Advisor, Portfolio Management

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.

The Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) portfolio, based in Vienna, and with offices based globally is part of the UNOPS Global Portfolios Office. WEC 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. 

This is a home-based assignment. The selected candidate is required to make the necessary arrangements, to standards deemed acceptable by UNOPS, for secure internet connectivity, a laptop, and any other equipment required to perform the assignment.

The selected candidate must also have the legal right to work in the country from which they will be based throughout the duration of the contract.

This position is offered under a retainer contract modality. The incumbent will be engaged on an as-needed basis, depending on operational requirements, for up to a maximum of 120 working days over a 12-month period. Assignments will be communicated in advance by UNOPS authorized personnel/supervisor before any engagement. A retainer contract is issued for intermittent services and does not guarantee a minimum number of working hours or days. Payment is made only upon the completion of work and submission of a Certificate of Payment (CoP).

The role of the Advisor, Portfolio Management for WEC is a home-based, retainer role. Under the guidance and supervision of the Head of WEC Portfolio, and in close collaboration with the WEC Portfolio Management Team, the Advisor, Portfolio Management will support WEC’s portfolio delivery performance and growth ambitions. The incumbent translates evolving climate action trends and partner needs into practical operational approaches, identifying synergies, replicable models, and new service lines to ensure WEC’s growth aligns with UNOPS, GPO, and WEC strategic objectives.

The Advisor, Portfolio Management is responsible for four key functional areas: 

1. Strategic Portfolio Development and Positioning 

2. Concept Note and Proposal Development

3. Project Set-up and Operationalization

4. Knowledge Management and Capacity Building

Strategic Portfolio Development and Positioning:

• Evaluate global climate finance, policy, and programming trends to identify business growth opportunities and strategic partnership avenues.

• Translate analytical insights into practical operational approaches, value propositions, and innovative service offerings for partner countries, cities, donors, and multilateral funds. 

• Articulate WEC’s value proposition and strategic positioning within the broader climate action and environmental landscape.

• Support active promotion of WEC’s grant management, fund support, and implementation services to existing and prospective donors and partners.

Concept Note and Proposal Development:

• Identify and pursue high-potential opportunities with new and existing partners, leveraging WEC’s existing portfolio, partnerships, and track record.

• Lead and support the development of compelling, high-quality concept notes and proposals aligned with UNOPS, GPO and WEC strategic objectives.

• Ensure proposals adhere to UNOPS policy frameworks and standards while maintaining high feasibility, sustainability and operational standards. 

• Collaborate across WEC and GPO portfolio and project teams to mobilize relevant technical expertise during project design.  

Project Set-up and Operationalization:

• Guide project teams through the formal setup and initiation phase in full adherence to UNOPS operational policies and procedures.

• Provide advisory support on project setup, including governance structures, recruitment strategies, and procurement processes to ensure transparency and fairness.

• Support the development of implementation tools, including detailed work plans, budgets, risk logs, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks. 

• Assist in establishing strong working relationships with partners, donors, host governments, and key stakeholders to facilitate smooth implementation.

Knowledge Management and Capacity Building:

• Extract lessons learned, data, and insights from existing projects to identify cross-portfolio synergies and opportunities for scaling and replication. 

• Contribute to continuous improvement by capturing operational feedback to refine UNOPS tools, guidelines, and corporate frameworks. 

• Develop knowledge products and deliver advisory sessions/trainings to strengthen capacity across WEC portfolio teams.

• Connect project teams with broader UNOPS organizational networks, publications, and external climate sector best practices. 
  
  

Required

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) preferably in International Relations, Political Science, International Development, Public Administration, Environmental Studies or related field with 7 years of relevant experience OR

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) preferably in any discipline with 2 additional years of relevant experience.

Required:

• Relevant experience in project/programme management, fund management, and/or grant support within the international development sector.

• Demonstrated experience in managing or advising multi-stakeholder climate or environmental initiatives. 

Desired:

• Familiarity with UNOPS/UN organizational policies, project management tools, and operational procedures. 

• 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.