UNOPS

The Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECR), based in Geneva, is responsible for the effective management, coordination and oversight of UNOPS operations across the region. The ECR region spans the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, South Caucasus, and Türkiye, where UNOPS works with partners to achieve sustainable impact in health, education, environmental management, housing, rule of law, good governance, economic development, and social inclusion. With a wealth of experience in procurement, infrastructure, project and grant management, UNOPS in the region directly implements projects, provides technical advisory services and capacity building to advance the Sustainable Development Goals in support of national governments.

The UNOPS Ukraine and Eastern Europe MCO (UEMCO) operates in Ukraine, Moldova, and Poland, supporting urgent humanitarian needs while building pathways for recovery and development. In Ukraine, UEMCO delivers large-scale infrastructure, energy, housing, education, and mine action projects in partnership with UN agencies, international financial institutions, the European Union, and bilateral donors. Its agile portfolio responds to fast-evolving needs with strong procurement and implementation capacity. In Moldova, UEMCO supports justice sector reform and is exploring opportunities to expand its role across public sector modernization and infrastructure. In Poland, UEMCO works with government and private sector actors to strengthen ties with UN procurement and contribute to Ukraine’s recovery, leveraging Poland’s EU experience to support Ukraine’s future accession and integration.

Ukraine faces unprecedented explosive ordnance (EO) contamination following the full-scale Russian invasion of 2022. An estimated 25 percent of the country's territory is potentially contaminated. There is a growing need for countering IEDs in Ukraine. The Ukraine Mine Action Programme as part of the Ukraine and East Europe Multi-Country Office (UEMCO) supports national authorities in addressing the most extensive explosive ordnance contamination crisis in Europe since the Second World War.

Reporting to the UNOPS Project Manager and overseen by the UNOPS UEMCO Humanitarian Mine Action Technical Advisor, the Improvised Explosive Device Disposal Instructor is the primary technical expert responsible for developing and delivering EOD related courses, including improvised explosive device disposal Training-of-Trainers (IEDD ToT) and Counter-IED Training-of-Trainers (C-IED ToT) courses to selected partners, and for developing the training materials that underpin all components of the programme. The contractor will enable the partners to independently deliver instructor-led and equipment training to colleagues, building a sustainable national IEDD training capacity.

Required

• Master’s degree or equivalent with a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience; OR
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent with a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience; OR
• A technical or professional diploma with a minimum of 9 years of relevant experience.

• IMAS-equivalent IED Disposal (IEDD) level 3 qualification. 

• Candidates must possess IEDD qualifications demonstrating technical competency at the 09.31 level. Applicants must provide evidentiary support (such as course modules and learning objectives) to verify this equivalence.

Desired

• Training-of-Trainers qualification or equivalent instructional methodology certification is desired.

Required

Relevant experience is defined as:

• Operational experience within the last ten years in IEDD level 3 and C-IED activities in an IED-threat environment

• Demonstrable experience in course development and training delivery in a technical or law enforcement context.

• Experience in training/mentoring in conflict or post-conflict settings, with a proven track record in training management of national law enforcement forces.

• Proficient with specialist IED detectors (e.g., GPR, wire detector, etc.).

Desired

• Prior experience in Ukraine or a comparable post-conflict environment.

• Experience with UN agencies or international organisations.

• Knowledge of IMAS, NMAS and current IED typology and tactics relevant to Ukraine.

• Experience facilitating training in multiple modalities and pedagogical methods for diverse audiences.

• Demonstrated experience in producing technical reports on training outcomes, IED threats, and mitigation measures for UN or similar high-risk operational environments.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• 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. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click 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.