Senior Advisor – Energy Efficiency in Buildings

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world.  Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement, and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors, and United Nations organizations. With over 8,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical, and management knowledge they need, where they need it.  By implementing around 1,000 projects for our partners at any given time, UNOPS makes significant contributions to results on the ground, often in the most challenging environments.

The UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre (UNEP-CCC) was established in March 2022 to ensure the preservation and continuation of the experience and capacity established through a 30-year working relationship between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Danish Technical University, and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, known as the UNEP-DTU Partnership. UNEP-CCC is programmatically guided by UNEP and operationally supported by UNOPS. 

UNEP-CCC is a leading international advisory organization on energy, climate, and sustainable development. Its work focuses on assisting developing countries and emerging economies in transitioning towards low-carbon, climate-resilient development pathways and supports the integration of climate action into national development. UNEP-CCC is actively implementing UNEP’s Climate Change Strategy and Energy Programme by delivering technical assistance and policy advice to developing countries and emerging markets in the context of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Business Models and Finance (BMF) section is one of five sections at UNEP-CCC. BMF seeks to support developing and emerging economies by assisting upstream, early-stage investment opportunities identification, conducting technical and financial pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, as well delivering policy advice and capacity building on enabling frameworks. It also develops financial architecture concepts for implementation and replication, all of them to bridge the existing gaps preventing or slowing down green investment in energy sustainability in countries and cities. The section has a strong technical focus on promoting energy efficiency and is working directly with the private and public sectors, and financial institutions. 

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Section, Business Models and Finance, the Senior Advisor will  work on the Energy Efficiency in buildings and business models in the context of the Copenhagen Centre on Energy Efficiency, an integral part of UNEP-CCC.  

• An advanced university degree (Master`s degree or equivalent) in an energy efficiency-relevant discipline such as for example Architecture, Environmental Engineering, Energy Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Building Science, or Civil Engineering is required. 
• A Bachelor degree with an additional 2 years of relevant working experience may be accepted in lieu of the Master's degree. 
• A Ph.D. with a thesis on a related topic is highly desirable.

b. Work Experience

• A minimum experience of at least 7 years of post-master experience working in energy efficiency is required. 

• Experience working with developing countries and emerging economies is required.

• Experience with fundraising and partnership building are strong assets.

• Experience working in an international agency or organization is desirable. 

• Experience in project management and coordination is desirable. 

c. Languages

The working language at UNEP-CCC is English. Fluency in English skills is required for this position. Knowledge of either Spanish and/or French is highly desired. Knowledge of any other UN language is an asset.

Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement 
Contract level: IICA 3 / ICS 11
Contract duration: One year (12 months) initially, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funds

• 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.

• Copenhagen, Denmark is a family duty station. 

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.

Based in Geneva, the Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECR) supports UNOPS offices throughout the region through: management, financial and programmatic oversight of global and country-specific portfolios, clusters and operations centres, including hosting services; fund and management advisory services; project implementation; procuring goods and services; and managing human resources.

ECR ensures that projects are executed to the highest standards, providing a shared knowledge base and ensuring that best practices and lessons learned are disseminated between business units and projects across the entire region.

 ECR strategy is to:

• Strengthen UNOPS role in operationalizing the Sustainable Development Goals with particular emphasis on health, environment and economic development.
• Position UNOPS in the Balkan sub-region, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
• Strengthen the implementation of ECR global and regional programmes, with revitalized partnerships in infrastructure, procurement and project management.

ECR operates global portfolios from offices in Geneva, Brussels and New York, and country-specific programmes from its operations and project centres located in Eastern Europe and Central Asian countries.