Programme Management Office Senior Officer (Grants and Contracts)

Contract

This is a LICA Specialist-9 contract. This kind of contract is known as Local Individual Contractor Agreements. It is normally only for nationals. It's an external contract. It usually requires 2 years of experience, depending on education. More about LICA Specialist-9 contracts.

Background Information - Myanmar

Myanmar is one of UNOPS’ leading offices in Asia, acting as fund manager for some of the largest development programmes in the country, namely the Access to Health, the Livelihood and Food Security Fund (LIFT), the Joint Peace Fund (JPF), EU Nexus Mechanism, and the SECO funded UN Trade Cluster Fund. In addition, UNOPS is Principal Recipient for the Global Fund in Myanmar and for the Global Fund’s regional artemisinin-resistance initiative targeting drug resistant malaria in the greater Mekong sub-region. UNOPS also provides procurement, infrastructure and project management services to a wide range of organizations in the country, including the Government of Myanmar, international development partners, other UN agencies, NGOs and INGOs. UNOPS plays a critical role in ensuring that the quality of services provided to its partners meets stringent requirements of speed, efficiency and cost effectiveness.

Background Information - Job-specific

The Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT) is a multi-donor fund established in Myanmar in 2009 to address food insecurity and income poverty in Myanmar. LIFT’s designated outcomes are improvements in income, resilience, nutrition, and pro-poor policy developments. So far, LIFT has reached more than 7.2 million people, or roughly 20% of Myanmar’s population; and is active in almost half the country’s townships. LIFT is currently implementing the 2019-2023 strategy and for more details visit www.lift-fund.org.

Purpose and Scope of Assignment

The Grants and Contracts team, as part of the larger Programme Management Office (PMO), is in charge of managing the grants and contracts with implementing partners and suppliers.

The position will be located within the UNOPS Myanmar Programme Management Office directly supporting the LIFT Fund. S/he will work under the day-to-day operational and technical supervision of the Programme Management Office Senior Officer (International) in the PMO. The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS. He/She will collaborate closely and engage actively with the Programme Unit of the LIFT Fund.

Functional Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Programme Management Office Specialist (Grants and Contracts), PMO and direct supervision of the Programme Management Office Senior Officer (International), the Programme Management Office Senior Officer (Grants and Contracts) will work to support the delivery of the LIFT activities and will be responsible for:

Grant management - Prepare grant awards requests, draft grant agreements and subsequent amendments, using the approved templates ensuring that all agreements and amendments are constructed and issued in line with UNOPS legal and financial rules and regulations; - Review grant budgets, and financial reports against approved budgets, to provide critical feedback to the implementing partners, programme unit, and supervisor; - Monitor budgets in grant proposals and verify their consistency with prevailing market rate; assist in discussion/negotiation of costs/fees as required; - Verify reporting requirements are adhered to and liaise closely with the Program and - M&E teams and the supervisor on any delays or other difficulties; - Review payment requests and ensure payments are processed based upon the grant agreement. agreed payment schedules, and fund availability; - Support the Finance Officer in budgeting and forecasting of grant related expenditures; ensure variances are communicated at an early stage; - Communicate with and provide guidance/advice to implementing partners on grant-related and financial matters, in collaboration with the LIFT Program unit and the PMO Finance team - Resolve operational and process issues related to grant management, and refer complex issues to the supervisor with recommendations for courses of action; - Coordinate the process of operational and financial closure of grants and projects; - Contributing to the coordination and follow up on the audits of Implementing Partners; - Highlight risks and delays to the supervisor and team as appropriate

Capacity assessment and Capacity building - Contribute to the review and update of the financial and operational capacity assessment approach of the LIFT FMO, incorporating best practices and assessment tools of the public sector. - Conduct financial and operational capacity assessments of the IPs, and manage follow-up actions identified in the assessment reports. - Organize and support IP capacity development and training in financial and organisational management. - Provide day-to-day help and guidance to the IPs and coordinate with the Program Unit to ensure IP understanding of, and compliance with LIFT operational guidelines, terms and conditions of the grant agreement, and UNOPS requirements. - Actively liaising with other MMOC grants teams to align to the extent possible IP capacity development efforts as well as streamlining and harmonizing of practices and tools within UNOPS MMOC. - Actively compiling lessons learned and best practices, and sharing knowledge and best practices within the LIFT FMO and with IPs, on financial and organizational management. - Provide guidance to and share knowledge with the other members of the Grants and - Contracts team to improve the overall team’s coherence and competency - Act as a deputy in the absence of the Programme Management Senior Officer (International) - Contribute to the implementation and success of the PMO Center for Fund Management

Documentation: - Monitor information related to contractual arrangements – on audits, inventories, utilization and all such elements in the contracts and grants - Ensure that all records are collected and maintained, both hard copies and electronic copies for easy reference and retrieval - Maintain a database/archive of all grant related information and documentation of all the implementing partners of the LIFT Fund. - Keep the supervisor updated on progress and issues, and prepare timely briefing materials and reports as requested. - Other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor

Deliverables - Deliverables will be agreed with the supervisor, based on the annual work plan and the TOR.

Monitoring and Progress Controls The Programme Management Office Senior Officer (Grants and Contracts) will report to the Programme Management Office Senior Officer (International), who will monitor his/her performance as per these ToR. Monitoring will look in particular at the following: - Efficient, timely execution and follow-up of tasks as per the scope of responsibilities detailed above; - Proactive and professional interaction with colleagues at UNOPS to exchange information and feedback on requests in an effective and efficient manner; - Demonstration of UNOPS competencies and behaviours at the expected level when interacting with IPs, stakeholders, and colleagues from the PMO, Fund, and MMOC.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education - Advanced University degree – (Master’s degree or equivalent) in administration, development studies, economics, project management, finance or an equivalent degree in related fields is required. - Bachelor degree in related discipline in combination with additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of an advance university degree - Completion of the Prince 2 Foundation certificate is an advantage.

Work Experience - Minimum of 2 years of experience in contracts/grant management and/or project administration is required. - Previous experience with, and a good knowledge of the development and humanitarian sector/working with UN, Donors, NGOs is an advantage; - Additional experience of project support functions (finance, human resources, procurement & logistics) is an advantage. - Good knowledge of contractual and accounting principles and modalities is preferred. - Thorough knowledge of UN rules and procedures in budget or grant management and contracting is highly desirable. - Demonstrated ability to conduct financial and budget analysis is strongly desirable. - Prior experience with UNOPS is an advantage - Experience with Google Workspace is an asset.

Language Requirement - Fluency in both English and Myanmar/Burmese languages is required (written and oral expression)

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. For people managers only: 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.

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: Local Individual Contractor Agreement Contract level: LICA9/ICS9 Contract duration: Open ended (subject to organizational requirements, avaliability of funds, and satisfactory performance)

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

Additional Considerations

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• 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 (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

Background Information - UNOPS

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.