Job Highlight

Shape UNOPS global leadership on energy transition by driving mission-led innovation, strategic partnerships, and forward-looking solutions that strengthen resilience, sustainability, and progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

About The Group

The Partnerships and Futures Group (PFG) is responsible for strengthening and expanding UNOPS partnerships and building knowledge, innovation and foresight capabilities through non-programmatic missions, underpinning UNOPS ability to scale up and speed up delivery for impact - for the people we serve.

PFG works across the range of UNOPS partner segments - including UN agencies, international financial institutions and multilateral/regional development banks, donors, partner country governments, vertical funds and multilateral initiatives, south-south cooperation, and the philanthropic and private sectors - to deepen engagement, expand implementation capacity and accelerate progress toward the SDGs.

PFG collaborates closely with HQ groups and geographic offices on partner segment strategies, partner leadership, and opportunity development, ensuring that partner engagement is coherent, intelligence-driven and aligned with UNOPS strategic priorities to strengthen UNOPS positioning and visibility.

PFG leads the development of knowledge, innovation and foresight through eight thematic missions relating to the sustainable development goals, enabling UNOPS to anticipate partner needs and emerging trends and respond proactively to strengthen mission readiness. It brings mission-led intent to partnerships and opportunity development, and drives the horizontal integration of missions into policy framing, service offering refinement and service delivery. It provides expertise and business partnering support to teams across UNOPS, and technical advice to partners.

PFG has personnel based in UNOPS headquarters in Copenhagen and in locations close to key partners: Beijing, Brussels, Manila, Riyadh, Tokyo, and Washington.

Role Purpose

The Technical Advisor (Energy Transition) is accountable for UNOPS visibility and positioning in respect of that mission and may contribute to furthering one or more of the following missions depending on experience and organizational need: just digital transformation, SIDS resilience and sustainability, food systems transformation, and humanitarian, development and peace nexus. The role drives the integration of mission-led knowledge, innovation and foresight into UNOPS partnership development, opportunity development, policy framing, service offering refinement and service delivery, to strengthen mission readiness and accelerate progress toward the SDGs.

Functions / Key Results Expected

Thematic Leadership

Serve as UNOPS principal focal point and thought leader for assigned mission(s), strengthening UNOPS visibility and positioning.

Define UNOPS expertise, comparative advantage and value proposition within the assigned mission(s).

Serve as internal and partner-facing technical expert for the assigned mission(s), including on related knowledge, innovation and foresight.

Develop, contribute to and disseminate mission-aligned materials, such as thought-leadership and knowledge management products for use internally and with partners.

Mission-Aligned Partnerships and Opportunity Development

Bring mission-led intent to partnership development, reinforcing mission readiness and the strategic alignment of UNOPS portfolio.

Provide technical expert input in high-level discussions with partners and UNOPS colleagues, including in collaborative opportunity development.

Support partner-facing colleagues in project ideation discussions with partners.

Provide advice on the strategic alignment, value and balance of UNOPS portfolio across assigned missions.

Integration of Knowledge, Innovation and Foresight through Missions

Drive the integration of mission-driven knowledge, innovation and foresight into UNOPS policy framing through Management and Policy, and service offering refinement and delivery through Delivery and Partnerships.

Provide advice on mission-aligned outcomes and indicators to support corporate and partner-facing performance frameworks.

Provide business partnering support on missions to HQ groups, service lines and geographic offices, fostering coherence, coordination and learning.

Collaborate with PFG and UNOPS colleagues to strengthen mission-led knowledge and innovation systematically and sustainably, through the establishment and enhancement of processes and operating mechanisms for knowledge and learning and for innovation.

In collaboration with PFG foresight colleagues, link internal knowledge and learning with long-term external perspectives and trends to develop new ideas, support ideation and drive innovation.

People Leadership

Create, foster and role model a culture of trust, empowerment, and accountability.

Build engagement and foster a diverse and inclusive work environment, respectful of all, and ensure that the highest standards of conduct are observed.

Create, foster and role model a culture of respect and zero tolerance for discrimination, abuse of authority, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual exploitation and abuse. Ensure accountability for actions and perform duties in accordance with protection mechanisms and action plans, as expected by UNOPS policies, standards and commitments.

Promote teamwork, collaboration and diversity, by providing timely guidance and supervision to the team to enable them to perform their duties responsibly, effectively and efficiently.

Education Requirements

Required

Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in energy policy, renewable energy engineering, climate change, sustainable development, economics (with a focus on energy) or related fields with 9 years of relevant experience ORMaster’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above or related fields with 7 years of relevant experience is required

Desired

Specialized training or certification related to the energy transition, sustainability, innovation, foresight, or partnership development is desirable.

Required

Experience Requirements

Demonstrated experience providing technical advisory support on energy transition, including the social and economic dimensions of a just transition. Strong expertise in areas such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, grid modernization, and energy policy. Experience conducting foresight and trend analysis, developing case studies, and extracting lessons learned in the energy sector. Experience facilitating stakeholder engagement and collaborative approaches to energy transition initiatives. Experience of working in multicultural environments.

Desired

Experience working on issues related to one or more of: just digital transformation, SIDS resilience and sustainability, food systems transformation, and humanitarian, development and peace nexus. Experience in development or humanitarian contexts. Experience of working in UN system organizations.