Project Finance Specialist

The Finance Group serves as a strategic partner and fiduciary advisor, ensuring transparent, accountable, and effective resource management across UNOPS. The Group defines financial strategy in alignment with organizational goals, establishes finance policies, systems, and processes, and leads corporate budgeting to enable full cost recovery and ensure long-term financial sustainability. Throughout the project lifecycle, the Finance Group provides expert guidance, oversight, and tailored financial solutions. Responsibilities include delivering comprehensive financial and corporate performance reporting, strengthening financial capacity across the organization, and continuously enhancing resource planning and allocation. In addition, the Finance Group prepares and oversees the implementation of finance-related policies, upholding the highest standards of financial stewardship and supporting UNOPS in achieving operational excellence and fiscal responsibility.

The Project Finance Specialist reports to a Project Finance Advisor, who provides broad supervision and guidance. As a senior team member, the position may include supervisory responsibility over other team members and could be requested to take on the Officer in Charge (OIC) role for a Project Finance Advisor in their absence. The role contributes to FG’s vision of being a true business partner to UNOPS projects, by providing advice on all financial matters for partner relationship questions and project delivery to internal and external senior stakeholders. This includes establishing aspects of the financial framework within which client projects can operate, i.e. the policies and systems that govern cost recovery, financial aspects of global agreements with partners, implementation support and oversight, financial reporting, closure of records and support to audits and verifications.

This is an opportunity for internal candidates only.

While this process is intended to cover an immediate need for short-term parental cover, it may also be used for future ICA contract hires in Copenhagen and other duty stations for both short- and long-term opportunities.

The role is part of a centre of excellence, providing seamless, appropriate, relevant and proactive project-specific tools, guidance and support. The role includes collaboration on project setup, implementation and closure with UNOPS delivery functions and UNOPS Partnerships Group, and supports outreach and training on all things related to project finance.

1. Partner Negotiations

• Represent FG Project Finance in negotiations with partners on financial matters covering Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), agreement templates and related annexes as guided by the Project Finance Advisor. Review and approve financial conditions/clauses as per delegation. 
• Prepare partner-specific process guidance and supporting documents to ensure quality and process compliance with UNOPS policies as well as documentation of the partner’s needs. 

      2. Project Finance 

• Provide inputs to audit queries from both internal (Internal Audit & Investigations Group) and external bodies (UN Board of Auditors, Joint Inspection Unit). Provide support for project audits and verifications as needed.  
• Act as an approver in accordance with the assigned Delegation of Authority. 
• Oversee and coordinate both regular and ad hoc internal and external reporting on client projects and the cost recovery model. Ensure accurate reconciliation of general ledger accounts under the responsibility of project finance.
• Develop and maintain financial reporting templates, ensuring they meet partners' reporting requirements.
• Design and update financial reporting layouts and category groups within the UNOPS system, ensuring accuracy and consistency across all financial data.
• Support and coordinate any system development related to project finance
• Support and implement any other project finance related tasks as needed.

     3. Implementation/Transactional Services Delivery Support

• Ensure and provide finance support to UNOPS delivery functions throughout the entire service life cycle, including the review of implementation and transactional service agreements, system setup of finance-related records (such as project/service accounts and budgets), review and approval of accounting entries related to services, support projects with financial challenges through provisions/write-offs and/or additional funding requests, preparing financial reports for partners, and ensuring closure of financial records at the end of an agreement.

      4. Cost Recovery

• Support the continuous development and implementation of UNOPS’ cost recovery model. Review and recommend cost recovery-related budgets, rates, processes and performance. 
• Ensure consistent application of UNOPS cost recovery principles and support the refunds of any excess recoveries to UNOPS partners. 
• Provide inputs to official UNOPS documents related to cost recovery.

      5. People Management

• Contribute to the annual work plan for the project finance team. Propose objectives, performance measurements, standards and results expected for the role and any supervisees.
• Monitor implementation of the assigned tasks, report progress and ensure delivery of results as planned and according to expectation.
• Promote teamwork and collaboration by providing supervisees with clear direction, objectives and guidance to enable them to perform their duties responsibly, effectively and efficiently.
• Develop a flexible workforce with the skills and competencies needed to ensure optimum performance.
• Foster a positive work environment, respectful of all, and ensure that the highest standards of conduct are observed.

     6. Knowledge Management and Innovation

• Contribute to the development and introduction of innovation in UNOPS project finance practices.
• Promote knowledge sharing and dissemination of lessons learned across the organization.
• Plan and lead capacity-building initiatives for personnel, clients and stakeholders.
• Maintain comprehensive knowledge of project finance activities to support UNOPS teams and other corporate functions as needed. 

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or other relevant disciplines with 7 years of relevant experience OR

• A master's degree (or equivalent) in any of the above disciplines with 5 years of relevant experience is required.

  
  

Desired

• Appropriate professional accreditation or qualification in Finance is desirable.

Required

• Relevant experience is defined as working in financial management.

• Demonstrable proficiency in the use of collaboration and productivity tools (e.g. MS Office, G-Suite, etc) and web-based management systems.

Desired

• Highly desirable: Experience working in a field location.

  Highly desirable: Supervisory experience.

  Highly desirable: experience working on financial matters as they relate to project management, including project budgeting and project reporting.

  Understanding of the UNOPS financial model as it relates to client projects is a strong asset.

  Further experience with partner relations and project financial aspects are a strong asset 

  
  

• 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.