Back Procurement Specialist (Grants Management Specialist)

Background Information - Afghanistan

Afghanistan

With more than 20 years of experience in the country, UNOPS Afghanistan focuses on providing maximum support to the people of Afghanistan through the delivery of projects and services that improve the lives of people in need. The UNOPS Afghanistan Country Office (AFCO) serves as an organizational mechanism to deliver a range of projects for which UNOPS has been designated as the implementation agency. At present, UNOPS AFCO activities cover a range of sectors including humanitarian, basic human needs, cash for work, infrastructure, development, procurement and HR services.

The functional objective of UNOPS AFCO is to contribute to improving the lives of girls, boys, men and women living in Afghanistan. The aim of UNOPS AFCO is to provide efficient and cost-effective implementation services on behalf of all our partners to support the humanitarian response and development of the country. UNOPS AFCO’s mission is to exceed the expectations of all stakeholders in the delivery of AFCO services, at all times, in all places, in all circumstances, in order to improve the lives of Afghans in need.

The Grants Management Specialist will be working within the CRLP Office at AFCO. The Specialist reports directly to the CRLP Procurement Advisor who provides direction and general supervision. The Specialist will ensure close collaboration and engagement with the Rural Team and Finance Team in CRLP, as well as with teams in AFCO as needed. She/he will be responsible to ensure timely and quality grant management, standardizing work in grants management, knowledge and application of UNOPS relevant tools, systems, and processes. The Specialist is responsible to achieve results in the area/s of responsibility.

Grant management

Capacity assessment and Capacity building

Team Management (structure/number to be decided)

Knowledge management and innovation

The Specialist will supervise and manage his/her team to deliver on following activities:

Preparing and managing the Call for Proposals (CFP), conducting and managing the evaluation of proposals as per the UNOPS relevant policy.

Timely preparation of grant awards requests, drafting of grant agreements and amendments thereof, using the approved templates ensuring that all agreements and amendments are constructed and issued in line with UNOPS legal and financial rules and regulations.

Monitoring budgets in grant proposals and verification of their consistency with prevailing market rates.

Provision of assistance in discussing/negotiation fee/cost as required.

Verifications of reporting requirements and ensuring adherence to those requirements.

Liaising closely with the Finance, Programme, and M&E teams on any delays, risks or other difficulties in grant management.

Review of payment requests and supervise processing payments based on the agreed payment schedules.

Coordination of the process of the operational closure of grants.

Contributing to the coordination and follow up on the audits of Implementing Partners (IPs).

The Specialist will ensure the following activities are successfully delivered for respective programmes:

The team contributes to the review and update of the financial and operational capacity assessment, incorporating best practices and assessment tools.

Financial and operational capacity assessments/Due Diligence Assessments (DDA) of the IPs are conducted as necessary, and follow-up actions are managed and identified in the assessment reports.

IP capacity development and training in financial and organisational management are organized and delivered.

Day-to-day help and guidance to the IPs is provided and coordinated with the Programme Team to ensure IP understanding of, and compliance with, these standards.

IPs receive required assistance in developing or strengthening their internal guidelines and policies to guide their project financial management and organisational activities and to ensure accountability.

Standardization to the extent possible of IP capacity development efforts by UNOPS.

Oversee and manage the work of others working on grants management by establishing team objectives, a work plan with key performance indicators and measurements, standards and expected results.

Attract and retain talent and develop an agile and empowered team with the skills and competencies needed to ensure optimum performance and ability to respond to changing environments.

Plan and propose to the Director required resources.

Plan effectively and allocate resources to achieve goals and ensure the cost effective and appropriate use of resources in accordance with UNOPS standards of ethics, integrity and accountability framework.

Promote teamwork and collaboration by providing the team with clear direction, objectives and guidance to enable them to perform their duties responsibly, effectively and efficiently.

Continuously assess team and individual performance and effectiveness and recommend changes and/or corrective actions in the team structure and/or operations to enhance and maintain effectiveness in a changing environment.

Keep abreast of and incorporate latest/best practices, approaches and technology to enhance the programme delivery and results.

Institutionalise and share best practices and lessons for corporate development planning and knowledge building.

Draft Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to align grant operations with changing environments.

Lead the planning, implementation and organization of strategic capacity building of personnel, clients and stakeholders especially in the field of grant management.

Coordinate with the Infrastructure and Project Management Group (IPMG) for tailoring good practices to meet the specific needs of UNOPS Afghanistan.

Other

Establish solid working relationship with implementing partners as needed.

Foster a positive work environment, respectful of both men and women, and ensure that the highest standards of conduct are observed.

Manage the information flows between the implementing partners and team through consistent and consolidated reporting using dashboards to provide a high-level overview of performance.

Ensure smooth workflow and communication with Programme and Finance teams.

Update the Director on any deviations, outside of established tolerances, from the programme plan and the impact of changes or issues that arise during implementation accompanied by a range of solutions where possible.

Identify and manage risks across all implementing partners to attain a programmatic overview of risk exposure.

A Master’s degree in business administration, finance, development studies, international relations, project management or relevant discipline is required.

A Bachelor's Degree in combination with 2 additional years of experience relevant to above duties and responsibilities may be accepted in lieu of the Master’s Degree.
Work Experience

A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in project and/or financial management and/or grants management support operations at either public sector organizations and/or private sector companies is required.

Experience in fund / grant management operations and reporting is a distinct advantage.

Prior experience in working in Asia is an asset.

Experience with and a good knowledge of the development and humanitarian sector working with UN, Donors, NGOs is an asset

Experience in building and leading successful teams is an asset

Experience with G Suite is an asset.
Languages

Full working knowledge of English is required

Knowledge of another official UNOPS language is an asset.

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. 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.

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.