Fund Coordination Specialist

Job Highlight

The GFCR Secretariat leads Fund-level global coordination and strategy implementation. The Secretariat coordinates and guides the day-to-day work of the GFCR, including the wider UN Global Team, which is organized across four integrated workstreams: Strategy and Engagement; Portfolio Management, Impact Measurement and Leverage; Governance and Operations; and Knowledge Management and Learning. The UNGT is led by the Director based in Geneva, Switzerland.

In its role, UNOPS provides administrative and operational services to the GFCR Secretariat. This includes flexible, modular project services such as procurement, project management, human resources, and financial management, alongside secretariat support services for global partnerships advancing United Nations objectives. UNOPS also provides access to shared service platforms, corporate systems, defined service arrangements, and appropriate delegations of authority to support efficient delivery within GFCR governance arrangements and UNOPS rules and procedures.

Role Purpose

As part of the GFCR Secretariat, the Fund Coordination Specialist provides coordination, operational, governance, and communications support to the Deputy Director and the wider GFCR Secretariat as well as the GFCR UN Global Team (UNGT). The position supports the effective planning and coordinated delivery of governing body processes, strategic engagement activities, programme and fund operations, reporting, work planning, file management, and outreach-related coordination.

The role helps ensure effective delivery across the Secretariat through systematic coordination, timely documentation, stakeholder follow-up, operational support, and clear information flow across GFCR teams, governing bodies, programme partners, donors, and relevant stakeholders. The position serves as a core coordination focal point, helping maintain institutional records, support decision-making processes, track priority actions, and contribute to strategic engagement and communications outputs aligned with GFCR priorities.

Functions / Key Results Expected

Governing bodies coordination

• Manages and coordinates the planning of Executive Board/Steering Committee meetings; and produces, in coordination with the Deputy Director, the agenda; sends invitations, archives all decisions and communications; monitors action points and supports reports back.
• Prepares or supports the preparation of communication decisions to the concerned implementers/stakeholders in close cooperation with relevant team members.
• Builds and maintains management tools to enable management decisions such as internal budgetary needs & projections, grant earmarking & allocation, and other financial and operational matters.
• Supports the Deputy Director in planning and preparations of other relevant governance instances and meetings.
• Supports the development of tools to track implementation of Steering Committee decisions.
• Supports coordination of new initiatives as required

Fund operations coordination

• Leads the development and updates of the GFCR Operations Manual and project templates for reporting and provides operational guidelines to implementing partners.
• Leads coordination of UN Global Team meetings, including agenda preparation, documentation, action tracking, and follow-up with relevant team members.
• Leads management and maintenance of the overall GFCR mission calendar.

Programme operations

• Contributes to the assessment of programme/project budgets..
• Guides the recipient UN and Non-UN Organizations on operational processes requirements in relation to the GFCR EB requirements.
• Supports identifying and monitoring operational risks and updates to risk registries in liaison with all relevant team members.

Reporting and filing

• Supports the development of annual work plans for the Secretariat.
• Supports the development of Fund annual and other reports that compile impact assessments, reports, and lessons learned from implementing partners into a single cohesive document with summaries and recommendations.
• Leads the development and maintenance of online tools for files organization and management.
• Manages contacts database and mailing lists for Executive Boards/Steering Committees and other governance bodies.
• Contributes and may lead the drafting of documentation, operational and technical notes, speeches, and similar documents as required.

Education Requirements

Required

• An advanced university degree (a master’s degree or equivalent) in management, economy, international relations, or related areas, is required.
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Requirements

Experience Requirements

Required:

• A minimum of five (5) years of experience in progressively more responsible positions in governance management, preferably in the environment/climate change area with result-oriented objectives; or on performance-based grants or a related area.
• Proven experience in donors, board and grant recipients’ relations.

Desired:

• Experience in writing reports, research and/or other materials is desirable.
• Proven cross-cultural communication, able to function effectively in an international, multicultural environment and interacting with a team consisting of multiple nationalities.
• Strong general IT skills, including the ability to work regularly with MS Office Suite.
• Experience in developing partnerships