Project Management Senior Officer

Background Information - Job-specific

WEC (Water & Energy Cluster) Background:

The Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) portfolio, based in Vienna, and with offices based globally is part of the UNOPS Global Portfolio Office. The Portfolio has built strong partnerships and is effectively managing a portfolio of over 500 million USD over the last 15 years to support key initiatives with fund management, project implementation and administrative support.

WEC effectively operationalizes partners' agendas with global approaches, as well as regional and country specific activities focused on climate action, protection and conservation of the environment. Partners profit from WEC’s ability to operationalize and/or scale up their important substantive agendas, including in support of key multilateral environmental and climate agreements, such as the Paris Agreement, the Cartagena Convention as well as the Sustainable Development Goals.

The NDC Partnership:

The NDC Partnership is a global coalition of countries and institutions collaborating to drive transformational climate action through sustainable development. In 2015, the world endorsed the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Nations signal their commitments to the Paris Agreement through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) - each country’s strategy to cut its own greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience against the negative effects of a changing climate. The Partnership advances the goals of the Paris Agreement by bringing together nearly 200 countries and institutions in new ways to accelerate NDC implementation and enhance ambition over time. The Partnership’s work through 120 partners supporting almost 80 countries produces many examples of impact, lessons learned and ideas for the future. The Partnership is governed by a Steering Committee, co-chaired by two country representatives. The Partnership’s work is facilitated by a Support Unit based at World Resources Institute in Washington DC and the UNFCCC Secretariat in Bonn, Germany. UNOPS supports the NDC Partnership and its Support Unit through the Water, Environment and Climate (WEC).

Partnership Action Fund (PAF)

While the Partnership’s model of collective action catalyzes immediate support, there are instances when countries’ requests for climate action go unanswered. The need for a flexible and fast mechanism to deploy support is evident. To meet this need, the NDC Partnership launched the Partnership Action Fund (PAF) at COP26. The PAF supports developing Country Members in fast-tracking the implementation of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by bridging gaps in support. These resources are deployed to supplement existing support or respond to unsupported requests after these requests have been circulated and members have had the chance to respond with their own resources and programs. By pooling funds and making them more readily available, the PAF ensures countries have better access to technical and financial resources and the widest possible range of Partnership members can respond rapidly to the needs of developing Country Members. As of March 2025 2024, 72 member countries and one regional organization have requested support through PAF.

The Monitoring and Reporting Officer is responsible for overseeing the full grant lifecycle within the Partnership Action Fund (PAF), ensuring the efficient monitoring, reporting, and closure of grants. The officer will refine and implement monitoring frameworks, streamline project closure procedures, and enhance data alignment across the Support Unit (SU). This includes working closely with the Knowledge and Learning team on data system integration (e.g., kNook), the SU M&E team within the Chief of Staff Office, and the Communications team to showcase PAF’s impact. Additionally, the officer will support country engagement efforts and other tasks as assigned by the PAF Programme Manager.

1. Implement and Enhance the Grants Monitoring and Reporting Process

Collaborate with PAF Grant Managers: UNOPS and WRI, to establish clear and standardized procedures for tracking, compiling, and reporting of PAF projects progress.

Ensure that monitoring practices are aligned across all projects, enabling consistency in data collection and reporting.

Develop and document best practices for grant monitoring to enhance efficiency and accuracy.

Review, modify, and enhance existing reporting templates in coordination with the PAF core team to improve clarity, usability, and alignment with donor requirements. Ensure templates are structured to facilitate effective data visualization, making insights more accessible for decision-making.

Review and synthesize country update reports quarterly by analyzing narrative progress reports submitted by IPs

Ensure reports accurately reflect quarter progress and achievements, challenges, and key insights from project implementation align with the Project Scope of Work (SOW)

Coordinate with the SU Country Engagement Specialist (CES) in Identifying and managing Implementation Risks: Coordinate communication among the CE team, PAF operations team, and IPs to proactively identify potential implementation risks.

Coordinate with CES the Government Sign-Off for Reports

Collaborate with operations teams from WRI and UNOPS to ensure both narrative and financial progress reports are approved

Work closely with finance teams to ensure reports are cleared efficiently, facilitating timely disbursement of payments to IPs.

Monitor and troubleshoot any issues delaying report approvals to ensure smooth processing.

Establish and manage a centralized repository for all PAF deliverables, ensuring systematic categorization and accessibility.

Regularly update the library with finalized reports, and final deliverables to serve as a resource of valuable information for the Support Unit (SU) different workstreams.

Organize and lead regular check-in calls with IPs to review project progress, address challenges, and provide technical support.

Oversee the onboarding and capacity development of the Monitoring and Reporting (M&R) Associate to strengthen M&R processes.

2. Develop and Streamline Project Closure Process

Formulate comprehensive project closure guidelines aligned with UNOPS and WRI rules and regulations to ensure a structured and compliant closure process.

