Special Advisor (whistleblowing and speak up culture)

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 organisations. With over 5,000 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.

UNOPS is currently undergoing a substantial transformation  journey, instigated by a number of internal and external factors. One of the projects, as part of this transformation journey,  builds on the findings from independent reviews conducted by third parties in 2022, leading up to the UNOPS Executive Board recommending that UNOPS conducts an overhaul of the speak-up, whistleblowing process completely and  establishes a clear, centralized and uniform process that encourages reporting and safeguards fair and confidential treatment of all reports with appropriate rules and protocols, in line with United Nations system best practices. Linked to it are the processes and mechanisms used to report and manage many different types of misconduct. Organisational culture is considered an important aspect of the journey to address the challenges as are the policies, practices and procedures at the core of the existing processes.

The project is co-sponsored by the Executive Director and the Director of the Ethics Office and involves cross-functional solution building via partnering with Ethics, HR, Legal and Internal Audit and Investigations. The project will be managed in partnership with an internal change management unit.

Education:

• A Master’s degree is required. Preferably in Law, Public Administration or any related field but specific discipline is not required. 

Required:

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in a similar senior advisory roles

• Experience facilitating multidimensional solution design, to address root causes of issues and in leading solutioning and implementation

• Proven track record of building rapport and facilitating alignment and collaboration between senior leaders

• A minimum of 3 years of  workshop design and facilitation. A wide toolkit and proven track record of leveraging various techniques for effective workshop design and facilitation.

• Solid subject matter knowledge of  whistleblower mechanisms and approaches to case management for misconduct and speak up culture. Or a wider knowledge of organizational systems of justice

• A team player mindset and willing to become part of an extended team for the duration of the assignment.

Desirable:

• Preferably with prior experience in the context of international organizations , NGOs or public sector.

Languages:

• Fluency in English, both written and verbal, is required;

• Working knowledge of either Spanish or French is desirable

• 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.