UNOPS is hiring a Senior Manager, Partnerships for the Global Climate Action Partnership (GCAP) in Vienna, a senior ICS 11 role on an IICA 3 contract that sets strategic direction, drives global resource mobilization and reorganises GCAP's governance. Applications close on 11 November 2026. At Youth Works Hub, we reviewed the full vacancy, and this guide covers the project context, the four functional areas, the requirements and the contract terms.
Key Facts About the Vacancy
🏷️ Position Title: Senior Manager, Partnerships (Global Climate Action Partnership - GCAP)
🗂️ Job Category: Partnerships & Knowledge
📍 Duty Station: Vienna
📶 Seniority Level: Senior Level
🔢 ICS Level: ICS 11
📄 Contract Type: ICA - IICA - Regular
📑 Contract Level: IICA 3
⏱️ Duration: One year, with the possibility of extension subject to performance and funding availability
The Job in One Sentence
The vacancy highlights the core of the role: set strategic direction, drive global resource mobilization, and optimize governance reorganisation for GCAP across its secretariats, regional platforms and thematic working groups.
About the UNOPS Global Portfolios Office
The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) brings together diverse expertise to help partners deliver impact worldwide. Its key features are:
🏙️ Hubs in New York, Geneva and Vienna, with expert teams operating globally
🌐 Leadership of multi-regional initiatives that advance sustainable development, climate action and peacebuilding, including in some of the world's most challenging environments
🎯 Support for UNOPS' strategic priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals across more than 130 countries
🤝 Close work with governments, international financial institutions and UN agencies
🛠️ Services such as project management, fund management, hosting services and HR support
The Water, Environment and Climate Portfolio in Vienna
The Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) portfolio is based in Vienna, has offices globally and is part of the UNOPS Global Portfolio Office.
💼 It has managed a portfolio of over 500 million USD over the last 15 years, supporting key initiatives with fund management, project implementation and administrative support
🌿 It operationalizes partners' agendas with global approaches as well as regional and country specific activities focused on climate action and the protection and conservation of the environment
📜 Partners benefit from its ability to operationalize or scale up their agendas, including in support of the Paris Agreement, the Cartagena Convention and the Sustainable Development Goals
What Is the Global Climate Action Partnership?
GCAP supports developing countries in advancing low-emission, climate-resilient development strategies through three regional platforms and specialized thematic working groups:
🌍 AfCAP
🌏 ALP
🌎 LEDS LAC
GCAP's Transitional Workplan
Following a comprehensive Calibration Assessment, GCAP is executing a transitional workplan across four core workstreams:
🏛️ Institutional Governance Reorganisation
🏠 Hosting, Management, and Coordination Finalisation
💶 Donor Engagement and Fundraising
⚙️ Systems and Practice Refinement
The Senior Manager will be the dedicated senior leader who sets strategic direction, drives resource mobilization, optimizes governance structures and coordinates across global and regional secretariats during this strategic transition.
Vienna or Another Duty Station?
The position is primarily advertised for Vienna, Austria. However, an alternative duty station may be offered or considered based on organizational needs and the successful candidate's profile.
Role Purpose and Reporting Lines
The incumbent provides overall strategic leadership and oversight in donor engagement, resource mobilization, network governance reorganisation and inter-secretariat coordination. The role covers:
🧭 Leading the execution of GCAP's transitional workplan following its Calibration Assessment
📊 Establishing a host-performance review mechanism
💡 Deploying a narrowly defined finance-facilitation capability
📐 Embedding a common M&E indicator framework
The Senior Manager works under the direct supervision of the UNOPS WEC Head of Portfolio, in coordination with the GCAP Steering Committee Co-Chairs, and positions GCAP as a leading, demand-driven platform within the global climate action landscape.
