Project Management Specialist (GCF-SACCR project) [Open to internal and external applicants]

Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

• Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
• Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
• Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
• Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

Viet Nam is among the countries which are most vulnerable to climate change. The Government of Viet Nam has made significant efforts in responding to climate change, including adoption of the National Climate Change Strategy and action plan, the Green Growth Strategy and implementation plan, legal frameworks and policies on disaster risk reduction. In the latest National Determined Contributions (NDC, 2022), the country made further unconditional commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, setting a target of 15.8% with its own effort and 43.5% through international support, compared to business-as-usual.

In line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Viet Nam for the period 2022-2026 and the One Strategic Plan of the United Nations in Viet Nam for the period 2022 - 2025, UNDP Country Programme Document (CPD) for the period 2022-2026 underlines UNDP’s work to promote Climate Change Response, Disaster Resilience and Environmental Sustainability in Viet Nam. UNDP support targets on advocacy, policy research and formation, capacity and partnership building and coordination, technology testing and transfer, piloting models and promoting participation of businesses and local communities. This includes public/private domestic and international finance for biodiversity conservation, environmental protection, climate resilience and low-emission development.

To advance the above objectives, UNDP works in close partnership with key government counterparts, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (merging the former Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment), the Ministry of Construction, and the Ministry of Finance (integrating the former Ministry of Planning and Investment), among others. These collaborations are implemented across highly climate-vulnerable provinces and cities, including Thanh Hoa, Quang Ngai, Quang Binh (Quang Tri from 1 July 2025), Quang Nam (Da Nang City from 1 July 2025), Bac Lieu (Ca Mau from 1 July 2025), Binh Thuan (Lam Dong from 1 July 2025), and Ca Mau.

Through flagship initiatives such as Improving the Resilience of Vulnerable Coastal Communities to Climate Change-Related Impacts in Viet Nam (GCF1), Strengthening the Resilience of Smallholder Agriculture to Climate Change-Induced Water Insecurity in the Central Highlands and South-Central Coast Regions of Viet Nam (GCF-SACCR2), the Korea–Viet Nam Peace Village Project (KVPVP), and Viet Nam Climate-Smart Coastal Communities (VN-CSCC), UNDP delivers integrated policy advisory and technical assistance to strengthen climate resilience at both national and sub-national levels. These initiatives prioritize empowering local communities—particularly vulnerable groups—through gender-responsive, community-based, and ecosystem-based adaptation approaches. UNDP also promotes the use of innovative data systems, vulnerability assessments, and risk-informed planning tools, including those addressing potential loss and damage, to strengthen spatial planning, investment decision-making, and regional cooperation.

Within this broader climate and resilience portfolio, the Green Climate Fund (GCF)-funded project “Strengthening the Resilience of Smallholder Agriculture to Climate Change-Induced Water Insecurity in the Central Highlands and South-Central Coast Regions of Viet Nam (GCF-SACCR2)” constitutes a flagship climate adaptation intervention and the primary assignment of this position.

Viet Nam’s Central Highlands and South-Central Coast regions are experiencing increasing rainfall variability, prolonged dry seasons, groundwater depletion, and more frequent and severe droughts. These climate impacts are reducing agricultural productivity and disproportionately affecting smallholder farmers, particularly women, ethnic minorities, and poor and near-poor households reliant on rain-fed agriculture.

The project has been implemented across five provinces (Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, and Khanh Hoa) and following government restructuring in 2025, is now focused on three provinces: Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa, and Lam Dong. It aims to empower vulnerable smallholder farmers to better manage climate risks through:

(i) improved access to climate-resilient water infrastructure and irrigation systems for agricultural production; and (ii) strengthened capacity to access and apply climate, market, and technological information for adaptive water and climate-smart agricultural management.

The project will reach over 222,000 direct beneficiaries and integrates GCF financing with significant co-financing from the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Viet Nam.

The Project Management Specialist (PMS) will be responsible for the effective management and oversight of the Green Climate Fund (GCF)-funded project “Strengthening the Resilience of Smallholder Agriculture to Climate Change-Induced Water Insecurity in the Central Highlands and South-Central Coast Regions of Viet Nam (GCF-SACCR2)”.

The PMS will ensure timely and quality implementation of all project components across three provinces, including climate-resilient water infrastructure investments, farmer capacity-building interventions, compliance with GCF environmental and social safeguards requirements, results-based monitoring and reporting, and coordination with national and provincial counterparts, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and relevant Provincial People’s Committees.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Project Management Specialist reports directly to the Assistant Resident Representative/ Head of Climate Change, Energy and Environment Unit, and works in close collaboration with:

• International and National Technical Advisors;
• Programme and Operations teams;
• CPO, Central and Provincial Project Management Units;
• UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub and relevant UN agencies.

