Grants Analyst (Corporate Retainer, multiple positions)

Background Information - Job-specific
General Background

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development. UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 5,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,400 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.

UNOPS Corporate Retainer Pool

UNOPS is managing a pool of Corporate Retainers to meet the need for temporary, short-term ad-hoc support to UNOPS business units across the globe in several expertise areas identified by the HQ business units and in consultation with the regional offices. The Corporate Retainer Pool (CRP) covers a wide range of expertise areas. The CRP is coordinated by the Portfolio Support team in the Infrastructure and Project Management Group (IPMG) however the Business Unit leading the expertise area supervises each position as relevant.

** IMPORTANT INFORMATION ** Retainer positions are not full-time positions. They constitute a contract whereby the Retainer may be requested to provide a specific output/deliverable within a specified period of time, on short notice. When holding a retainer contract, individuals may receive ad-hoc requests from the UNOPS project teams or country offices, and the quantity of requests will vary depending on the current needs. UNOPS shall have no obligation to obtain any minimum quantity of services from the Individual Contractor during the duration of the retainer ICA. It is possible to have multiple consultancy contracts with or outside UNOPS, as long as it is declared to the UNOPS Ethics Office. Read more about the ICA retainer modality here.

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Background Information – Job Specific

Working within the Infrastructure and Project Management Group (IPMG), the Grants Analyst (Retainer) will be expected to provide expert technical analysis and guidance for various grant support projects and programmes globally, in all offices where UNOPS operates.

This retainer position falls under the UNOPS Corporate retainer pool, and the grant support team will be responsible for the technical onboarding and supervision of the Grant Support Management Analyst (Retainer).

The functions/responsibilities/key results of this job description are generic and may not always be applicable, nor be comprehensive, for all missions under this job title. The specific tasks and deliverables for each retainer assignment may vary and will be detailed in the terms of reference developed for each assignment by the requesting office/unit, while the grant support team will exercise an oversight function. Under this contract type, the assignments will vary in scope and duration - ranging from short term assignments of a few hours at a time to longer blocks of time (e.g. several weeks or months full time, and up to a year). Work may also vary with regards to the time zone / location. Whilst most assignments can be delivered working from home, some may require presence in HQ and/or international travel on occasion, including to remote or post-conflict environments. Whilst the successful incumbent can be based in different time-zones, s/he should be able and willing to ensure a degree of time overlap with the teams ordering the retainer’s services.

All corporate retainers are invited to participate in a one-hour induction session (or two 30 minute sessions) where they are guided through UNOPS retainer management tool, the retainer contract modality and their expertise area in the UNOPS context.

While the contract modality for this Vacancy Announcement is an ICA retainer contract on project or assignment basis, UNOPS may offer on a need basis a full-time employment for a specified consecutive period of time (up to one year maximum) - with the possibility to go back and forth between the two contract modalities, pending acceptance of the incumbent of the assignments proposed to him/her.

All retainer assignments will be handled via the UNOPS online retainer management tool, including the request for the retainer’s services and the provision of feedback for each assignment.

1. Grant Support Policy, Guidance, Tools and Analysis

Data Collection and Analysis: Gathering information from various sources (internal data, implementing partner data, spot-checks, audit findings, stakeholder feedback etc) to understand the implementation of UNOPS's grant support policies, processes, tools, and templates. Analyze the data to identify areas for improvement and potential risks. Compile and analyze data for local context analysis/situational analysis of grant support activities, develop proposals and the project initiation documents.

Drafting and Revision: Drafting and revision of grant support templates, tools and guidance content.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): With senior personnel, drafting SOPs for grant support activities to ensure consistency, transparency, and efficiency.

Calls for Proposals and Results Frameworks: Drafting standardized calls for proposals. Act as a member of proposal evaluation/review committees, and/or conduct capacity assessments.

Compliance Analysis: Documenting and analyzing compliance with grant support policy requirements; this includes reviewing documentation of exceptions and developing action plans to address gaps in compliance.

Routine Monitoring: With senior personnel, developing results frameworks and indicator guidelines and analyzing results. Developing monitoring tools and processes, including reviewing progress reports, narrative reports, monitoring and evaluation reports, and other relevant documentation.

2. Implementing Partner Capacity Building

Capacity Building Plans: With senior personnel, developing capacity building plans for implementing partners.

Training: With senior personnel, co-designing and co-delivering online and in-person training activities for UNOPS personnel and implementing partners on grant support policies and procedures ensures that everyone involved has the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively manage grant-funded projects.

Capacity Assessments: Compiling, organization and quality assuring and analyzing results from UNOPS's Capacity Assessment of Implementing Partners Requirements, including the implementation of the Implementing Partner Protocol on Protection of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.

Coordination and Organization: Coordinating UNOPS implementing partners capacity building activities and other related meetings.

3. Communications and Knowledge Management:

Digital Solutions: Documenting business processes and systems requirements for digital solutions to grant support.

Documentation and Records Management: Organizing documentation for evaluations, spot-checks, audits and other relevant assessments.

Knowledge Sharing: Collaborating with colleagues to document UNOPS's emerging/promising and good practices in grant support and implementing partner management.

Communications: Collaborating with communications colleagues to produce grant support and implementing partner profiles, stories, and social media content.

Accessibility: Providing inputs to develop grants support documents, materials, tools, and templates that are accessible to persons with disabilities or other marginalized groups.

Internal Communications: Contributing to the development of internal communications products on grants support and implementing partner management helps keep UNOPS personnel informed about the latest developments and best practices.

Support as requested with other knowledge management initiatives across the organization related to grant support.

An advanced university degree (master's or equivalent) in Development Studies, International Relations, Social Science, Business Administration, Finance, Public Administration, Accounting, Project Management, Community Management, Communications or in any relevant area is required.

A university degree (bachelor's degree level) with a combination of 2 years of relevant professional experience in Development Studies, International Relations, Social Science, Business Administration, Finance, Public Administration, Accounting, Project Management, Community Management, Communications may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Required experience

A minimum of 2 years of progressively responsible experience in grant management is required.The experience must include:

Report writing or policy/business process/template/manual content development is required.

Supporting grantees/implementing partners through the grant process is required.

Stakeholder capacity assessment and capacity building is required.

Conducting training and developing training resources is required.

Experience in managing, analyzing and reporting data is required.

Previous work experience in grant management within the UN system, Foundations, NGOs or International Donors is required.

Desired experience

Knowledge and understanding of UN Rules and Regulations is an asset.

Knowledge of business processes and systems design is strongly preferred.

Advisory or consultancy experience is an asset.

Experience in multi-donor or multi-agency grants and projects is an asset.

Experience working with civil society and community-based organizations is an asset, including organizations of persons with disabilities.

Experience working in fragile states and/or humanitarian contexts is strongly preferred.

Experience working with vulnerable, persecuted and at-risk groups is preferred.

Language Skills

Fluency in English is required.

Proficiency in another UN language such as French, Spanish and Arabic is highly desirable.

Other

Please attach a cover letter highlighting the experience, knowledge and qualifications relevant for the position.

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. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. 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.