Programme Management – Senior Officer (Energy Sector Development Retainer), LICA-9, Hanoi, Vietnam At UNOPS

East Asia and Pacific Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO)

The Southeast Asia and Pacific Multi-CountryMulti Country Office (EAPMCO) supports, develops, and oversees the UNOPS portfolio of projects in South East Asia and the Pacific. EAPMCO was established in January 2023 following the merger of the Thailand Multi-Country Office, which covered 20 countries across North East Asia, South East Asia, and the Pacific, and the Cambodia Multi-Country Office, which covered 4 countries South East Asia – 3 countries in the Mekong Sub-region (Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam) and the Philippines. EAPMCO currently covers 24 countries across North East Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific. With its head office in Bangkok, the Multi-Country Office comprises nine business units: SEMCO Thailand, SEAMCO Indonesia, SEAMCO Pacific Operations Cluster, SEAMCO Papua New Guinea, SEAMCO China, SEAMCO Vietnam, SEAMCO Lao PDR, SEAMCO Philippines and SEAMCO Cambodia.

The Multi-Country Office head office in Bangkok provides strategic direction, operational support, delivery oversight, and assurance of the excellence of business processes and quality standards across all of the entire Multi-Country Office locations. It is also responsible for developing, delivering, and managing the portfolio of engagements in the country of the MCO location itself.

Background Information – Job-specific

The Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership (ETP) brings together governments and philanthropies to work with partner countries in the region. We support the transition towards modern energy systems that can simultaneously ensure economic growth, energy security, and environmental sustainability. Enabling the transition toward greener energy systems will greatly contribute to the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement objectives.

ETP initially focuses on Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, which are the countries in the region with the highest energy demand, a substantial pipeline for fossil fuel-based projects, and a significant and cost-effective potential for renewable energy and energy efficiency. ETP provides High-Level Technical Advisory Support, Holistic Support to Governments on financing and technical needs, capacity and skill development, and facilitation of dialogues in all related areas.

Functional Responsibilities

Reporting to the ETP’s Senior Programme Manager, the incumbent will be responsible for providing effective, transparent, and efficient support to the Fund’s implementation activities.

The incumbent will provide support to several of ETP’s projects, with initial support to the ETP team in Vietnam to expand the network in the electricity and energy sector, with a focus on coal-fired power plants decarbonization, renewable energy development, energy efficiency, and grid development. The incumbent will also provide advisory services to ETP on developing technical assistance activities in the electricity and energy sector and provide quality control services for energy sector-related projects in Vietnam.

Under the general guidance and supervision of the Senior Programme Manager, the incumbent will be a retainer to provide ad-hoc support to the country implementation team on several projects with the following broad responsibilities:

Programme Implementation

A. The Incumbent will provide effective technical, financial, and operational coordination of ETP’s programs in one of the countries of operation in collaboration with the country authorities and stakeholders and donor patterns active in energy transition, to ensure timely and partner-oriented services delivery and support issue resolution arising from the implementation processes.

B. The Incumbent will provide effective support to building and maintaining of relationships with the country stakeholders in the public and private sectors as well as with political-social organizations and fostering of partnerships and collaboration with the development partners, and actors active in the energy transition domain; and analysis of political and economic developments in the country, and provision of guidance and suggestions regarding program directions, challenges and opportunities.

C. The Incumbent will facilitate leveraging financial and other resources as well as participation in programmatic and resource mobilization activities of ETP to sustain and scale up its initiatives.

D. The Incumbent will facilitate and support knowledge management, sharing and exchanging of knowledge on lessons learnt and best practices of ETP’s programme and projects, identifying knowledge sharing and profiling opportunities for ETP and its programs, and assisting in delivery of knowledge events, and identifying communication, profiling and media coverage opportunities for ETP.

Coordination Functions

• In coordination with the ETP Secretariat, provide guidance and suggestions for ETP’s program and its activities and objectives, challenges and opportunities based on local knowledge and developments;
• Promote and maintain effective teamwork within the ETP’s team and other UNOPS colleagues;
• Support implementation of ETP’s annual work plan, striving toward the set delivery and resource mobilization targets;
• Support drafting of ETP’s annual administrative and operational program and budget proposals and reports;
• Support programmatic and administrative reporting on the ETP’s activities in accordance with its monitoring and reporting requirements under its Results-based Management Framework and UNOPS reporting requirements.

