Policy Advisor

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.

From Geneva, UNOPS facilitates the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), working with governments, other United Nations (UN) agencies and partners by providing quality servces, integrated solutions and management support through strategic, cost-effective and results-oriented approches. This includes supporting platforms and hosting high-profile, flagship initiatives and funds focusing on health, nutrition, water and sanitation, sustainable cities, environment, energy, climate and trade. UNOPS is a recognized resource for the UN system in Geneva – from fund management and oversight and advisory services, to providing hosting solutions to a range of global initiatives, as well as operational support to partner organizations.

The Global Platform for Action on Sustainable Energy in Displacement Settings (GPA) is the global initiative aiming to ensure SDG 7—access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all—is inclusive of displacement and fragile contexts. The GPA enables collective action for delivery at scale by generating shared intelligence, shaping policy and funding agendas, mobilising resources, and orchestrating collaboration among humanitarian, development, government, private sector, financing, and community actors. It is guided by a Board and Advisory Group of key energy, climate, humanitarian and development partners. Hosted by the UNOPS, the GPA Secretariat implements its shared objectives by collaborating with a global network of over 100 partners.

From Geneva, UNOPS facilitates the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), working with governments, other United Nations (UN) agencies and partners by providing quality servces, integrated solutions and management support through strategic, cost-effective and results-oriented approches. This includes supporting platforms and hosting high-profile, flagship initiatives and funds focusing on health, nutrition, water and sanitation, sustainable cities, environment, energy, climate and trade. UNOPS is a recognized resource for the UN system in Geneva – from fund management and oversight and advisory services, to providing hosting solutions to a range of global initiatives, as well as operational support to partner organizations.

The Global Platform for Action on Sustainable Energy in Displacement Settings (GPA) is the global initiative aiming to ensure SDG 7—access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all—is inclusive of displacement and fragile contexts. The GPA enables collective action for delivery at scale by generating shared intelligence, shaping policy and funding agendas, mobilising resources, and orchestrating collaboration among humanitarian, development, government, private sector, financing, and community actors. It is guided by a Board and Advisory Group of key energy, climate, humanitarian and development partners. Hosted by the UNOPS, the GPA Secretariat implements its shared objectives by collaborating with a global network of over 100 partners.

Reporting to the Head of Secretariat, the PolicyAdvisor  will lead GPA’s policy engagement to secure the inclusion of sustainable energy solutions for displaced people, host communities and humanitarian operations in international, national, and sub-national policy documents. The role will identify and influence key policy opportunities and initiatives, including the African Union's Energy Programme for Humanitarian Contexts and Fragile States, Mission 300, National Energy Compacts, SDG7 processes, climate and resilience agendas, refugee and displacement frameworks, and multi-partner energy initiatives. 

The Policy Advisor will develop policy language, technical inputs, briefing notes and advocacy tools for partners, while supporting governments, donors, funders, financiers, humanitarian and development agencies, and civil society to integrate displacement settings into energy planning and investment opportunities. 

The role will also support the GPA Secretariat, and its partners to translate policy commitments into practical delivery opportunities, including project pipeline, funding proposals, technical assistance and project partnerships, while tracking policy progress and demonstrating the GPA Secretariat's influence and impact.

1. Policy Influence and Strategic Positioning

• Develop an Advocacy Strategy for the GPA Secretariat in-line with the GPA’s 2026-2029 Strategy and Partner Network.
• Provide strategic support for GPA’s policy engagement to ensure sustainable, affordable and reliable energy solutions for displaced people, host communities and humanitarian operations are reflected in international, regional and national policy frameworks.
• Advance the integration of sustainable energy in fragile and displacement settings into key policy processes, such as the African Union's Energy Programme for Humanitarian Contexts and Fragile States, Mission 300, National Energy Compacts, SDG7 processes, climate and resilience agendas, refugee and displacement frameworks, and regional energy strategies.
• Position energy in displacement and fragile settings as a core component of inclusive energy access, resilience, climate action and development planning.
• Participate in high-level policy dialogues, technical working groups, donor consultations, regional forums and partner coordination spaces.