Area 1: Governance Reorganisation and Strategic Direction
🧩 Lead the operationalization of the GCAP Calibration Assessment recommendations across global and regional levels
📝 Finalize and implement updated Terms of Reference (TORs) for GCAP's governance and operational structures, including the GCAP Steering Committee, Global Secretariat and thematic working groups
⚖️ Support GCAP Steering Committee decision-making regarding governance models and manage conflict-of-interest mechanisms
🔗 Reconcile relationships and alignment between thematic working groups, Communities of Practice (CoPs), regional platforms and the Global Secretariat under a synchronized workplan towards a strengthened one-initiative identity
📣 Articulate and promote GCAP's value proposition, including its regional architecture and thematic working group structure, towards governments, technical partners and the broader GCAP stakeholder group
Positioning, Branding and a Unified Narrative
The governance area also includes GCAP's external profile:
🎯 Design and lead a positioning strategy to strengthen GCAP's visibility and recognition within the global climate action landscape, including targeted engagement at major climate fora, coalitions and knowledge-exchange platforms
🎨 Oversee consistent branding, messaging and communication products (institutional profile, positioning briefs, knowledge products) that reinforce GCAP's identity across the Global Secretariat and regional platforms (AfCAP, ALP, LEDS LAC)
🗣️ Coordinate with thematic working groups and regional secretariats to ensure a unified external narrative and avoid fragmented or inconsistent messaging about GCAP's role and offer
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Area 2: Hosting, Management and Network Coordination
🏢 Manage GCAP's institutional-support arrangements, establishing a host-performance review mechanism for future cycles
💳 Oversee the design and launch of a narrowly defined finance-facilitation function, modelled on LEDS LAC's ArticuLAC, to bridge CoP outputs with actionable climate financing channels
🏦 Facilitate strategic alignment and deep engagement with multilateral and regional development banks (MDBs/RDBs), technical assistance windows and regional partners
Area 3: Strategic Fundraising and Resource Mobilisation
📈 Implement the GCAP fundraising strategy and achieve approved target sheet thresholds
🌐 Lead donor engagement initiatives to diversify the funding base beyond core sources, targeting climate-development sources, philanthropies, AfDB facilities and the Africa Carbon Markets Initiative
✏️ Refine donor-facing value propositions and update messaging frameworks to highlight development linkages and climate action impacts
🧮 Oversee the allocation and tracking of the interim per-region funding baseline and unearmarked contributions within the pooled GCAP fund managed by UNOPS
Area 4: Systems Refinement and M&E Oversight
🔍 Direct the benchmarking of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) practices against peer organizations and oversee the adoption of a unified, quantified indicator framework across AfCAP, ALP and LEDS LAC
🧪 Evaluate and implement technical tools, such as impact-calculator models, to improve reporting accuracy and eliminate double-counting
📋 Standardize light operating workflows and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) governing the strategy-priority-outreach-response cycle
Skills Listed in the Vacancy
🌡️ Climate Change
🤲 Donor Engagement
💶 Fundraising
🏛️ Project Governance
👥 Stakeholder Management
🤝 Strategic Partnerships
🗺️ Strategic Planning
Competencies UNOPS Looks For
🔭 Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally to positively shape the organisation, and anticipates the impact of future decisions on other parts of the organisation
🤗 Treats all individuals with respect, responds sensitively to differences, upholds organisational and ethical norms, maintains high standards of trustworthiness and is a role model for diversity and inclusion
🙌 Acts as a positive role model contributing to team spirit and supports the development of others; people managers motivate, direct and inspire others using appropriate leadership styles
🎁 Understands the impact of their role on all partners, always puts the end beneficiary first and builds strong external relationships
✅ Efficiently sets a course of action to accomplish goals with concern for quality, takes initiative on opportunities and uses resources responsibly
🔄 Is open to change and flexible in a fast-paced environment, adapts to changing requirements, performs consistently under pressure and pursues continuous improvement
🧠 Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions, takes calculated risks and applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving
💬 Expresses ideas clearly, concisely and openly, listens actively, shares knowledge and handles conflict by finding common ground
Education Requirements
🎓 A Master's degree (or equivalent), preferably in International Development, Public Administration, Economics, Programme Management, Environmental Science, Climate Policy or related fields, with 7 years of relevant experience, or
📘 A Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in any of the above or related fields with 2 additional years of relevant experience
What Experience Do You Need?
