Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine, through its Energy and Environment Portfolio, supports national and local authorities in restoring and transforming Ukraine's energy infrastructure in line with the principles of sustainability, resilience, and transparency. Since the onset of the full-scale war, UNDP has prioritized assistance to ensure continuity of essential services and accelerate the green recovery of Ukraine's public infrastructure.

Within this framework, UNDP is implementing a portfolio of EIB-financed programmes delivered under the Direct Implementation Modality (DIM), coordinated with the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine (MCTD), the EIB, and other stakeholders. Three key programmes under this portfolio are described below.

The projects aim to support the large-scale deployment of renewable energy technologies – including solar photovoltaic systems, biomass installations, and heat pumps—in public buildings such as schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and municipal facilities. This initiative is designed to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, enhance local energy resilience, and accelerate Ukraine’s alignment with EU Green Deal objectives.

Renewable Energy Solutions (RES) Programme

The RES Programme, financed through the IKI Renewable Energy Investment Grant under the EIB facility, aims to support the large-scale deployment of renewable energy technologies – including solar photovoltaic systems, biomass installations, and heat pumps – in public buildings such as schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and municipal facilities. The Programme is designed to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, enhance local energy resilience, and accelerate Ukraine's alignment with EU Green Deal objectives. UNDP's Technical Assistance (TA) component supports municipalities throughout the full sub-project cycle, including institutional capacity building, feasibility studies, technical designs, procurement and contract management, environmental and social compliance, operationalisation of the net-billing system, and integrity assurance through anti-corruption and sanctions-screening mechanisms.

Ukraine Public Building Energy Efficiency (UPBEE) Programme

The UPBEE Programme, backed by a €300 million EIB loan signed in 2020 with the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, funds extensive energy-efficiency upgrades in public buildings across Ukrainian cities, with a focus on small and medium-sized municipalities. Beyond energy improvements, the Programme also allocates funding to repair war damages and adapt public buildings – including hospitals, schools, kindergartens, and cultural centres – to better serve Internally Displaced Persons and their host communities. UNDP provides technical assistance to municipalities across all phases of the sub-project cycle, including planning, design, procurement, construction, evaluation, and monitoring, as well as anti-corruption assessments, sanctions screening, compliance checks, and capacity-building through regular site visits.

District Heating (DH) Programme

The DH Programme is structured as an EIB lending envelope to several Ukrainian banks (up to EUR 250 million), acting as financial intermediaries for municipal heating, energy efficiency, and renewable energy investments. Developed under the Ukraine Energy Rescue Plan, the Programme aims to strengthen the security of heat supply by financing vital investments in district heating systems and energy-efficiency measures, with particular emphasis on urgent repairs and backup installations. UNDP provides end-to-end technical assistance to Final Beneficiaries throughout the full sub-project cycle, covering sub-project identification and preparation, feasibility studies, energy audits, investment planning, permitting and regulatory compliance, procurement oversight, contract supervision, and financial management – all in line with EIB rules, national legislation, and donor-specific standards.

Together, these three programmes form an integral part of UNDP's Green Energy Recovery and Decarbonization Agenda. Across all three, UNDP's technical assistance serves as the enabling pillar bridging investment, governance, and capacity development, and shares a common operational framework centred on full sub-project cycle support, EIB compliance, anti-corruption and sanctions safeguards, and structured knowledge and monitoring systems.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Project Manager will be responsible for overall management, coordination, and delivery of UNDP’s Technical Assistance under the Programme, ensuring the achievement of planned outputs, adherence to donor requirements, and compliance with UNDP operational standards.

Lead project management and coordination:

• Lead day-to-day management of project activities, ensuring coherence with the Description of Action, workplans, and budgets.
• Develop annual and quarterly workplans, budgets, and procurement plans.
• Manage the project team
• Oversee collaboration with MDCT, EIB and other stakeholders, ensuring timely coordination, reporting, and joint decision-making.
• Ensure cross-cutting integration of gender equality, inclusion, and transparency principles.

Provide technical leadership and oversight

• Supervise all stages of sub-project preparation and implementation (design, procurement, construction, commissioning).
• Ensure quality control and technical compliance with EIB standards and national regulations.
• Oversee environmental and social management (ESMPs, SEPs, SMPs) and ensure stakeholder engagement in all project locations.
• Coordinate sanctions screening and integrity checks for beneficiaries and contractors.

Lead monitoring, reporting, and results management:

• Lead implementation of the project’s Monitoring & Evaluation Framework, ensuring data quality and timely reporting of indicators (GHG reductions, RES generation, capacity-building results).
• Organize site visits, verification missions, and performance reviews of sub-projects.
• Prepare progress and financial reports for the Project Board, EIB, and MDCT, highlighting key achievements, risks, and mitigation actions.
• Contribute to knowledge generation and policy briefs showcasing lessons learned.

Ensuring the mainstreaming of gender equality and women’s empowerment considerations in the field of expertise

• Ensure that gender equality is pursued in all project activities and reflected in work plans, budgets, reports, research, analyses and, where specifically relevant, analysed in detail.
• Ensure gender-responsive results-based management, promotion of a safe and enabling environment free of any kind of discrimination and abusive behaviour, and gender-responsive communications based on corporate principles.

Build partnerships, communication, and visibility and facilitate knowledge sharing

• Participate in coordination meetings, workshops, and communication events related to the RES Programme.
• Support implementation of the Communication and Visibility Plan (Section III of Project Document).
• Ensure dissemination of best practices, technical guidelines, and success stories through digital platforms and stakeholder events.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

 Institutional Arrangement

The Project Manager (PM) reports to the Team Leader, Energy and Environment Portfolio, and works under overall guidance of the Deputy Resident Representative. The PM will supervise the Technical Assistance team. The PM serves as the main liaison with MCTD, EIB, GIZ, municipalities, or other stakeholders, and ensures that UNDP-managed activities are synchronized with the overall Programme Implementation Plan.

Competencies

Core Competencies

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact 
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems 
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands 
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

People Management Competencies

• UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site. 

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

Business Direction and Strategy

• System Thinking:
  • Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system. 

Business Management

• Project Management:
  • Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals
• Communication:
• Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. 
• Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.

2030 Agenda

• Nature:
  • Ecosystems and Biodiversity Programme: Nature-positive economy and Biodiversity Finance

Finance

• Financial Planning and Budgeting:
  • Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDP's long and short-term financial goals, including through planning, budgeting, forecasting, analyzing and reporting.

Partnership Management

• Relationship Management:
  • Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding.

2030 Agenda: People

• Gender:
  • Gender and Energy

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in Energy, Electrical/Civil Engineering, Environmental Management, Public Administration, Business Administration, Economics/ Finance Management, Public Affairs or International Relations, Social Sciences or a related field is required; OR
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above in combination with additional 2 (two) years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years (with Master’s degree) or 7 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience in managing or implementing renewable-energy or infrastructure projects.

Required Skills:

• Experience and knowledge of environmental sustainability, biodiversity, and climate-resilient development, particularly in recovery or post-conflict settings.
• Experience managing large, multi-stakeholder projects with government, donors, and technical partners.

Desired Skills:

• Prior experience managing development projects with UNDP, other UN agencies, or international organizations 
• Proven experience in working with government bodies and supporting local communities is an advantage. Prior experience implementing infrastructure, energy efficiency or renewable energy solutions projects 
• Experience cooperating with international financial institutions (EIB, EBRD, World Bank, ADB, etc.) 
• A professional certificate in project management (PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent) 

Required Languages:

• Fluency in English and Ukrainian is required.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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