Portfolio Senior Officer

UNOPS supports the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian  and development projects around the world. Our mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner.

Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices, always satisfying or surpassing our partners’ expectations.

With over 7,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, wherever they need it.

A flexible structure and global reach means that we can quickly respond to our partners' needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale.

The Portfolio Senior Officer will support the portfolio of programmes and hosted entities managed by the UNOPS Geneva Office:

1. Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL): In September 2011, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon launched the Sustainable Energy for All initiative as a global partnership platform that was to promote and support new collaborative approaches for governments, business and civil society to work together in making sustainable energy for all a reality by 2030.  Set up as a multi-stakeholder platform, SEforALL aims to contribute towards three interlinked objectives: (i) ensure universal access to modern energy services; (ii) double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency; and (iii) double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.  In working towards these goals, SEforALL engages with leaders across the world, empowering them to broker the partnerships and to unlock the finance necessary for a radical energy transformation in their countries, sectors or regions.   SEforALL is a programme managed by the UNOPS Geneva Office, while the SEforALL Headquarters is based in Vienna, Austria.  

2. UN Water Inter-Agency Trust Fund: The scope of UN-Water work encompasses all aspects of freshwater, including surface and groundwater resources and the interface between fresh and seawater.  It includes freshwater resources, both in terms of their quality and quantity, their development, assessment, management, monitoring, and use (including, for example, domestic uses, agriculture and ecosystems requirements).  The scope of work of UN-Water also includes sanitation - encompassing both access to and use of sanitation by populations and the interactions between sanitation and freshwater.  It further includes water-related disasters, emergencies and other extreme events and their impact on human security. UN-Water is the inter-agency mechanism that promotes coherence in, and coordination of, UN system actions aimed at the implementation of the agenda defined by the Millennium Declaration and the World Summit on Sustainable Development as it relates to its scope of work. UNOPS is the Trust Fund manager for the UN-Water Inter-Agency Trust Fund  (UNWIATF).

3. The Global Executive Leadership Initiative (GELI): GELI is a project hosted under UNOPS Geneva. The Global Executive Leadership Initiative is a UNOPS implemented program including fund management and operational support services. GELI will offer a customized 12-months program that will contribute to improved response and drive collective action that saves lives of crisis-affected people by challenging senior field leaders to maximize their leadership excellence. 

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Support Specialist, the Portfolio Senior Officer will provide effective support in project management and administration, HR, procurement and travel within the projects.

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Support Specialist, the Portfolio Senior Officer will be responsible for:

a. Education 

• A Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Communication, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, International Relations. 
• Bachelor’s degree in combination with an additional two (2) years of  experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.

b. Experience     

• A minimum of two (2) years of relevant working experience in one or more of the following areas: operations, project/portfolio management, programme management, HR, administration.
• Proficiency in computers and office software packages (MS Office)  Google space and experience in handling web-based management systems is required.
• Experience in budget management, accounting and procurement is highly desirable.
• Previous UNOPS experience is highly desirable.
• Experience with an ERP system is desirable, and specific experience with oneUNOPS is an asset.

c. Languages

• Fluency in English (oral and written) is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an asset.

• 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.

Based in Geneva, the Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECR) supports UNOPS offices throughout the region through: management, financial and programmatic oversight of global and country-specific portfolios, clusters and operations centres, including hosting services; fund and management advisory services; project implementation; procuring goods and services; and managing human resources.

ECR ensures that projects are executed to the highest standards, providing a shared knowledge base and ensuring that best practices and lessons learned are disseminated between business units and projects across the entire region.

 ECR strategy is to:

• Strengthen UNOPS role in operationalizing the Sustainable Development Goals with particular emphasis on health, environment and economic development.
• Position UNOPS in the Balkan sub-region, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
• Strengthen the implementation of ECR global and regional programmes, with revitalized partnerships in infrastructure, procurement and project management.

ECR operates global portfolios from offices in Geneva, Brussels and New York, and country-specific programmes from its operations and project centres located in Eastern Europe and Central Asian countries.