Grants & Finance Specialist, Kabul, Afghanistan

## Grants & Finance Specialist, Kabul, Afghanistan - Organization:UNOPS - United Nations Office for Project Services - Office:UNOPS Kabul, Afghanistan Position Title:Grants & Finance Specialist Duty Station(s):Kabul Seniority Level:Mid Level Contract Type:ICA - LICA - Specialist - Regular Contract Level:LICA 10 Posting Start Date:29-Sep-2026 Posting End Date:13-Oct-2026 Duration:Ongoing ICA - 'Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to private sector development in a challenging environment, working with a diverse team and international partners to achieve significant impact. 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. About the Project Office Since 1995, UNOPS has maintained an active presence in Afghanistan, delivering efficient, agile services in support of both humanitarian response and development efforts. Prior to August 2021, the Afghanistan Country Office (AFCO) implemented projects across a broad range of sectors, including infrastructure, procurement, capacity building, and environmental protection. In response to evolving humanitarian needs, AFCO has shifted its focus to supporting life-saving initiatives and basic human needs. Current priorities include managing large-scale cash-for-work programmes, procuring emergency supplies, and providing inter-agency coordination, communication, and accountability support. The Private Sector Resilience Program (PSRP) is a flagship Series of Projects (SOP) financed by the World Bank (IDA and ARTF) designed to strengthen the resilience and job creation potential of Afghan Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), with a particular focus on women, youth, and returnees.. The Grants & Finance Specialist will be responsible for developing and implementing grant mechanisms and supporting the effective financial and operational management of grant-funded activities. The role will oversee matching grants, fund flows, budgets, expenditures, payments, financial reporting and partner controls, while also supporting overall project financial planning, monitoring, forecasting and reporting. The Specialist will work closely with the Program Manager, Finance and project teams to ensure compliance with UNOPS and World Bank requirements and effective use of project resources. The grants and finance specialist will be required to travel to project areas for monitoring and supervision purposes. To ensure effective grant management, stakeholder engagement, sound financial management, fiduciary oversight and risk mitigation of the Private Sector Resilience Program (PSRP), contributing to the program's objectives and managing dedicated grants personnel. Functions / Key Results Expected - Preparing and managing the Call for Proposals (CFP), conducting and managing the submission and evaluation of proposals as per the UNOPS policies. - Manage day-to-day administration of grant management activities and the implementing partners. - Communicate with and provide guidance to implementing partners on grant-related matters in collaboration with the project team. - Coordinate due diligence processes, including capacity assessments and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse capacity assessment (PSEA) and monitoring associated action plans. - Review and consult on implementing partner documentation and work plans, budgets, and results frameworks. Facilitate orientation sessions and routine dialogue with implementing partners. - Coordinate the timely preparation and processing of grant award requests, amendments and implementing partner agreements, in consultation with relevant legal and other advisors, and ensure compliance with UNOPS legal, financial and policy requirements. - Follow up and work with project teams to monitor the implementation of implementing partner activities based on the approved work plan, budget and results framework and track the start and completion dates of activities and proactively highlight activities with risk and delays to senior management - Establish and maintain effective and professional working relationships with implementing partners and facilitate timely resolution of grant-related issues. - Coordinate and follow-up on implementing partner assurance activities, such as routine monitoring, financial spot checks, audits, and evaluations. Facilitate the sharing of lessons learned between implementing partners. - Establish and manage effective information flows between the implementing partners and team through consistent and consolidated reporting using dashboards providing a clear overview of grant performance, progress, risks and key issues - Coordination of the process of the operational closure of implementing partner grants and UNOPS project closure - Preparing and managing the Call for Proposals (CFP), conducting and managing the submission and evaluation of proposals as per the UNOPS policies. - Manage day-to-day administration of grant management activities and the implementing partners. - Communicate with and provide guidance to implementing partners on grant-related matters in collaboration with the project team. 2. Financial Management - Establish and maintain effective financial management arrangements for grants and related project activities, in coordination with the Program Manager and Finance. - Support the preparation, review and consolidation of grant budgets and relevant project financial plans, ensuring alignment with approved work plans, results frameworks and financing arrangements. - Monitor grant expenditures, commitments, budget utilization, cash-flow requirements and financial forecasts, identifying variances and emerging financial risks. - Review grant payment requests, budgets, financial provisions and amendments, ensuring compliance with approved agreements, payment schedules and UNOPS requirements. - Monitor advances, expenditures, liquidations and outstanding balances, and follow up with implementing partners on financial issues and overdue submissions. - Review implementing partner financial reports for completeness, accuracy and compliance with approved budgets and grant agreements, and reconcile reported information with UNOPS records. - Prepare consolidated project financial information, dashboards and management reports, highlighting budget utilization, expenditure, forecasts, variances and key financial risks. - Prepare consolidated project financial information, dashboards and management reports, highlighting budget utilization, expenditure, forecasts, variances and key financial risks. - Prepare regular project financial reports with inputs from relevant focal persons and manage their finalization and submission, including preparation and submission of disbursement requests. - Provide financial inputs to project and donor reporting, financial reviews and project closure, ensuring consistency between financial information, implementation progress and reported results. 3. 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