Programme/Portfolio Development and Management

• Regularly report on national energy transition concerns and priorities and the political and socio-economic conditions and developments as they relate to the ETP, and analyze their impact on ETP’s work and programme. The report (s) to be made should be a synthetic review/recap of the data/information already publicly by the official national institutions concerned.
• Support formulation and implementation of the ETP’s country work plan and its periodic review and updates and ensure alignment with ETP’s regional work plan;
• Support quality control measures in the implementation of a portfolio of project activities and concepts, and monitor the programme implementation progress and results;
• Support organization of periodic stakeholder workshops and project development sessions among partners in energy transition, private sector and civil society organizations (CSOs) and local communities, and potential applicants and other stakeholders to inform about ETP and its initiatives;
• Support oversight of ongoing ETP grant projects, and arrange for periodic project monitoring field visits and provide technical and operational support and guidance to ETP grantees, as required;
• Keep the ETP Secretariat informed on emerging risks and issues in a timely manner.
• Identify and foster programme, project, and policy linkages and coordination between ETP’s program and aligned programs under ETP, and broader programs in the energy sector funded by development partners, planned or underway in the country, and those of other governments, donors and development partners.
• Support monitoring and evaluation of ETP’s programs and projects, in coordination with ETP Team;
• Perform and coordinate administrative tasks (i.e. procurement, travel) adhering to ETP’s operational manual and UNOPS’ guidelines on procurement rules and regulation; as required for programme implementation;

Resource Mobilization and Partnerships

• Analyze interests and priorities of key donors and other development partners, and develop/update and implement the resource mobilization and partnership strategy to mobilize resources from and develop partnerships with the government, donors, and other partners to best leverage ETP resources and develop programme level partnerships.
• Liaise with the ETP Secretariat on emerging opportunities, due diligence processes and funding negotiations
• Support ETP with its resource mobilization activities, including securing co-financing, as required, and project level partnerships, and assist in identifying opportunities and resources for sustaining and scaling up projects

Knowledge Management

• Document programme/project stories, lessons learned, and best practices in ETP programme/project development, implementation, and oversight;
• Identify country, regional and global knowledge relevant to ETP, and develop and distill best practices and facilitate dissemination and incorporation within ETP’s programs and to counterparts and partners;
• Support capacity building and networking of grantees, beneficiaries, and stakeholders to facilitate knowledge exchange, and promote uptake through knowledge platforms, knowledge fairs etc

A detailed work plan will be developed together between the successful candidate and the ETP Secretariat.

Competencies

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.

Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).

Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.

Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.

Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.

Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

A. Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Energy Engineering, Environmental Economics, Development, Finance, Business Administration, or similar field.
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) with additional experience may be accepted in lieu of the Advanced university degree.

B. Experience

• A minimum of two (2) years of relevant experience in project/programme management preferably in the energy sector, energy transition, policy development, or on advisory service for energy regulations in Vietnam.
• Demonstrated track record in research and experience working with international and multilateral development organizations, particularly in areas related to the energy sector is an advantage.
• Proficiency in Google Suite or similar applications is an asset.

C. Language

• Fluency in English is required
• Local language in the countries of ETP’s operation (Indonesia, Philipines, Vietnam) is an advantage.

Working period

The selected candidate will be mobilized for a maximum of 100 working days in one year after the contract commencement. The contract renewal will be reviewed based on the selected candidate’s annual performance review.

Contract type, level and duration

• Contract type: Local ICA retainer
• Contract level: ICS 9 / LICA 9
• Contract duration: 12 months with maximum 100 working days

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Disclaimer:

• The position is open for application only for Vietnamese nationals or with valid residence.
• This is not a full-time position. Retainers may be requested to carry out tasks on an intermittent and need basis. There are no minimum hours or days guaranteed.

Additional Information

• 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.