Relevant experience is defined as experience in international development, sustainable development management, climate change policy or global network governance.
Required:
🏅 Demonstrated leadership experience within an international organization, multi-donor trust fund or global coalition
💰 Experience in climate finance facilitation, donor outreach and drafting institutional governance frameworks
Desired:
🏛️ Experience developing and managing high-level partnerships with national or local governments, multilateral institutions or civil society actors to advance country-led climate-resilient development strategies
🇺🇳 Prior experience with UN system operations or UNOPS fiduciary and management frameworks
Language Requirements
🇬🇧 English: Fluent (required)
🇫🇷 French: Intermediate (desirable)
🇪🇸 Spanish: Intermediate (desirable)
Closing Time and Shortlisting
🕛 Applications must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date; late applications will not be considered
📬 Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments
🚫 UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes
🛡️ UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind
Diversity, Fair Selection and Assessment Support
UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Its workforce includes a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations and abilities. All applications are evaluated on the skills, qualifications and experience in the vacancy announcement, and UNOPS welcomes diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities. If you are shortlisted and need support or reasonable accommodation to complete an assessment, inform the human resources team when you receive your invitation.
Conduct Standards and Background Checks
UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment. Background checks are conducted for all final candidates, and by applying, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes. Recruitment is contingent on the results of these checks.
Contract Terms and Conditions
📉 For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level
🎒 For retainer contracts, a few mandatory courses (around 4 hours) must be completed in your own time before providing services; refreshers or new courses may be required, and course time is not compensated
📜 All personnel perform their duties in accordance with the UN Charter, UNOPS Policies and Instructions and other accountability frameworks
🌱 All personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda
Find more international roles like this in the jobs section of Youth Works Hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the GCAP Senior Manager, Partnerships based?
The position is primarily advertised for Vienna, Austria, within the UNOPS Water, Environment and Climate portfolio. An alternative duty station may be offered or considered based on organizational needs and the successful candidate's profile.
What grade and contract come with this role?
It is a Senior Level ICS 11 position on an ICA - IICA - Regular contract at IICA 3. The duration is one year, with the possibility of extension subject to performance and funding availability.
Who does the Senior Manager report to?
The role sits under the direct supervision of the UNOPS WEC Head of Portfolio and works in coordination with the GCAP Steering Committee Co-Chairs.
What are GCAP's regional platforms?
GCAP works through three regional platforms: AfCAP, ALP and LEDS LAC. It also runs specialized thematic working groups that support developing countries with low-emission, climate-resilient development strategies.
What are the main responsibilities?
The work spans four areas: governance reorganisation and strategic direction, hosting and network coordination, strategic fundraising and resource mobilisation, and systems refinement with M&E oversight.
What degree and how much experience are required?
You need a Master's degree with 7 years of relevant experience, or a Bachelor's degree with 2 additional years. Relevant experience covers international development, sustainable development management, climate change policy or global network governance.
Which languages do I need?
Fluent English is required. Intermediate French and intermediate Spanish are desirable.
Is UN experience mandatory?
No. Prior experience with UN system operations or UNOPS fiduciary and management frameworks is listed as desired, not required.
When do applications close?
Applications must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on 11 November 2026. Late applications will not be considered.
Does UNOPS charge an application fee?
No. UNOPS states that it will never request payments of any kind at any stage of the recruitment process.
Deadline
⏳ 11 November 2026
Links
Apply online: https://careers.unops.org/careersmarketplace/Login?jobId=4936
Official job posting: https://careers.unops.org/careersmarketplace/JobDetail/Senior-Manager-Partnerships-Global-Climate-Action-Partnership-GCAP/4936
