Project Management Support - Advisor

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 South East Europe Multi-Country Office (SEEMCO) supports sustainable development in Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Based in Belgrade with strong field teams, SEEMCO delivers project management, procurement, infrastructure, HR, and technical assistance to governments, donors, and international financial institutions. Partnering with national institutions, local authorities, civil society, and media, it contributes to sectors such as infrastructure, socio-economic development, social cohesion, rule of law, environment, healthcare, education, digitalisation, energy transition, and governance. Since 2000, SEEMCO has advanced the EU integration agenda, national priorities, and the Sustainable Development Goals. It also provides emergency response, recovery support, and capacity building for institutions. Funders include the EU, European Investment Bank, governments of Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro, as well as UN agencies such as UNHCR and UNEP.

The South East Europe Multi-Country Office (SEEMCO) in Belgrade is responsible for the overall management and oversight of UNOPS activities within its geographical scope. It works closely with national governments, international organizations, and civil society partners to deliver high-quality projects and programmes that meet the needs of the region. The SEEMCO is committed to promoting transparency, accountability, and sustainability in all its operations.

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Programme the PMS Advisor on energy and climate acquis alignment will be responsible for providing technical support and expertise across the full policy cycle, from legislative drafting and transposition to implementation and follow-up. A core focus of the role is to support the transposition and implementation of key policy frameworks in the  climate and energy sector, including addressing EU Acquis compliance requirements, providing review and recommendations on legislation and advising on implementation challenges. The Advisor will also support strengthening interinstitutional coordination and provide targeted advice on aligning national frameworks with EU requirements and good practices, ensuring legal certainty and institutional readiness in the context of EU accession.

In parallel, the PMS Advisor will strengthen national positioning and preparedness in regional and EU-related energy and climate processes. This includes supporting participation in different EU and regional structures, preparing analytical inputs, negotiation positions, and briefing notes, and advising on the integration of new EU acquis into the Energy Community framework. The Advisor will also provide research-based advice on different energy and climate matters, CBAM implications, and decarbonisation, while supporting alignment with the EU ETS, MRVA systems. Through expert inputs the Senior Advisor will contribute to strengthened coordination, evidence-based policymaking, and sustainable progress in energy and climate acquis alignment.

1. Advisory support on EU Energy and Climate Acquis Alignment

• Provide high-quality technical assistance and policy advice to ensure the compliant transposition, adoption, and effective implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive and other EU requirements in the area of climate and energy.
• Support the institutions in addressing EU acquis compliance requirements, supporting the legislative process, and advising on implementation challenges and necessary follow-up actions. 
• Expert guidance on aligning national energy and climate frameworks with evolving EU requirements, ensuring coherence across policy, legal, and institutional dimensions.

2. Support to coordination, Institutional Strengthening, and Policy Advisory Support

• Support effective coordination among relevant national institutions involved in the implementation of energy and climate policies, including the provision of expert inputs to meetings, consultations, and technical discussions related to acquis alignment.
• Facilitate interinstitutional dialogue on different reforms, processes, procedures in the area of climate and energy, with a view to aligning national practices with EU requirements and good practices.
• Support the Ministry’s engagement in Energy Community structures, through the preparation of analytical inputs, reports, negotiation positions, and briefing notes related to obligations under the Energy Community Treaty and the EU accession process. 
• Provide policy advice on electricity market integration, covering cooperation mechanisms, market coupling, public service obligations related to security of supply, price regulation, and market liberalisation, as well as advice on aligning national electricity market arrangements with EU requirements.
• Deliver research-based policy advice on the EU climate acquis, carbon pricing mechanisms, and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and support interinstitutional cooperation on alignment with the EU Emissions Trading System, the development and implementation of Monitoring, Reporting, Verification and Accreditation (MRVA) systems, and the implementation of the Governance Regulation and related reporting obligations.

Expected outputs

• Strategic and technical advisory inputs supporting alignment with the EU energy and climate acquis, including legislative, policy, and implementation-related guidance, as well as ad-hoc advice in response to emerging priorities.
• Analytical and policy-oriented outputs, such as briefing notes, background analyses, or technical inputs on selected energy and climate topics, including electricity market developments, decarbonisation, and climate policy instruments.
• Institutional coordination and process support, including expert contributions to interinstitutional meetings, consultations, and working groups, and inputs supporting improved coordination and alignment with EU requirements and good practices.
• EU accession and Energy Community support outputs, including preparatory materials, analytical inputs, and advisory support related to Energy Community obligations and the EU accession process.
• Reporting and knowledge contributions, including inputs to project reports, summaries of advisory support provided, and consolidated reflections on key findings and recommendations.

Monitoring and progress controls 

• Expert inputs and contributions were delivered in a timely manner and in accordance with established quality standards. Feedback from beneficiaries has been generally positive.
• The expert’s work contributed to alignment with the EU Energy and Climate acquis.
• Reports were submitted in a timely manner, in line with the structure and content agreed with the supervisor.

Required

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in law, economics, environmental science, engineering, or a related field, with 7 years of relevant experience, is required

Desired

• PhD in a relevant field.

Required

• At least 7 years of professional experience in energy and/or climate policy, EU acquis alignment, or Energy Community-related work is required..

Desired

• Demonstrated experience with: EU energy and climate legislation; Energy Community Treaty obligations; electricity market regulation and integration.

• Experience supporting public institutions in EU Member States or EU candidate countries is highly desirable.

• 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.

• 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.