UNOPS multilateral portfolio has expanded substantially in recent years, with Hosting and Fund Management now representing a significant share of UNOPS delivery and a central channel through which partners mobilise collective action. Hosting and Fund Management have become major engines of multilateral implementation, delivered through a portfolio of hosted engagements and UNOPS-managed funds through which partners channel resources, align governance and drive collective outcomes. This expanding portfolio reflects not only the scale of UNOPS contribution to global, regional and thematic initiatives, but also UNOPS increasingly recognised role as a neutral, accountable and operationally capable platform for multilateral cooperation.
The Specialist is primarily expected to provide support to UNOPS projects, programmes and portfolios by providing technical assistance in Hosting and Fund Management.
***This vacancy is looking to fill a full-time open-ended position. However, as the contract modality for this Vacancy Announcement is an International Individual Contractor Agreement, UNOPS may also use the results of this recruitment process to offer a full-time short-term, or a retainer (contract for intermittent work, subject to budget availability and business needs) contract.
***This position may either be office-based in Copenhagen, Denmark or home-based in the successful candidate’s place of residence. The duty station is to be agreed upon finalization of the recruitment process in accordance with business needs and the candidate’s individual circumstances. While this role offers the flexibility of home-based work, the successful candidate will be expected to maintain at least partial overlap with HQ Copenhagen working hours.
The Programme Management Specialist adapts existing policies to meet emerging needs in the area of hosting and fund management. The role provides authoritative advice, adapts policies, solves complex problems, manages a specific portfolio of work, and interacts with clients to maintain relationships and ensure reliable service delivery.
1. Portfolio Assurance and Technical Support
Provide technical support in the revision and the development of the hosting and fund management corporate policy, technical standards, tools, templates and guidance.
Provide technical support in the design and set up of fund governance structures, ensuring they meet UNOPS corporate standards and donor-specific legal requirements.
With IMPG, review hosting and fund management concept notes and donor legal agreements to ensure compliance with UNOPS policies, strategic focus, and cross-cutting themes.
Coordinate surge capacity to new multi-donor funds and hosted entities during start up when requested by portfolios, country or regional offices.
Provide technical support and guidance to projects, programmes and portfolios with hosting and/or fund management activities.
Conceptualize and support the operatonalization of innovative financing approaches.
Translate corporate policies into operational Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for country offices, ensuring relevant legal agreements are risk-informed and sustainable.
Develop and maintain a dashboard and analytical tools for the UNOPS hosting and fund management portfolios.
2. Capacity Building and Training
Develop and deliver content for online and in-person corporate training activities in hosting and fund management using adult-learning approaches.
At the request of UNOPS Offices, and dependent upon budget availability, train UNOPS personnel UNOPS policies and procedures at project and programme levels.
3. Risk Management
Provide diagnostic assessment of ongoing funds and provide advice on turnaround, especially with regards to strategy, governance, implementation, risk management etc.
Support the analysis of results, risks and need for corporate controls and oversight in the area of hosted entities and fund management.
Guide projects and programmes in defining and negotiating project and programme roles and responsibilities in legal agreements and standard operating procedures.
Mentor UNOPS Offices to document and analyse compliance with UNOPS policies and monitor exceptions to policy.. With UNOPS projects, programmes and portfolios, develop action plans to address gaps in compliance.
Analyze programmatic data to identify best practices and lessons learned, producing knowledge products for disseminationCompiling best practices in the implementation of multi-donor pooled funds, ensuring compliance with UN regulations, and providing diagnostic assessments of ongoing funds.
In consultation with respective business units, support in documenting business processes and systems requirements for digital solutions for fund management. Develop tools that align with UNOPS requirements, UNOPS grants management system (Grant+) and enterprise resource planning (ERP).
Support UNOPS with organising documentation for evaluations and audits.
4. Strategic Communications and Knowledge Management
Collaborate and advise communications colleagues to produce hosted entity and fund management profiles, stories and social media content.
Contribute in developing internal communications products on hosted entities and fund management.
Provide support to projects and programmes to attract further funding for ongoing funds.
In collaboration with respective colleagues, provide inputs in documenting UNOPS emerging/promising and good practices in hosting and fund management and facilitate internal peer exchange and learning.
Support as requested with other communication and knowledge management initiatives across the organisation related to fund management.
