Background Information - Job-specific
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a forest giant. Its tropical forest, covering more than 130 million hectares, is the second largest in the world. The DRC's forest faces great challenges : the DRC is the third largest tropical country in the world in terms of forest loss after Brazil and Indonesia. In the DRC, forest loss is due to poverty, to a local need for land and forest products (small-scale slash-and-burn agriculture and charcoal) exacerbated by strong population growth. To address these challenges, the DRC adopted its national REDD+ framework strategy in 2012, aiming to stabilize forest cover at 63.5% by 2030, and to maintain it thereafter. CAFI's partnership with the DRC started in 2015, when the Government of DRC adopted its national REDD+ Investment Plan, on the basis of which a Letter of Intent was agreed to for 5 years (2016-2020) and 18 programmes were progressively funded through the capitalization of the DRC National REDD+ Fund (FONAREDD).
In November 2021, during COP 26 in Glasgow, a renewed and expanded 10 year agreement (2021 โ 2031) was signed by President Tshisekedi of the DRC and Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom, unlocking investments of USD 500 million to meet concrete objectives to halt deforestation and restore degraded lands through a sustainable & inclusive rural development that fights poverty and creates jobs and revenues.
Following a joint Call for Expressions of interest under the 2nd letter of Intent in May 2022, new projects were approved by the DRC FONAREDD Steering Committee in December 2023. UNOPS was chosen as the Managing Agent for several projects, in collaboration with national and international NGOs as implementing partners.
Functional Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of the Head of Partnerships, the Programme Fund Management Advisor may be requested to support specific work packages/individual assignments, covering but not limited to negotiate, design, advise, start up or turn-around single and multi-donor pooled funds. Support needed will mostly be for programmes in the sub-region but may also include assignments from other UNOPS regions. Such assignments may be home-based or require travel to specific country offices.
The Programme Fund Management Advisor will be responsible to advise and support UNOPS Programme Development on a need basis, and will have a thorough understanding of the terms, conditions, and the respective roles and responsibilities of the partners / stakeholders to ensure the programmes managed by UNOPS are capable of meeting the business cases of both UNOPS and its donors.
The Programme Fund Management Advisor will broadly carry out the following tasks, in accordance with UNOPS policies, procedures and practices based on needs expressed by country offices.
Fund design
Participate in donor negotiations for designing new funds when requested by country offices
Draft concept notes/project proposals/budgets for designing financing mechanisms
Draft fund related documentation such as operational guidelines, governance architecture, safeguards policies and strategy
Support offices in designing fundโs organogram and terms of reference
Provide surge capacity to new funds during start up and act as interim programme manager when needed
Conceptualize innovative financing approaches to meet donor requirements
Fund Management/Programme Management
Provide diagnostic assessment of ongoing funds and provide advice on turnaround, especially with regards to strategy, governance, grants model, risk management etc.
Provide on-going assurance/peer review on active funds to country office or regional office
Propose strategies to attract further funding for ongoing funds
Any other related tasks on programme management cycle as needed
Knowledge Management:
Understand and manage UNOPS pricing policy and related corporate charges as they apply to the Fund
Contribute to CFMโs publications and fund management toolkit
Actively interact with other stakeholder to share case studies, lessons learned and best practice on UNOPS Communities
The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.
EDUCATION
A Masterโs Degree in a relevant field such as Business Administration, Public Administration, International Development, Engineering, Political Science, Communications or International Relations is required. A Bachelorโs Degree Iin relevant field such as Business Administration, Public Administration, International Development, Engineering, Political Science, Communications or International Relations in combination with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the education requirements outlined above.
EXPERIENCE
A minimum of seven (7) years of experience in an international development and/or Partnerships Development including demonstrated experience in:
Developing and executing partnership and programme development plans is required;
Project development and proposal writing is required ;
Experience in acquisition of projects is required ;
Project and programme management experience in fund management or MPTFs is required
Establishing partnerships with UN agencies, international development organizations, governments, foundations, international NGOs or private sector organizations, is required.
Prior experience working in international organizations international development, is required.
Experience in post-disaster and/or emergency contexts would also be an advantage.
Experience in sectors such as Health, Climate/Environment, Energy and Peace is an advantage is an advantage
Experience of Google Suite and or Web-based Management Systems is an advantage. LANGUAGE
Competencies
Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organization. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organization. Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.
Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles. Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role). Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries. Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements. Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving. Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground. Contract type, level and duration
Contract type:International Individual Contract Agreement (IICA) Contract level: IICA3-ICS11 Contract duration: Ongoing ICA โ โOpen-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.'
For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx
Additional Information
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.
UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse 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.
Located in Kinshasa, DRC the UNOPS Hub in central africa covers fifteen countries, including DRC.The office has developped strong working relations with International partners, UN agencies including UN Missions and Governments across central africa over the years. It provides technical support and capacity building in strategic development areas inclunding infrastructure rehabilitation and development across health, education, public work, governance, public administration sectors, procurement, project management amongst others