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General Information

Position Title
Project Management Support Senior Officer(Grants)
Job Category
Programme
Duty Station(s)
Colombo
Seniority Level
Mid Level
ICS Level
ICS 09
Contract Type
ICA - LICA - Specialist - Regular
Contract Level
LICA 9
Posting Start Date
26-Mar-2026
Posting End Date
09-Apr-2026
Duration
Ongoing

Job Highlight

This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to high-impact projects, working closely with diverse teams and partners to enhance grant management practices and support capacity development initiatives. The role provides exposure to international development best practices and opportunities for professional growth within UNOPS.

About the Region

The Asia Pacific Regional Office, based in Bangkok, Thailand, provides strategic leadership and oversight for UNOPS operations across 17 countries, ensuring high performance, operational excellence, and alignment with organizational goals. Operations currently span Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Pacific Islands. Across these countries, we work closely with key stakeholders to strengthen partnerships and maximize impact through five main operating units: Afghanistan (AFCO), Myanmar (MMCO), South Asia Multi-Country Office (SAMCO), East Asia and Pacific Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO), and the Asia Regional Health Cluster (ARHC). Through these entities, we provide agile, client-focused service delivery across diverse sectors - including infrastructure, health, procurement, and project management - supporting the implementation of sustainable development solutions across the region.

About the Country/Multi-Country Office

The South Asia Multi-Country Office (SAMCO) supports UNOPS operations across six countries: Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. SAMCO delivers a broad range of services and technical expertise in climate change, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), infrastructure, procurement, human resource management, and fund management. Each country office is staffed with local technical experts and maintains strong partnerships with national governments, ensuring context-specific solutions and effective project implementation.

Job Specific Context

This role is pivotal in supporting the effective management of grants within UNOPS Sri Lanka, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and donor requirements. The incumbent will contribute to strengthening the capacity of implementing partners and ensuring the transparent and accountable use of grant funds to achieve sustainable development outcomes.

Role Purpose

The Project Management Support Senior Officer (Grants) is responsible for providing comprehensive support in grant management, capacity assessment, and documentation, ensuring compliance with UNOPS rules and regulations, and contributing to the effective implementation of projects through grant mechanisms.

Functions / Key Results Expected

1. Grant Management


  • Prepare grant award requests, draft grant agreements and amendments using approved templates, ensuring compliance with UNOPS legal, financial, and operational rules and regulations.


  • Review grant budgets and financial reports submitted by implementing partners against approved budgets and provide feedback to partners and programme teams.


  • Verify the consistency of grant proposal budgets with prevailing market rates and support discussions or negotiations on costs where necessary.


  • Ensure reporting requirements under grant agreements are adhered to and follow up on delays or challenges with implementing partners and relevant teams.

Review payment requests and ensure that payments are processed in accordance with grant agreements, approved budgets, and agreed payment schedules.


  • Communicate with and provide guidance to implementing partners on grant management, financial requirements, and compliance with grant agreements.


  • Identify and highlight risks, delays, or issues related to grant implementation and escalate complex matters to the supervisor with recommendations.


  • Resolve routine operational and procedural issues related to grant management.


  • Coordinate or support the operational and financial closure of grants in accordance with UNOPS requirements.


  • Contribute to the coordination and follow-up of audits related to implementing partners and grant activities.


2. Capacity Assessment and Partner Support


  • Conduct or support financial and operational capacity assessments of implementing partners.


  • Support the development and implementation of improvement or follow-up actions identified through capacity assessments.


  • Provide guidance and day-to-day support to implementing partners to ensure compliance with grant agreements and UNOPS operational requirements.


  • Support capacity development initiatives for implementing partners, including training or guidance on financial and organizational management.


  • Collaborate with other UNOPS teams to harmonize grant management practices, tools, and partner capacity development approaches.


  • Contribute to knowledge sharing, lessons learned, and best practices related to grant management and partner capacity development.


3. Documentation and Records Management


  • Monitor and track information related to grant contractual arrangements, including audits, inventories, utilization, and other contractual elements.


  • Ensure grant-related documentation and records are properly maintained in both electronic and hard copy formats for easy retrieval and audit purposes.


  • Maintain organized records or databases of grant agreements and implementing partner documentation.


  • Prepare reports, briefings, or updates on grant management activities as requested by the supervisor.


4. General Support and Coordination


  • Coordinate and liaise with programme, finance, and other relevant teams to ensure effective implementation of grant management processes.


  • Support overall coordination and communication between UNOPS teams and implementing partners on grant-related matters.

Skills

Budget Management, Capacity Building, Compliance Management, Contract Management, Financial Reporting, Grant Administration, Stakeholder Management
Respect
Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organisational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.
Collaboration
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.
Partnerships
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).
Excellence
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.
Adaptability
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.
Decision-making
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.
Communication
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.

Education Requirements

Required:


  • Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Finance, Project Management, Development Studies, or related fields with 4 years of relevant experience OR

  • Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above or related fields with 2 years of relevant experience is required.


Desired:


  • PRINCE2 Foundation certification is an asset/advantage.

Experience Requirements

Required:


  • Minimum 4 years experience in grant management, contract management, project administration, or project support or related areas. 


  • Experience in managing the full grant lifecycle, including drafting grant agreements, reviewing financial reports and budgets, and coordinating the operational and financial closure of grants.



Desired:


  • Knowledge of contractual and accounting principles related to grants and project management is desirable.


  • Experience working with development or humanitarian organizations, including UN agencies, donors, NGOs, or international organizations, is an advantage.


  • Experience with UNOPS systems, processes, or grant management practices is an advantage.


  • Experience using collaboration tools such as Google Workspace (G Suite) is an asset.

Language Requirements

LanguageProficiency LevelRequirement
EnglishFluentRequired
SinhaleseFluentDesirable
TamilFluentDesirable

Additional Information

  • Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
  • Please note that 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. 
  • 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. 
  • UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse 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.
 
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. 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.