance with project standards and specifications.
Site architect intern
Infracon LLC
09.2018 - 05.2019
- Assisted in preparing architectural drawings, blueprints and renderings under the supervision of senior architects.
- Supported communication with clients to understand project requirements and design expectations.
- Assisted in relaying design changes and technical updates to engineers and contractors.
- Conducted site visits and verifications to support the preparation of accurate working drawings.
- Gained hands-on experience in site coordination and architectural documentation.
Education
Master of Arts - Public Administration (MPA)
ADA University
Baku01-2026
PMI Guide Trained - Project Management Professional
PM Academy
Baku01-2025
Executive Program - Architecture
ADA University & Politecnico Di Milano
Milan, Italy01-2024
PMI Guide Trained - Project Management Professional
PM Academy
Baku01-2021
Bachelor - Architecture (in English)
Azerbaijan Architecture And Construction University
Baku06-2019
Skills
- Project management
- Project planning
- Policy analysis
- Problem-solving
- Architectural software proficiency
- Analytical and critical thinking
- Event coordination
- Research
- Recordkeeping
- Microsoft Office
- Calm under pressure
- Stakeholder engagement
- Communication strategy
- Team building
- Critical thinking
- Problem resolution
- Strategic planning
- Architectural design
- Creative thinking
- Effective communication
Accomplishments
Winner Of The MOOCAO 2019 Competion, Moscow
1st place for "Eco-friendly technology park" project
1st place for "Eco-friendly technology park" project
Certification
• Diploma in General English Language, Regional Centre of the International Educational Programmes, 2011
• Revolutionizing the Construction Sector, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia
• The 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, Dr. Marina Lostal - University of Essex 2022
• Diploma The MOOCAO 2019 Competition, Moscow, 2019
• Psychology, International Psychotherapy Institute, Belgium, 2022
• Project Management Fundamentals, Jeyhun Mammadbayli, 2021
• Revolutionizing the Construction Sector, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia
• The 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, Dr. Marina Lostal - University of Essex 2022
• Diploma The MOOCAO 2019 Competition, Moscow, 2019
• Psychology, International Psychotherapy Institute, Belgium, 2022
• Project Management Fundamentals, Jeyhun Mammadbayli, 2021
Projects
"Absheron Simasi" Architectural competition, The Public Council under the SCUPA, https://e-tikinti.gov.az/
Timeline
Chief Advisor
Baku City General Directorate on Urban Planning and Architecture, SCUPA
06.2022 - 12.2025
Member of the Secretariat
Commission on Business Environment and International Rankings
01.2021 - Current
Commission Administrative Officer
The Public Council under the Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture
01.2021 - 12.2021
Senior advisor
Baku City General Directorate on Urban Planning and Architecture
07.2020 - 06.2022
Project manager
"Absheron Simasi" Competition
01.2020 - 12.2021
Architect
Qaya-Qala LLC
09.2019 - 04.2020
Site architect intern
Infracon LLC
09.2018 - 05.2019
Master of Arts - Public Administration (MPA)
ADA University
PMI Guide Trained - Project Management Professional
PM Academy
Executive Program - Architecture
ADA University & Politecnico Di Milano
PMI Guide Trained - Project Management Professional
PM Academy
Bachelor - Architecture (in English)
Azerbaijan Architecture And Construction University