Project Manager (NDC Partnership Thematic Call)

WEC Background:  

UNOPS Water and Energy Cluster (WEC) supports the design and management of multi-stakeholder initiatives by providing services in financial and grant management, procurement, human resources, and project management. The cluster has supported projects in the areas of water resource management, climate change adaptation, mitigation and transparency, energy access and distribution, and environmental conservation under the Paris Agreement. The WEC has also supported operations and financial management services, in Vienna, the rest of the ECR region, and beyond. The main partners include UN agencies, bilateral agreements (with the Nordics, Germany, and Italy), the Green Climate Fund, and several NGOs (such as CIFF and CWF).  

The NDC Partnership:  

The NDC Partnership is a global coalition of countries and institutions collaborating to drive transformational climate action through sustainable development. In 2015, the world endorsed the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Nations signal their commitments to the Paris Agreement through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) - each country’s strategy to cut its own greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience against the negative effects of a changing climate. The Partnership advances the goals of the Paris Agreement by bringing together nearly 200 countries and institutions in new ways to accelerate NDC implementation and enhance ambition over time. The Partnership’s work through 120 partners supporting almost 80 countries produces many examples of impact, lessons learned and ideas for the future. The Partnership is governed by a Steering Committee, co-chaired by two country representatives. The Partnership’s work is facilitated by a Support Unit based at World Resources Institute in Washington DC and the UNFCCC Secretariat in Bonn, Germany. UNOPS supports the NDC Partnership and its Support Unit through the Water, Environment and Climate (WEC).   

Background Information - Job-specific:

The NDC Partnership Thematic Call on LT-LEDS and NDC Alignment, Update, and Enhancement is a response to the urgent need to achieve bolder, significantly more ambitious climate action globally starting now, in line with the mandate of the Paris Agreement and the most recent COP26 decisions. 

To foster higher climate ambition now and into the upcoming update and enhancement cycles under the Paris Agreement, this thematic call focuses on promoting synergies between NDCs and LT-LEDS processes, decisions, and institutional arrangements, and on making their interlinkages visible and operational. This initiative aims to facilitate, leverage, and coordinate support from the NDC Partnership’s development and implementing partners for integrating the transition towards systemic resilience and de-carbonization envisioned in LT-LEDS into countries’ short to medium-term pledges and actions reflected in their NDCs and implementation plans.

1. Work with the Country Engagement Team (Directors, Regional Managers, Country Engagement Specialists and consultants) to ensure that staff leading engagement with countries have resources at their disposal (expertise, advisory) for requests for support submitted by countries through the Thematic Call are technically sound. 
2. Develop and implement a project management framework for the Thematic Call, including impact and result indicators and means of verification aligned with the NDC Partnership’s Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the 2021 – 2025 Work Program. 
3. In alignment with the Support Unit’s annual work-planning and quarterly tracking practice, anticipate and report on budgetary and human resource needs for the implementation of the Thematic Call. 
4. Work with the Support Unit’s operations and Partnership Action Fund (PAF) teams to maintain an overview and manage the grants that feed into the implementation of the Thematic Call ensuring i) clear identification of where and how are funds spent; ii) projections; iii) anticipate any amendments, extensions or replenishment needs. 
5. Coordinate, on a day-to-day basis, the activities of consultants and advisors providing support for the implementation of the Thematic Call. 
6. Prepare periodic reports to the NDC Partnership’s Support Unit Management Team, the NDC Partnership’s Steering Committee and PAF Advisory Group, and to external partners as needed, on the status, challenges and implementation needs of the Thematic Call.
7. Guide the conceptual and content development of Thematic Call events, ensuring that plans and needs are clearly and timely communicated to relevant Support Unit teams and complying with the Support Unit’s editorial and design guidance.  
8. Guide the preparation of written inputs, communication, and dissemination materials (summaries, briefs, talking points, slide decks, etc.) on the Thematic Call. 
9. Plan for and lead outreach and information sessions for dissemination of the Thematic Call. 
10. Develop and implement coordination mechanisms with NDC Partnership institutional members engaged in the implementation of the Thematic Call building, where possible, on existing standing calls and communication channels and in close coordination with the Support Unit’s Outreach & Governance processes and practice.  
11. Implement a web-based data compilation and archiving system for the Thematic Call, working closely with the Knowledge and Learning team at the NDC Partnership Support Unit to identify entry points with existing systems such as kNook, and incorporating learning from the Climate Action Enhancement Package.
12. Identify, in close coordination with the Knowledge and Learning and Outreach and Governance teams of the Support Unit, any needs related with online content development. 
13. Establish and maintain a regular communication / feedback cycle with the Director and Deputy Director of Country Engagement to ensure alignment and efficiency in the deploying the Thematic Call in alignment with the Partnership’s Request for Support Letter, Partnership Plan and PAF mechanisms cycles.

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in natural sciences, economics, engineering, environmental management, climate, political science, administration, finance, international relations, international development, or a related field; 
• Bachelor degree in related discipline in combination with additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

• At least 5 years of relevant, full-time professional experience in project management and coordination in the field of environmental science, environmental management, economics and climate policy, climate science or related fields.
• Excellent knowledge of international climate policy especially on the UNFCCC decisions framework on NDCs and LT-LEDS. 

• Demonstrated experience in working in international teams. 
• Capacity to work well under pressure and successfully manage multiple deadlines. 

• Proficiency in English is required.  
• Fluency in Spanish and/or French is an asset. 

Contract type: ICA Contract level: I-ICA-2
Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• 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. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority 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.

Terms and Conditions 

• 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. For more information on a retainer contract 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.