A. Lead Project Management

• Provide strategic and operational oversight of the Green Climate Fund (GCF)-funded project, ensure effective and timely implementation of integrated climate adaptation interventions across three provinces, supporting improved access to climate-resilient water systems and strengthened adaptive capacities of smallholder farmers, particularly women, ethnic minority, poor and near-poor groups. Ensure alignment with GCF requirements, UNDP policies, co-financing arrangements, and national regulations.
• Lead project governance mechanisms, including PSC meetings ensuring clear documentation and follow-up actions.
• Coordinate project implementation with stakeholders to ensure timely delivery of high-quality outputs aligned with agreed objectives.
• Support capacity development activities, including needs assessments, training design, and technical inputs to learning materials.

B. Lead Results-Based Planning, Monitoring and Risk Management

• Lead results-based planning, implementation oversight, and performance monitoring of the project, including preparation and quality assurance of annual workplans, budgets, procurement plans, and results frameworks.
• Strengthen evidence-based management by overseeing the use of digital dashboards, data-sharing platforms, and performance scorecards for monitoring, learning, and adaptive decision-making.
• Monitor physical and financial progress, proactively manage implementation risks and bottlenecks, ensure compliance with GCF reporting requirements, and maintain strong delivery performance using UNDP corporate systems, including Quantum.

C. Ensure Technical Quality Assurance

• Ensure overall technical coherence and quality of project outputs in line with climate adaptation objectives, reviewing key deliverables, terms of reference, studies, and knowledge products in coordination with technical advisors.
• Oversee implementation of environmental and social safeguards, gender equality commitments, and inclusion of vulnerable groups, ensuring compliance with GCF and UNDP standards.

D. Ensure Coordination and Partnership Management

• Strengthen collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Provincial People’s Committees, and implementing partners to ensure effective multi-province coordination and decision-making.
• Facilitate coordination between GCF financing and co-financing partners to ensure complementarity and maximize resilience impacts across targeted agricultural landscapes.

E. Facilitate Knowledge Management, Policy Advisory and Advocacy

• Lead implementation of the Project Advocacy and Strategic Communications Plan
• Contribute to policy dialogue and strategic learning related to climate-resilient agriculture and water security by synthesizing project experience and promoting documentation of lessons learned and scalable approaches.
• Support knowledge sharing and replication of successful adaptation models within national and provincial frameworks.

F. Ensure Reporting, Communication and Corporate Contributions

• Ensure timely and high-quality reporting to the Green Climate Fund, UNDP management, and national counterparts, maintaining full compliance with donor and corporate requirements.
• Contribute to country programme reporting, evaluations, and corporate processes, ensuring accountability and effective communication of project results.
• Coordinate with UNDP Communications teams on publications and outreach

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

People Management

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Business Direction & Strategy

• System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.
• Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
• Partnerships Management: Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies
• Communication: Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.

2030 Agenda: Planet

• Climate: Climate change adaptation policy and planning: National Adaptation Plans
• Climate: Ecosystems and Biodiversity Programme: Sustainable Land Management and Restoration (outside Conservation/Protected Areas and Systems)
• Climate: Climate Change Adaptation: Coastal Adaptation

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Climate Change, Environmental Management, Water Resources Management, Agricultural Development, Natural Resource Management, Disaster Risk Reduction, Public Policy, Economics, or a related field is required. OR
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above fields in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years (with master’s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience in managing and implementing donor-funded development projects in the field of Climate Change Adaptation, Water Resource Management, Agricultural Resilience, or a related area.

Required skills:

• Experience in results-based project management, monitoring and evaluation.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section:

• Experience in managing complex implementation arrangements and ensuring compliance with donor requirements (e.g., GCF, GEF, ADB, WB or similar).
• Experience in providing technical services and/or contributions to development and implementation of national policies, legal and institutional frameworks in climate change, disaster risk reduction, forestry, resilient housing, biodiversity and/ or nature-based solutions.
• Experience working with national/provincial government authorities and decentralized implementation structures
• Experience with environmental and social safeguards and gender integration in development projects.
• Experience with ODA/state budget procedures and co-financing mechanisms.
• Experience working with the private sector.
• Experience in the use of UNDP corporate systems (e.g., Quantum) or similar ERP systems is an asset.
• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MSWord, Excel, etc)

Required Languages:

• Fluency in English and Vietnamese is required.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Scam alert

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