Project Officer - Climate Transparency

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world.  Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.  With over 8,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, where they need it.  By implementing around 1,000 projects for our partners at any given time, UNOPS makes significant contributions to results on the ground, often in the most challenging environments.

The UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre (UNEP-CCC) was established in early 2022. UNEP-CCC is programmatically guided by UN Environment (UNEP) and operationally supported by UNOPS. UNEP-CCC was established to ensure the preservation and continuation of the experience and capacity established through a 30-year working relationship between UNEP, DTU, and the MFA, known as the UNEP DTU Partnership (UDP). 

UNEP-CCC is a leading international advisory institution on energy, climate and sustainable development. Its work focuses on assisting developing countries and emerging economies to transition towards more low-carbon development paths and supports the integration of climate resilience in national development. UNEP-CCC is actively engaged in implementing UN Environment’s Climate Change Strategy and Energy Programme by delivering technical assistance and analytical work to emerging markets and developing countries in context of the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals.

The Mitigation Analysis and Data Management Section (MA&DM) is one of five sections at UNEP-CCC. The MA&DM section works on supporting countries in identifying and implementing cost-effective mitigation policies and actions in different sectors, as well as strengthening countries´ capacities to use tools and establish national transparency frameworks to assess climate actions in the context of their NDCs and report on their progress. In addition, the MA&DM section promotes sharing experiences and raising awareness globally on climate change mitigation through the compilation of key GHG data and the development of global mitigation assessments such as the UNEP Emissions Gap report.

The MA&DM section is involved in several projects that support the Centre strategy in the areas of policy planning and transparency. The MA&DM section seeks to recruit a Project Officer with an energy / climate transparency background and strong analytical & writing skills. The successful candidate will primarily support the project “Capacity-building Initiative for Transparency – Global Support Program (CBIT-GSP), a global project to support developing countries in the transition to the Enhanced Transparency Framework of the Paris Agreement. CBIT-GSP is funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), implemented by UNEP and executed by UNEP-CCC. The candidate will strengthen the visibility of the section’s mitigation & transparency work in international fora and contribute to analytical work and publications.

The candidate will join a team of 12 colleagues and will work under the leadership of the head of the MA&DM section and with other senior experts in the section. He/She will contribute to the work in the area of climate transparency.

The main responsibilities of the candidate will be to contribute to and support the successful implementation of the CBIT-GSP project in its daily operations under the direct supervision of the Project Manager and in close collaboration with other members of the project team. This will include a range of activities, including project management and coordination, communication and outreach, analytical work and contribution to knowledge products. Depending on the successful candidate’s previous work experience and academic background, contribution to other areas of the project, such as capacity-building and training, will also be relevant.

Specific areas of work for the Project Officer will include:

• Carry out project administration tasks of the CBIT-GSP project in close collaboration with the project manager.

• Carry out project coordination tasks on a daily basis, especially in relation to the sub-regional home-based Transparency Network Coordinators under the project and other relevant partners.

• Support the Project Manager in the reporting to the donor and GEF implementing agency.

• Provide data and input to project partners and donors on request, including input to newsletters, annual and other update reports. 

• Provide technical support to the PM for deliverables produced by the Transparency Network Coordinators, including concept notes, agendas, presentations and good practice briefs, in close collaboration with the project manager.

• Contribute to the organization, development, and delivery of workshops, trainings, webinars, and other events, including logistics, preparation of agendas, presentations, and learning materials.

• Contribute to the development of knowledge and capacity building products for climate transparency.

• Carry out communication and outreach activities for the project, through preparation of presentations, and other communication products, as well as the development of news pieces on the Climate Transparency Platform and SoMe channels.

• Support the maintenance of the Climate Transparency Platform, an online knowledge-sharing platform, through generating and updating content and coordination with Platform users.

• Contribute to the work and strategic discussion of the MA&DM section in the context of climate transparency.

• Contribute to the implementation of UNEP-CCC’s and UNEP’s strategies, in particular in the area of climate transparency.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

The process will be based on performance evaluation including the following:

• Successful completion of project management and coordination tasks that will be assigned to the staff, and other relevant activities related to the project.

• Successful and timely maintenance of the online knowledge-sharing platform, the Climate Transparency Platform

• Level of contribution to the to the UNOPS core competencies

• First-level university degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent), preferably in Engineering / Economics /Environmental Sciences /Sustainable Development is required. 

• An advanced university degree (Master’s, PHD or equivalent) in the above-mentioned field and preferably with a thesis related to climate change mitigation or climate transparency and/or sustainable development, technology transfer and innovation systems is desirable and may substitute some of the required years of experience.

• A minimum of two (2) years of post-degree professional experience in the area of climate change, with proven experience within climate transparency is required.
• Proven project management and/or administration/coordination skills are required. 
• Knowledge of the UNFCCC processes and the international climate governance related to mitigation and transparency, in particular on provisions in relevant articles of the Paris Agreement (Articles 4, 6, and 13) is required. 
• Knowledge of the energy sector and/or other relevant sectors in the context of climate change is required. 
• Experience with the UNFCCC and climate policies at national and international levels is a strong asset.
• Experience working with developing countries and emerging economies is also a strong asset.
• Demonstrated excellent writing, communication and presentation skills is desirable. 
• Experience from an international agency or organization is desirable. 
• Knowledge of measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) and transparency frameworks, including GHG inventory development is desirable.

c. Languages

• Fluency in English is required. Fluency in either French, Spanish and/or Portuguese is highly desired. Additional fluency in any other UN language is an asset.

Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement 
Contract level: IICA 1 / ICS 8
Contract duration: One year (12 months) initially, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funds

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.