Pooled Fund Grants Project Coordinator

Launched in September 2010, the purpose of the SUN Movement is to catalyze collective action and create an enabling environment to end malnutrition in all its forms. With 60 SUN Countries and four Indian States at the helm, the SUN Movement represents an unprecedented country-led effort to bring together stakeholders-from governments, national and global civil society organisations, businesses, the UN system, researchers and scientists across different sectors - and provide them with a collaborative space to convene, mobilize, share, learn, advocate, align and coordinate actions and approaches to improve nutrition.

 SUN countries, supported by all stakeholders in the Movement, are committed to creating an enabling environment for scaling up nutrition by strengthening four strategic processes as set out in the SUN Movement Strategy and Road-map 2016-2020: expanding and sustaining an enabling political environment; prioritizing effective actions that contribute to good nutrition; implementing actions aligned with national common results frameworks; and effectively using, and significantly increasing, financial resources for nutrition. The SUN Movement Coordinator, UN Assistant Secretary General, oversees the day-to-day implementation of the Strategy and Road-map, leads the SUN Movement Secretariat and represents the SUN Movement globally. 

Since 2012, the SUN Movement Secretariat has developed as a small coordinating mechanism. It has a catalytic role, and seeks to link together countries and networks in the SUN Movement to ensure that support, requested in countries to intensify actions and achieve nutrition objectives, is received in a coordinated and coherent way.  It also ensures that the Movement’s progress is tracked efficiently and communicated clearly. The Secretariat is headed by the Director of the Secretariat who is responsible for ensuring that the Secretariat catalyses, facilitates and supports effective action across the overall SUN Movement.

The SUN Movement Pooled Fund was established in 2017 with the aim to strengthen the capacity of non-governmental systems in SUN Countries. The Pooled Fund is a catalytic and last resort source of grants to support multi-stakeholder platforms in SUN Countries, in order to increase the effectiveness and impact of national efforts to end malnutrition in all its forms. 

The Secretariat is currently looking for a SUN Movement Pooled Fund Grants Project Coordinator to manage the coordination between the SUN Movement Secretariat and UNOPS – the hosting agency of the Pooled Fund.

The Pooled Fund Grants Project Coordinator will play a key role in translating the political commitment and financial contribution to the SUN Movement Pooled Fund into coherent calls for proposals, aligned with national priorities and needs. The post holder will work with stakeholders across the Movement, from the grass-roots to the highest political level. He/she will be a proactive, opportunistic and flexible colleague, fostering cross-team collaboration and encouraging innovative solutions to the challenges faced by SUN Countries. With strong communication skills – both oral and written – the post holder will build and maintain effective understanding and support productive exchanges.

The Pooled Fund Grants Project Coordinator will be asked to produce high-quality written and oral briefs for members of SUN Networks, the SUN Coordinator, SUN Secretariat, and external audiences. The post holder may travel periodically to SUN countries, as well as to relevant global and regional events. 

Like all in the SUN Movement, the Pooled Fund Grants Project Coordinator must always be vigilant that the SUN Movement’s principles are upheld everywhere and at all times.

The successful candidate must be flexible and open to take on additional tasks as required to meet the evolving needs of SUN Countries.

Under the supervision of the Senior Operations Officer, the Pooled Fund Pooled Fund Grants Project Coordinator will perform the following functions:

• Be the liaison between the SUN Movement Secretariat on one side and the Grant Analyst, the M&E Specialist and UNOPS on the other ensuring that all parties are on track with their contribution to the Fund.
• In collaboration with UNOPS Grant Analyst, draft eligibility criteria for the selection of proposals based on project agreement assigned between UNOPS and donors. Coordinate and collect inputs from various members of the team within defined timelines. 
• Assist UNOPS in reviewing proposals submitted by requesting entities for consistency with agreed SUN principles and triangulate information with appropriate SUN Networks, stakeholder groups and in-country actors including SUN Government Focal Points and donor conveners.
• Responsible for reviewing interim and final reports from projects granted from the Pooled Fund.
• Ensure that policies and strategies decided by the SUN Lead Group are implemented and adhered to in the SUN Movement Pooled Fund.
• Plan regular updates for all stakeholders and facilitate sharing of information between all partners involved. In particular ensure that the SUN Movement Executive Committee and the SUN Movement Coordinator and the SUN Movement Secretariat are kept informed of progresses to date, challenges and priorities ahead of the SUN Movement Pooled Fund.
• Ensure that issues related to the Pooled Fund are consulted with Strategic Management Team, Country Liaison Team and other relevant member of the SUN Movement Secretariat.
• Convene and organize relevant meetings of the Consultative Group - made of donors to the Pooled Fund and representatives of the SUN Networks – to provide relevant updates and discuss new directions for the Fund. In particular lead on conversations on scope and content and parameters for new call for proposals.
• Support the SUN Civil Society Network (CSN) with fundraising and sustainability for the network and alliances, technical assistance in MEAL, governance and other areas as applicable in support of enabling strong and sustainable civil society alliances.
• In collaboration with the M&E Specialist ensure a functioning monitoring, evaluation and reporting system for the fund.
• Provide necessary programmatic information to Senior Operations Officer in all questions regarding relations with Donors to the Pooled Fund.
• Coordinate the work on the way forward of the Pooled Fund beyond 2020 within the SUN Movement Secretariat.
• Any other tasks assigned by supervisor to support the overall management of the Secretariat and of the Fund – this could include project management of specific projects and/or events.

a. Education

Advanced university degree (Master or equivalent) in Political Science, Social Sciences, Economics, Development, International relations, Nutrition or related fields. A Bachelor degree with two additional years of relevant experience may be acceptable in lieu of the advanced degree.

b. Work Experience

• A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience at international level.
• Experience in managing and administering pooled fund for development is a strong asset.
• Experience in building partnerships with major relevant stakeholders in the politics of the global nutrition governance landscape issues is a strong asset.
• Field experience in multi-sector development or food and nutrition security programmes and policies is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across one or more dispersed and diverse teams is desirable.
• Understanding of and significant experience in public administration structures at both the national and sub-national levels is desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to speak and write clearly and effectively by tailoring language, tone, style, and format to match the audience is desirable.
• Knowledge of and practical experience in the development and impact of global and regional development initiatives, as well as a sound understanding and appreciation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is desirable.

c. Language

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Fluency in written and spoken French is highly desirable.
• Fluency in another UN language is desirable.

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.