City Engagement Specialist

The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) brings together diverse expertise to help partners deliver impact worldwide. With hubs in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, and expert teams operating globally, GPO leads multi-regional initiatives that advance sustainable development, climate action, and peacebuilding - including in some of the world’s most challenging environments. By leveraging our collective expertise and global networks, GPO supports UNOPS’ strategic priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals across more than 130 countries. We work closely with major global partners - including governments, international financial institutions, and UN agencies - to deliver a wide range of services, such as project management, fund management, hosting services, and HR support.

UNOPS Geneva also hosts the secretariats of eight global partnerships focused on health (RBM, Stop TB, ATscale), nutrition (SUN), water/sanitation (SHF), humanitarian leadership (GELI), urban development (Cities Alliance), and disaster displacement (PDD). We also provide fund management for EIF and UN Water, and operational support to Geneva-based partners like the Global Fund and UNHCR. The EU-UNOPS Lives in Dignity (LiD) Grant Facility is also based here.

The Water, Environment, and Climate (WEC) portfolio, based in Vienna with offices worldwide, is part of the UNOPS Geneva Office. Over the past 15 years, WEC has built strong partnerships and effectively managed a portfolio exceeding 500 million USD, supporting key initiatives through fund management, project implementation, and administrative support.

WEC translates partners' agendas into action through global, regional, and country-specific initiatives focused on climate action, environmental protection, and conservation. Partners benefit from WEC’s ability to implement and scale their strategic priorities, including support for key multilateral environmental and climate agreements such as the Paris Agreement, the Cartagena Convention, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Through this engagement, under the Water and Environment Cluster (WEC) Portfolio, UNOPS will provide implementation services to the European Commission to support the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM).

This will involve accelerating its initiatives and delivering advisory, management, coordination, and implementation services around three main outputs: 

1. Cities have enhanced capacity, systems and tools to develop implementation plans and prepare bankable climate projects, 

2. Cities are equipped to mobilise adequate finance for the implementation of their sustainable energy and climate action plans (SECAPs), and

 3. Business-to-city matchmaking mechanisms are established to scale up innovative, sustainable solutions and technologies. 

The position will support cities and local governments empowerment  to accelerate their transition to climate-resilient, sustainable energy and low emission mobility urban systems with enhanced capacity, accessed finance, and established private sector partnerships. 

Working under the guidance and leadership of the Director of the UNOPS GCoM Support and Coordination Unit, the successful candidate will work closely with cities and partners to facilitate coordination, support implementation processes, and contribute to the rollout of technical assistance, knowledge sharing and collaboration activities that advance climate-resilient solutions on the ground. 

1. City Climate and Energy Priority Development

• In close liaison with the Partnerships and Networks Adviser, lead the structured dialogues with city counterparts, including mayors' offices, technical departments to identify and prioritize climate and energy challenges and opportunities.

• Facilitate the translation of city needs and key priorities, into technically sound and bankable project pipelines aligned with available financing opportunities, while strengthening collaboration between cities and private sector partners by helping cities articulate investment needs and supporting businesses in understanding local procurement and regulatory contexts.

• Provide technical guidance to cities on the development and implementation of Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs), Climate Action Plans (CAPs) and related frameworks, ensuring coherence between planning, investment and implementation.

2. City Stakeholder Management System

• In close collaboration with municipal stakeholders and focal points, support the design and implementation of a systematic, city-level stakeholder engagement approach that maps, prioritizes and manages relationships across all relevant municipal actors, including political leadership, technical units (energy, transport, buildings, waste, etc.) and finance/budget departments. Equity and inclusiveness are key drivers in the approach.

• Design and deliver capacity-building materials and training for GCoM team members and city counterparts on the stakeholder engagement approach, ensuring consistent application across the city portfolio.

• Maintain an up-to-date stakeholder data base and intelligence system, tracking engagement status, key contacts, open issues and follow-up actions for each city.

3. City-to-Business Matchmaking for Climate Solutions

• Identify and facilitate structured matchmaking between cities and private sector actors, including technology providers, solution developers, infrastructure investors and impact-oriented businesses, to support the implementation of innovative and high-impact climate and energy solutions at city level.

• Develop and maintain a database/ pipeline of city-business collaboration opportunities, progressing leads from initial interest through scoping, partnership structuring and implementation readiness.

• Contribute to the design of matchmaking formats, such as challenge calls, innovation sandboxes,or investment forums, that create productive conditions for city-business collaboration and move beyond one-off introductions toward durable implementation partnerships.

4. Partnership, Networks and Matchmaking

• Support the initiative representation in relevant forums and consultation groups.

• Contribute to knowledge products and learning outputs that document city engagement experiences, good practices and replicable approaches for outreach wider dissemination.

Undertake tasks in support of the initiative, in line with expertise, as directed by the Director of the UNOPS GCoM Support and Coordination Unit, to respond to emerging needs and priorities.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) preferably in Environmental Science, Urban Planning, Climate Change or related fields with 7 years of relevant experience OR

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

Required

• Relevant experience in partnership development and knowledge management, and/or climate action.

• Experience in building and managing relationships with diverse stakeholders, including private sector entities, international financial institutions, and research organizations.
  
  

Desired

• Experience working with multiple cities and local governments on global climate-related initiatives

• Experience in developing and implementing global knowledge management strategies and frameworks.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• 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. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• 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.