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.

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) supports governments, donors, international financial institutions, and United Nations partners through infrastructure, procurement, project management, grant management, and technical assistance services.

The Ukraine and Eastern Europe Multi-Country Office operates across Ukraine, Moldova, and Poland, with Ukraine representing a major and evolving portfolio shaped by conflict, recovery needs, institutional reform, and increasing demand for implementation-ready solutions.

As the operating environment gradually shifts from emergency response toward structured recovery, resilience, and investment-led programming, UEMCO requires strengthened internal capacity to identify, shape, and deliver strategic opportunities in mine action, recovery and preparedness and identify related areas of systems strengthening that restore services, support institutions, strengthen preparedness, and produce measurable results.

The Portfolio Senior Manager (PSM) – Recovery, Preparedness and Mine Action Unit is an integral member of the Ukraine & East Europe Multi-Country Office (UEMCO) and provides strategic leadership and management of a multidisciplinary portfolio focused on recovery, preparedness, resilience, and institutional strengthening.

Reporting to the Head of Programme (HoP), the PSM is accountable for the overall direction, performance, delivery oversight, and coherence of the Unit’s portfolio of projects and technical workstreams. The role provides leadership to Project Managers and technical personnel, including senior project leadership responsible for major projects within the portfolio, ensuring delivery remains aligned with national priorities, partner requirements, donor expectations, and UEMCO strategic objectives.

The PSM oversees portfolio planning, prioritisation, resource management, performance monitoring, and risk management. The PSM contributes technical and operational inputs to PPSU-led pipeline development processes within the Unit’s delegated thematic areas of responsibility, including mine action and associated technical services supporting systems strengthening, recovery, and preparedness outcomes. The role ensures effective coordination across projects, promotes delivery quality and implementation readiness, and supports the development of practical, scalable, and sustainable interventions.

The position operates within a defined and delegated thematic space for external engagement and technical representation. In delivering these functions, the PSM collaborates closely with relevant UEMCO units, particularly the Partnerships, Programme and Support Unit (PPSU).

The role combines senior portfolio leadership, people management, internal coordination, selected external representation within delegated authority, and cross-functional collaboration to strengthen portfolio coherence, organisational impact, and partner support.

Required

• Advanced University Degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in International Development, Public Administration, Economics, Political Science, Urban Planning, Social Sciences, or a related field with a minimum of seven (7) years of relevant experience is required; OR

• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in International Development, Public Administration, Economics, Political Science, Urban Planning, Social Sciences, or a related field, with a minimum of nine (9) years of relevant experience, may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Desired

• PRINCE 2 Foundation or equivalent is desirable.

Required

• Minimum seven years of progressively responsible experience in programme, portfolio, or project leadership.

• Experience in crisis, post-conflict, or recovery contexts.

• Experience engaging government counterparts, partners, and institutional stakeholders.

Desired

• Experience in Ukraine, Eastern Europe, or comparable operating contexts.

• Experience in mine action, recovery infrastructure, resilience systems, preparedness, or specialized technical sectors.

• 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.