Programme Management Office (PRMO) - Senior Officer

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.

The IRR operates with a strategic focus on the following pillars:

• Enhancing food security and promoting climate-smart agricultural practices

• Improving access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food

• Creating income-generating opportunities and sustainable livelihoods

• Supporting the growth and resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and microfinance institutions (MFIs)

By integrating emergency recovery with long-term development, the IRR contributes to building community resilience and fostering inclusive economic recovery across targeted areas.

Under the direct supervision of the PRMO-Senior Officer and in collaboration with the programme team, the incumbent will be responsible for:

Grant Management

• Prepare grant awards requests, draft grant agreements and subsequent amendments, using the approved templates ensuring that all agreements and amendments are constructed and issued in line with UNOPS legal and financial rules and regulations;

• Review grant budgets submitted by implementing partners, verify their consistency with prevailing market rate; assist in discussion/negotiation of costs/fees as required; provide critical feedback to the implementing partners;

• Ensure that reporting requirements are adhered to and liaise closely on any delays or difficulties; Highlight risks and delays to the supervisor as appropriate

• Review payment requests and ensure payments are processed based upon the grant agreement and agreed payment schedules;

• Communicate with and provide guidance/advice to implementing partners on grant-related and financial matters

• Resolve routine operational and process issues related to grant management, and refer complex issues to the supervisor with recommendations for courses of action;

• Ensure operational and financial closure of grants in line with requirements;

• Contribute to the coordination and follow up on the audits of Implementing Partners;

• Improve efficiency and effectiveness of processes and procedures wherever possible, propose/seek for solutions acceptable under UNOPS procedures and well adapted to the reality of partners on the ground,  which reduce burden and risks  on partners in line with localization principles

Due Diligence Assessment and Capacity Building

• Implement supportive and inclusive Due Diligence Assessments (DDA) on all new implementing partners, liaising with other UN Agencies and UNOPS funds/programmes wherever possible to reduce partner burden. Develop comprehensive assessment reports based on DDA

• Work with implementing partners to develop improvement plans and support their implementation, including ensuring available financial resources. Ensure completion of any follow-up actions in assessment reports.

• Actively liaise with other grants teams to align to the extent possible IP capacity development efforts as well as streamlining and harmonizing of practices and tools within UNOPS.

• Contribute to the overall knowledge sharing and collaboration within UNOPS on grant management, due diligence assessment and improvement plans

Programme Management Support

• Participate in programmatic and partner meetings as needed.

• Conduct relevant training to partners as needed. 

• Support in scheduling travel, accommodation and other support as needed by the programme team.

Administration and implementation of operational strategies

•  Enhance full compliance with UN/UNOPS rules, regulations, and policies of financial activities, financial recording/reporting system and follow-up on audit recommendations; implementation of effective internal controls, proper functioning of a client-oriented financial resources management system.

• Implementation of cost sharing and trust fund agreements, elaboration of conditions of contributions within the office’s resource mobilisation efforts.

• Implementation of cost saving and reduction strategies in consultations with office management.

Budget preparation and management

• Support  preparation of the field operating budget of IRR; review of budget submissions, regular analysis and reporting on the budget approvals and the delivery situation; monitoring of expenditures against budget allotments and reporting on variances.

• Identification of administrative budgetary requirements; provision of guidance on guidelines for budget preparation.

• Review and update of guidelines, procedures in light of changing circumstances or for the purpose of complying, streamlining and/or strengthening of existing financial and budgetary procedures

• Review, analysis and revision of data with respect to the finalization of cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements submitted by project managers; review of budget proposals for reasonableness, consistency with the organizational goals and priorities.

• Monitoring of budget implementation, expenditure levels against allotments and determination/recommendation of reallocation of funds when necessary.

• Collaboration in the improvement of the UNOPS Project Budget formulation system, with the cooperation of Information Technology, ensuring the relevance of the system at all times by updating and proposing changes to facilitate financial management of projects and enhance financial reporting.

• Review and appropriate recommendations with respect to the finalization of budget performance reports, analysing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.

Cash management and treasury

• Organization and oversight of cash management processes, including liquidity management, recommendation of imprest level, risk assessment, bank relationship management, timely accounting and reconciliation of all transactions, security for cash assets on site.

• Establishment of efficient local banking arrangements and compliance with local financial and banking regulations

• Building of project capacity to effect payments using ERP/OneUNOPS and/or Imprest Accounts.

• Monitoring of the delivery and income of the Fund

• Discussion and communication with the project support colleagues on the savings or potential concerns that may require further review.

Accounts and payments

• Analysis and elaboration of proposals for the internal expenditures’ control system which ensures that vouchers processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in ERP; travel claims and other entitlements are duly processed. 

• Quality control of the account by performing ongoing review, analysis and reconciliation of accounts. Investigation of discrepancies and initiation of timely corrective actions on unposted vouchers, including the vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions, unapproved vouchers. Timely response to HQ requests to resolve financial data issues. 

• Control of the Accounts Receivables for UNOPS projects and follow up with partners on contributions, maintenance of the General Ledger. 

• Ensuring proper maintenance of the field financial accounts; preparation of financial records, statements and reports as required or approval of the work of subordinates; coordination of field replies to internal and external audit queries; 

• Ensuring proper receipt, management, safeguarding and disbursement of payments handled by the field; review, modification, initiation and implementation of internal control procedures in coordination with Headquarters; 

• Proper control of the supporting documents for payments; preparation of all types of vouchers; Pay Cycle and payments execution;

• Preparation of timely financial reports for submission to the funding agency in accordance with UNOPS rules, and in line with the established procedures;

• Monitoring of financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions and investigation of anomalies or unusual transactions; 

• Ensuring proper maintenance of the Accounts Receivables for UNOPS projects and follow-up with partners on contributions, deposits creation in ERP and their application to AR pending items. 

Documentation and Other

• Monitor information related to contractual arrangements – on audits, inventories, utilization and all such elements in the contracts and grants

• Ensure that all records are collected and maintained, both hard copies and electronic copies for easy reference and retrieval

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Accounting, Economics, Project Management or related field with four years of relevant experience is required. OR

• A master's degree with the above mentioned field with two years of relevant experience is required.

Desired

• Completion of PRINCE 2 Foundation certificate is an advantage

Required

• Relevant experience is work in contracts/grant management and/or project administration and/or project support.

• Minimum of 2 years of professional-level experience in accounting with responsibility for project accounting and preparation of financial statements is required.

• Good knowledge of contractual and accounting principles and modalities is required;

• Strong computer skills, including the use of Excel spreadsheets is necessary.

Desired

• Prior experience with UNOPS is an advantage, particularly in grant management

• Prior experience in preparing and collaborating with in- and external auditors an asset

• Previous successful involvement with, and a good knowledge of the development and humanitarian sector/working with UN, Donors, or NGOs is an advantage;

• Experience with G Suite is an asset.