Establish closure timelines and milestones to ensure efficient project wrap-up while maintaining compliance with donor and organizational requirements.

Support the development of a detailed closure checklist covering all critical components, including: validation of final technical report, verification of deliverable completion and final work outputs; support the assessment and reconciliation of final budgets and financial reports; Confirmation of asset handover or disposal, where applicable.

Develop and apply an internal PAF IP assessment that include lessons learned and best practices.

Establish standardized closure procedures to ensure consistency in documenting and communicating project outcomes across all PAF projects.

Develop template-based closure reports to facilitate a uniform approach in summarizing project achievements, challenges, and lessons learned.

Liaise with the UNOPS Regional team to obtain the necessary approvals for the closure of each PAF project.

Ensure that all financial and operational closure requirements are met before submission for approval.

Track and document feedback from UNOPS and WRI to refine and improve the closure process.

Support in the design a spot-check methodology to assess the completeness and compliance of project closure activities.

Provide recommendations for possible options in case of non-compliance or incomplete documentation.

Collaborate with the PAF Manager to ensure that all operational and financial aspects of project closure are completed efficiently.

Support the verification of all financial reconciliations, including final payments and expense reports, are completed before project closure.

Ensure that the IP submit final technical and financial reports in accordance with donor and organizational requirements.

Lead outreach efforts to PAF Implementing Partners to ensure that all necessary documentation aligns with PAF's closure process.

Provide guidance and support to partners in completing required financial, programmatic, and compliance-related documentation.

Ensure that all project documentation, including contracts, financial reports, impact assessments, and closure reports, is properly archived in accordance with PAF project closure guidelines.

3. Coordination with other workstreams within the Support Unit

Coordinate and collaborate with the Knowledge and Learning team to ensure PAF data is effectively developed, maintained, and integrated into the broader Support Unit (SU) data system.

Facilitate continuous updates and improvements to data management processes to enhance accessibility and usability.

Data verification and internal projects: Lead the crosschecking and validation of PAF-related information to ensure accuracy and consistency across internal and external reports.

Under the supervision of the PAF Manager, oversee and implement internal projects aimed at strengthening PAF’s data management and analysis.

Coordinate and follow up with the M&E SU team to align PAF data with donor reporting requirements.

Support the development and refinement of PAF-specific indicators that contribute to the broader SU M&E Framework.

Ensure the effective application of these indicators in PAF data collection, coordinating with the M&E SU team as needed for reporting purposes.

Attend donor meetings alongside the PAF Manager to provide data-driven insights and support discussions.

Lead the preparation and submission of PAF inputs for donor reports, ensuring completeness, accuracy, and alignment with donor expectations.

Work closely with the Communication team to highlight PAF’s impact, ensuring key achievements and success stories are effectively showcased.

Identify compelling PAF impact stories and collaborate with the Communication team to develop blogs, reports, and policy briefs.

Contribute to the drafting, editing, and finalization of all PAF-related reports and presentations to ensure clarity, consistency, and alignment with organizational messaging.

4. Strengthen Data Management, Accessibility, and Consistency

Enhance Data Accessibility

Maintain and regularly update PAF data on platforms such as Monday and SharePoint to ensure seamless access for the internal core team and the Support Unit (SU).

Establish clear data categorization to enhance searchability and retrieval.

Provide guidance and support to PAF team members on how to efficiently access and utilize data on these platforms.

Ensure Data Consistency

Conduct routine data audits and validations to identify and address inconsistencies in reporting and analysis.

Align data collection and reporting formats with organizational and donor requirements.

Work closely with relevant teams to ensure that key performance metrics and indicators remain consistent across different reports and documentation.

Optimize Data Collection and Sharing

Maintain and enhance PAF data systems to improve data quality, tracking, and reporting efficiency.

Foster cross-team collaboration to ensure timely and effective data sharing among PAF, the M&E team, and other workstreams.

Support the integration of PAF data into broader SU analytical tools and dashboards for improved visualization and decision-making.

Support the preparation of bi-annual reports and presentations for the PAF Advisory Group, ensuring they are data-driven, well-structured, and aligned with strategic goals.

Master's degree preferably in international development, economics, finance, project management, procurement or a related field is required.

Bachelor's degree in related discipline in combination with an additional 4 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
Experience

Required

At least 2 years of experience in UNOPS project management, international cooperation and/or project management, and in project / grant management is required.

At least 2 years of proven knowledge of international climate policy and environmental issues

Experience with stakeholder and partner management, including interacting with government officials and/or donors.

Experience in procurement and operations.

Proficient use of Microsoft Office/Google Suite is required.

Assets

Previous experience with UNOPS or another UN agency is an advantage.

Language

Proficiency in English is required.

Knowledge of another official UN language (French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, and Chinese Mandarin) 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. 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.