Grant Support Management Advisor (Retainer, multiple positions), Multiple positions

The Grant Support Management Advisor (Retainer) specific tasks could include one or several of the tasks, though not limited to, the following:

Grants Support Policy and Guidance

• Draft, develop and revise the UNOPS Grant Support Operational Instruction and other grants and implement partner management policies, processes, tools, templates and guidance content. 

• Provide thought leadership and technical inputs into grants support and implementing partner management in humanitarian and fragile states contexts. 

• Provide expert technical guidance  to UNOPS Offices to implement and document UNOPS Capacity Assessment of Implementing Partners Requirements, including implementation of the Implementing Partner Protocol on Protection of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. 

• Provide advice on complex issues and participate directly in negotiations to meet donor requirements, while at the same time ensuring compliance with UNOPS policy and in support of UNOPS’ mandate.

• For complex grant support programmes/projects, provide technical input and/or expert advice to the country/regional offices throughout the UNOPS engagement development process by carrying out local context analysis for grant support activities, developing components of the entire proposal and writing the project initiation document.

• For complex grant support programmes/projects,provide technical input to UNOPS Offices and projects on the grant support process, including but not limited to, developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Call for Proposals (CFP), capacity building plans for implementing partners etc. 

• For complex grant support programmes/projects, provide technical advice in  conducting proposal evaluations, be a member of proposal evaluation teams/review committees and/or conduct IP capacity assessment etc.

• For complex grant support programmes/projects, provide technical advice in monitoring and evaluation, review of the reports submitted by the IP including the narrative reports, monitoring and evaluation reports etc.

• Engage with  UNOPS projects and programmes and work closely with the Legal Group as well as the Partnerships Group, in the negotiation of grants and framework agreements, particularly clauses that require compliance with fiduciary duties.

Grant Support and Implementing Partner Capacity Building

• Develop content for e-learning modules and in-person corporate training activities in grant support and implementing partner management. 

• Deliver UNOPS workshops, training and capacity building activities in grant support and managing implementing partners.

• Facilitate country-specific, interregional and/or global dialogues on grant support and implementing partner management. 

• At the request of UNOPS Offices, and dependent upon budget availability, provide training to UNOPS implementing partners on UNOPS grant support policies and procedures at country and local levels.  

Communications and Knowledge Management  

• In consultation with respective colleagues, provide expert advice to document/develop   UNOPS grants support processes and systems.

• In consultation with respective colleagues, provide expert advice to document  UNOPS emerging/promising and good practices in grants support and implementing partner management.  

• In collaboration  with communications colleagues, provide substantive inputs to produce grants support and implementing partner profiles, stories and social media content. 

• Contribute to the development of internal communications products on grants support and implementing partner management.

• Facilitate global and regional dialogues on best practice in grants support and implementing partner management with internal and external partners. 

• Support as requested with other knowledge management initiatives across the organisation related to grants support. 

Education

• An advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent) in Development Studies, Education, International Relations, Social Science, Business Administration, Finance, Public Administration, Accounting, Project Management or in any relevant area is required.

• A university degree (Bachelor's degree level) with a combination of 2 years of relevant professional experience in Development Studies, Education, International Relations, Social Science, Business Administration, Finance, Public Administration, Accounting, Project Management or in any relevant area is required.

Experience

Required Experience:

• A minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in grant support and implementing partner management  is required. The experience must include: 

  • Experience in report writing or policy/process/template/manual content development is required.

  • Experience in training and capacity building is required. 

  • Advisory or consultancy experience is required.

  • Experience in stakeholder capacity assessment and capacity building is required.

Desired Experience:

• Previous work experience applied to grants with the UN system, international NGOs or International Donors is desirable.

• Experience implementing the IP Protocol on the Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse is strongly preferred. 

• Knowledge and understanding of UNOPS Rules and regulations is an asset.

• Experience in multi-donor or multi-agency grants and projects is an asset.

• Experience working with civil society and community based organisations is an asset. 

• Experience working in fragile states and/or humanitarian contexts is preferred.

Language

• Fluency and proficiency in English is required. 

• Proficiency in another UN language, such as French or Spanish is desirable.