PAF Support Senior Associate (Project Management Senior Associate) - Retainer at United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

The PAF Support Senior Associate will play a flexible and integral role in supporting various aspects of the PAF process. This position will contribute to ensuring smooth coordination, effective documentation, and timely execution of tasks across different functional areas, including CFP circulation, proposal development and evaluation, grant award, monitoring and reporting, and grant closure. Given the dynamic nature of PAF’s work, the consultant will provide on-demand support where needed, adapting to evolving priorities and operational needs.  Below is a list of activities where support may be required as needed.

PAF WINDOW 1

• Regularly update the PAF Window 1 guidance note to reflect any process or requirement changes, ensuring the latest version is accessible and readily available to staff and hosts. 
• Centralize process questions, general queries and other clarification requests and provide timely responses and guidance, liaising with others in the team and relevant hosts’ personnel as needed. 
• Ensure that the PAF Window 1 Monday board is up to date, engaging the Country Engagement team when information is missing or needs to be revised / clarified. 
• Collect information on the status of each request (e.g., advertisement stage, interview stage, written test stage, etc.), identifying delays, challenges and bottlenecks when they arise. 
• Assist with the monitoring of timely submission of facilitators’ quarterly Country Engagement Update Reports.
• Support in compiling reports quarterly of progress in their submission and auditing their availability in the External SharePoint
• Provide regular, consolidated reports to the PAF Program Manager on request processing status, flagging any delays or challenges that demand action / troubleshoot.
• Support the Program Manager in presenting consolidated information for approval and decision-making on all requests.

PAF WINDOW 2

• Assist the Country Engagement team in preparing requests for Calls for Proposals (CFP), including providing guidance on templates, processes, timelines, and eligibility.
• Support the management of CFP data collection templates, ensuring that the latest changes are reflected and that requests for clarification are addressed by relevant staff.
• Help consolidate draft CFP guidance documents, working closely with both hosts to ensure requirements are accurately reflected in invitations to submit proposals and other relevant annexes/documents.
• Pre-populate proposal submission templates with information on all requests included in CFPs.
• Assist in organizing information sessions for implementing partners before each CFP launch, including consolidating materials (slides, talking points, etc.) and handling logistics (attendance, recordings, follow-up emails).
• Manage the collection of queries from partners during the proposal preparation stage, liaising with Country Engagement staff to provide timely responses.
• Support outreach to NDC Partnership members by coordinating organizational assessments for PAF funding eligibility, centralizing the collection of relevant documents, and addressing clarifying questions.
• Assist in coordinating Evaluation Committees (ECs), including assembling committee members, tracking progress, and ensuring timely scheduling.
• Support information sessions for EC members, consolidating materials and managing logistics.
• Distribute proposal packages and communicate key requirements and deadlines to EC members.
• Track EC progress, flagging delays and bottlenecks to the Program Manager.
• Compile and prepare Evaluation Summary Reports.
• Inform partners of EC decisions and clarify next steps.
• Assist in preparing and coordinating Scopes of Work (SOW), including pre-populating documents, circulating drafts, and addressing clarifications.
• Track the status of SOWs, troubleshooting as needed and supporting coordination calls.
• Facilitate grant preparation by compiling submission packages and coordinating with hosts.
• Support partners in navigating grant setup, addressing challenges, and ensuring key conditions are defined.
• Support Reasonable Cost Assessments (RoCs): Monitor budgets in grant proposals and verify their consistency with prevailing market rates.
• Ensure all evaluations are properly documented and securely stored in compliance with PAF’s information-sharing protocols.

Grant Setup:

• Track the grant processing timeline, flagging delays and updating relevant teams.
• Maintain grant records, ensuring agreements are correctly stored and tracked.
• Support the peer review of grant agreements in coordination with relevant teams, assist with Grant Support Agreements (“GSAs”), UN to UN Agreements, and other PSC documents using approved templates to ensure compliance with UNOPS legal and financial rules.
• Ensure grant agreements and supporting documents are stored and organized in PAF’s document management systems.

Monitoring & Reporting:

• Monitor grant implementation, tracking payments, centralizing partner concerns, and escalating issues when needed.
• Assist the PAF Team in compiling quarterly country update reports based on IPs’ progress reports.
• Update and maintain PAF’s monitoring and reporting tools (e.g., SharePoint, deliverables library, Monday board).
• Assist with scheduling and note taking in the coordination calls with IPs after quarterly reports’ review. 
• Grant Closure:
• Support project closure by ensuring required documentation is in place and coordinating with relevant teams
• Ensure all required deliverables are submitted and documented during the grant closure process. Follow up with IPs when missing deliverables. 
• Codify and archive relevant folders, documents, and deliverables in line with PAF’s information-sharing practices.

General Support:

Coordination and Facilitation:

• Provide ad hoc support to the PAF Manager in assisting the PAF’s Core Team in coordinating processes, scheduling calls, facilitating discussions, and note-taking.
• Communication Material Preparation:
• Assist in the preparation of reports, presentations, and other communication materials for internal and external stakeholders.
• Additional Duties:
• Perform other duties as assigned by the PAF Manager to support procurement and grants management processes.

Education: 

• Secondary school (High School or equivalent) with a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience is required.
• Master's degree, preferably in international development, economics, finance, project management, procurement or a related field, with 1 year of experience is desired. 
• Bachelor's degree in related discipline in combination with an additional 3 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of a secondary school diploma.

Experience

Required

• With a high school diploma, a minimum of 7 year of relevant professional experience (or more, depending on the academic credentials) in the field of supporting project implementation and delivery activities, is required.
• Experience in project management, operations management, monitoring and reporting preferably at international organizations.
• Experience in Grant Management.
• Proficient use of Microsoft Office/Google Suite is required with an emphasis on Excel.

Assets

• Experience in international cooperation and/or project management is an advantage.
• Experience with stakeholder and partner management. 
• Experience in procurement and operations is an advantage.
• Previous experience with UNOPS or another UN agency is desired