2. Policy Analysis, Evidence and Opportunity Identification

• Identify high-impact policy entry points where displacement-affected communities can be explicitly included in energy access, clean cooking, renewable energy, productive-use energy, public service electrification and humanitarian decarbonisation commitments.
• Provide senior technical and political analysis of energy policies, regulations, compacts and investment plans, identifying gaps, risks and opportunities for sustainable energy access in displacement and crisis-affected contexts.
• Track and assess relevant policy developments, such as African Union's Energy Programme for Humanitarian Contexts and Fragile States, Mission 300 compacts, national electrification strategies, clean cooking plans, climate finance instruments, humanitarian response plans and refugee inclusion policies.
• Promote evidence-based policy influence by drawing on GPA research, country roadmaps, partner experience and field-level data to demonstrate the development, protection, cost-efficiency and climate benefits of sustainable energy in displacement and fragile settings.

3. Partner Coordination and Collective Advocacy

• Provide strategic advice to GPA partners in the development of common policy positions, shared advocacy messages and coordinated engagement strategies across global, regional and country-level policy processes.
• Facilitate partner advocacy around Mission 300 and related national energy compact processes to ensure displacement settings, host communities and humanitarian facilities are not left behind in expanded electrification efforts.
• Work with national governments, regional bodies, UN agencies, funders, financiers, humanitarian and development agencies, refugee and community based organisations, civil society and private sector actors to strengthen the inclusion of displacement settings in energy planning and delivery. And, where relevant, support the broader inclusion of refugees, such as financial inclusion, the right to work, documentation and registration, etc.   
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with policymakers, donors, MDBs and implementing partners.

4. Policy Guidance and Technical Inputs

• Develop policy language, technical inputs, briefing notes, model clauses and advocacy products that partners can use to influence government strategies, donor frameworks, multilateral initiatives and investment plans.
• Support partners to interpret policy language.
• Provide targeted support to country teams and partners seeking to use policy commitments to unlock funding, technical assistance, regulatory support or implementation partnerships.

5. Delivery, Financing and Accountability

• Support GPA partners to connect favorable policies and programme opportunities to practical implementation partnerships .
• Help partners convert displacement-inclusive policy commitments into concrete delivery opportunities for sustainable energy access, clean cooking, productive use, public services and humanitarian operations.
• Monitor and report on GPA’s policy influence, including adoption of displacement-inclusive energy language, partner uptake, financing opportunities generated and implementation progress linked to policy commitments.

Notable outputs include:

• Displacement-inclusive policy language and model clauses for use in key policies and programmes, including Mission 300, National Energy Compacts, SDG7 processes, climate frameworks, refugee policies and national energy plans.
• Policy briefs, technical inputs and advocacy notes setting out the case for integrating sustainable energy solutions into displacement, humanitarian and host-community contexts.
• Mapping of policy entry points and influence opportunities across international, regional and national policy processes, including priority countries, institutions and decision points.
• Coordinated partner advocacy positions and messaging packs for engagement with governments, MDBs, donors, UN agencies and regional bodies.
• Partner guidance to support GPA partners to interpret relevant policy commitments and use them to unlock funding and delivery opportunities.
• Policy influence and accountability reports tracking adoption of displacement-inclusive energy language, partner uptake, financing leads generated and implementation progress.

Required

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in energy, environment, international development or humanitarian studies, international relations, public policy, or a related field is required

• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s) with two additional years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.

Required

• A minimum of 7 years of extensive experience in energy access, climate, or humanitarian/sustainable development policy of which 3 years has been at senior management level is required.

• Proven experience of 5 years in programme coordination, partnership management, policy, or strategy implementation in the humanitarian or development sectors is required.

  
  

Desired

• Experience in delivering energy and environment initiatives in humanitarian response is an asset.

• Work experience in a developing country or displacement affected country, including Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya and/or wider Sub-Saharan Africa would be an asset. 

  
  

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