City Engagement Specialist

Organizational Context

The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) delivers impact worldwide, with hubs in New York, Geneva, and Vienna. It leads multi-regional initiatives advancing sustainable development, climate action, and peacebuilding. GPO supports UNOPS strategic priorities and the SDGs across over 130 countries, working with governments, financial institutions, and UN agencies. The Water, Environment, and Climate (WEC) portfolio, based in Vienna, manages initiatives focused on climate action and environmental protection.

Job Purpose

The City Engagement Specialist will work closely with cities and partners to facilitate coordination, support implementation processes, and contribute to the rollout of technical assistance, knowledge sharing, and collaboration activities. This role aims to advance climate-resilient solutions on the ground by empowering cities and local governments in their transition to climate-resilient, sustainable energy, and low-emission mobility urban systems. The specialist will help enhance city capacity, secure financing, and establish private sector partnerships to accelerate these transitions.

Responsibilities

The role involves leading dialogues with city counterparts to identify climate and energy challenges, translating these into bankable project pipelines, and fostering collaboration between cities and private sector partners. The specialist will provide technical guidance on developing and implementing Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs) and related frameworks. Additionally, they will support the design and implementation of city-level stakeholder engagement approaches, including capacity building and maintaining a stakeholder database. The position also entails facilitating matchmaking between cities and private sector actors for climate solutions, contributing to knowledge products, and representing the initiative in relevant forums.

Work Experience

Required experience includes partnership development, knowledge management, and climate action. Experience in building and managing relationships with diverse stakeholders, including private sector entities and international financial institutions, is essential. Desired experience includes working with multiple cities on global climate initiatives and developing global knowledge management strategies.

Skills

International Business Development, Partnerships, Planning, Proposal Writing, Stakeholder Engagement.

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