Portfolio Specialist

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.

From Geneva, UNOPS facilitates the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), working with governments, other United Nations (UN) agencies and partners by providing quality servces, integrated solutions and management support through strategic, cost-effective and results-oriented approches. This includes supporting platforms and hosting high-profile, flagship initiatives and funds focusing on health, nutrition, water and sanitation, sustainable cities, environment, energy, climate and trade. UNOPS is a recognized resource for the UN system in Geneva – from fund management and oversight and advisory services, to providing hosting solutions to a range of global initiatives, as well as operational support to partner organizations.

As part of the GFCR Secretariat, the Portfolio Specialist provides technical, analytical, and portfolio management support to advance the development, oversight, and performance of the GFCR programme portfolio. The position supports programme proposal review, portfolio monitoring, impact measurement, partnership development, internal advisory services, and knowledge management across GFCR’s reef-positive programming.

The role helps ensure effective delivery across the portfolio management, impact measurement, and leverage workstream through technical review of programme proposals, quality assurance, monitoring and reporting, impact tracking, partner engagement, and integration of lessons learned into adaptive programme management. The Portfolio Specialist serves as a key technical focal point, helping strengthen programme quality, support strategic and operational alignment, guide portfolio monitoring tools, and contribute to evidence-based decision-making across GFCR programmes, partners, and relevant stakeholders.

Formulate programmes proposals technical reviews

• Conducts technical reviews of concepts notes and programme proposals, providing input on strategic and operational aspects of the documents to ensure that the programme strategy reflects alignment to the GFCR objectives.
• Along with other team members, conducts scoring evaluation of concept notes and programme proposals.
• Ensures compliance of programme proposals and concept notes with relevant policies and standards, including social and Environmental Safeguards and Gender policies.

Ensure monitoring, reporting, and impact measurement

• Develops and applies monitoring frameworks to portfolio performance, ESG compliance, and environmental and social impact.
• Guide the development of portfolio monitoring tools.
• Produce progress reports, investment updates, and lessons learned for stakeholders as requested.
• Advice the integration of investment learnings into adaptive programme management.

Lead partnerships development

• Leads specific and assigned programmatic partnerships or initiatives.
• Provides technical advice and support to investment and implementing partners on all programming aspects and supporting documentation, as needed.

Ensure provision of top quality advisory services and facilitation of knowledge building and management

• Identify policy-driven issues; and identify and synthesize best practices and lessons learned directly linked to programme country policy goals.
• Establish/strengthen national and international advocacy networks. Implement relevant, high -impact advocacy with key stakeholders.
• Coordinate and ensure integrated support in development of policies and institutions to address country problems and needs in collaboration with stakeholders.
• Provide sound contributions to knowledge networks, communities of practice, and digital knowledge platforms.

Required

• Master's degree or equivalent in Environmental Sciences, Development Studies, International Relations, Programme or Project Management, Economics.

• Bachelor’s degree in the aforementioned areas with 2 years of additional relevant experience is accepted in lieu of Master’s degree.

Required:

• Minimum 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor´s degree) of relevant work experience in project management, preferably in blue economy, climate, environment, or development sectors.
• Experience in project/programmes portfolio management and coordination, including project monitoring and quality assurance.
• Track record of managing donor-funded projects (especially wit UN agencies or similar).

Desired:

• Demonstrated experience with design and implementation of multi-sectoral and sectoral programmes and projects at different scales.
• Experience engaging with the private sector, development partners, and government stakeholders in a developing country context.
• Experience designing projects and initiatives that incorporate blended finances approaches and/or development of sustainable finance mechanisms.
• Experience with donor reporting and managing donor and partner relationships.
• Experience conducting or contributing to evaluations, impact assessments, or learning reviews in climate, environment, or blue economy sectors.

• 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.