Grant Support Management Specialist

The Infrastructure and Project Management Group (IPMG) provides policy, standards guidance and support in three UNOPS service lines of Project Management, Infrastructure and Financial Management Services (Grant Support and Fund Management). IPMG leads the design and implementation of a project, programme and portfolio management (P3M) system centered around the needs of UNOPS partners, beneficiaries and frontline personnel. IPMG also drives UNOPS efforts to leverage sustainable, resilient and inclusive infrastructure and maximize local capacity through grant support management to achieve sustainable development. Through thought leadership, we aim to position UNOPS with its partners, foster innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development, and accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This includes speeding up the implementation of urgent infrastructure and scaling up infrastructure service delivery, particularly in relation to climate action and energy. Our delivery approach to project management, infrastructure and grant support management prioritizes development needs, empowers institutions and communities, builds partners’ capacity, champions gender equality and social inclusion and reduces environmental impact. IPMG translates policy into practice by providing strategic direction, standards and oversight, while facilitating knowledge sharing and capacity-building for UNOPS teams globally.

Grant Support is defined in UNOPS policies as “a UNOPS project activity, which is outside the framework of procurement activities, and is undertaken by way of grants, credits or loans carried out through an implementing partner." UNOPS manages grant support projects and programmes, which can be small or large. This involves:

• Selecting implementing partners using various methodologies.

• Disbursing and monitoring grants and funding across diverse contexts.

• Ensuring resources are spent transparently and efficiently, aligning with partner (donor) objectives.

• Building the capacity of UNOPS implementing partners for the efficient and responsible use of grants and funding.

The Grant Support Specialist is a critical role within IPMG, focused on strengthening the organization’s grant support policy and operational framework. This position serves as a technical advisor, trainer/coach and coordinator, ensuring that grant support-related activities—including credits, loans, and humanitarian rapid response—are delivered with high integrity and transparency in alignment with partner (donor) objectives. The specialist acts as a bridge between high-level policy and field-level execution, with a mission to build the capacity of UNOPS personnel and acts as the steward of the organization’s digital grant management system, Grant+.***This vacancy is looking to fill a full-time open-ended position. However, as the contract modality for this Vacancy Announcement is an International Individual Contractor Agreement, UNOPS may also use the results of this recruitment process to offer a full-time short-term, or a retainer (contract for intermittent work, subject to budget availability and business needs) contract.

***This position may either be office-based in Copenhagen, Denmark or home-based in the successful candidate's place of residence. The duty station is to be agreed upon finalization of the recruitment process in accordance with business needs and the candidate's individual circumstances. While this role offers the flexibility of home-based work, the successful candidate will be expected to maintain at least partial overlap with HQ Copenhagen working hours.

The Grant Support Specialist independently manages projects/programs and adapts existing policies to meet emerging needs in the area of grant support, ensuring the organization’s grant support policy and operational framework are strengthened.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Development Studies, International Relations, Social Science, Business Administration, Finance, Public Administration, Project Management, Communications  or related fields with 7 years of relevant experience OR

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above or related fields with 5 years of relevant experience is required

Required

• A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in grant support/management is required. The experience must include: 
  
  • Capacity Building: Skilled in designing and delivering coaching/mentoring, training programmes (webinars, toolkits) for a global audience with varying levels of expertise is required.
  • Grant Management Systems: Advanced proficiency in digital grant management systems and the ability to translate user needs into a digital system is required.
  • Analytical Thinking: Ability to analyze large datasets of qualitative and quantitative data to identify risks, trends, and compliance gaps is required.
• Civil Society Engagement: Direct experience working with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) is strongly preferred. Experience prioritizing the needs of those the UN serves and ensuring projects align with the strategic goals of peace, dignity, and equality is required.
• Challenging Environments: Direct experience managing grants and funding within fragile states and humanitarian contexts, with a focus on analyzing results, risks, and corporate controls is required.
• Partnership Management: Deep understanding of the implementing partner and grant management lifecycle is required.

Desired

• Policy & Process Development: Ability to draft and implement policies, technical standards, standard operating procedures (SOPs), manuals, and templates is strongly desired.

• Multi-Donor Management: Experience in multi-donor or multi-agency grants and projects is preferred.

• Financial Standards: Familiarity with IPSAS for refining financial management and reporting tools is desired.

• Capacity Assessment: Direct experience implementing Capacity Assessments of Implementing Partners and protocols on the Protection of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) is preferred.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. 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.

• 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. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click 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.