Electrical Engineering Technician - Specialist
Job categories: Energy, Engineering
Vacancy code: VA/2025/B5007/29745
Level: ICS-10
Department/office: GPO, GVA, Geneva
Duty station: Home based
Contract type: International ICA
Duration: Ongoing ICA – Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance
Application period: 17-Feb-2025 to 03-Mar-2025
Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement.
Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
Background information – Job Specific
Peacekeeping operations are located in fragile, conflict-affected countries. In many of these countries, key energy infrastructure was underdeveloped prior to conflict, and in most, it has been further degraded by the impact of war. Lack of host state energy infrastructure, fast deployment requirements and operational flexibility combined with tight budgets have led to the predominant use of diesel generators to produce energy for operational needs. This is particularly the case for the peacekeeping units deployed by troop and police contributing countries (T/PCCs), which rely on their own diesel generators, brought from their home countries, which use in the field is reimbursed by the UN.
Under the six-year (2017-2023) Environment Strategy for Peace Operations, peacekeeping missions have been exploring ways to gradually transition to renewable energy, mainly through solar photovoltaic solutions. This effort has recently extended to the T/PCCs military units, who are also currently exploring options to integrate renewable energy solutions into their diesel generator grids to reduce their environmental footprint.
In addition to reducing the carbon footprint of T/PCCs and the UN as a whole, renewable energy solutions can bring other practical benefits to field operations including: increased self-sustainment capacity, reduced need for fuel supply convoys, increased capacity to perform substantive tasks, increased safety, security and health of the contingents, and reduced fire hazards as well as noise, air and soil pollution. Moreover, deployment of renewable energy solutions by T/PCCs can reduce the energy costs of the missions, reducing the amount of fuel the UN needs to supply to T/PCCs.
However, there are some challenges to the deployment of renewable energy solutions by T/PCCs, including lack of engineering design, procurement, installation, operation and maintenance competencies on renewable energy.
Under the direct supervision of the Environment Management System - Project Advisor, the Electrical Engineering Technician - Specialist is responsible for supporting T/PCCs in their efforts to deploy renewable energy solutions to peacekeeping missions and to improve their energy generation efficiency in general, including through proactive assessments of opportunities where such improvements can be made.
Moreover, the incumbent will also contribute to wider T/PCC and non-T/PCC related Energy Pillar activities of the Environment Strategy for Peace Operations. In fulfilling some of the duties and responsibilities, the incumbent will be required to travel frequently to remote locations in field missions for site assessments and for installation of monitoring equipment including energy meters.
Responsibilities:
1. Lead engagement with T/PCC technical counterparts both remotely and during on-site visits.
2. Articulate in both written and verbal form, key findings, issues and opportunities with peacekeeping and T/PCC counterparts and contribute to the technical solutions to reach mutually satisfactory approaches to problems.
3. Provide technical assistance to DOS in the consultations with relevant T/PCCs and Member States to evaluate potential renewable energy projects in T/PCC sites and to support implementation of planned projects.
4. Compile a portfolio of most promising renewable energy projects for T/PCC sites using available data.
5. Install energy meters in selected T/PCC sites and retrieve data to support development of engineering designs.
6. Develop renewable energy engineering designs for select T/PCC sites.
7. Provide technical assistance to DOS in the development of contractual agreements between the T/PCCs and the UN for said projects.
8. Monitor the activities concerning planning and scheduling of renewable energy projects in T/PCC sites.
9. Present a comprehensive-lessons learned study, with results from T/PCC projects.
10. Prepare Checkpoint Reports and Progress Reports to be shared with relevant internal and external stakeholders as required.
Training:
1. Establish a “training of trainers” program on renewable energy systems with T/PCCs.
2. Work with T/PCCs and other member states on the development of training materials and on the organization of specific trainings.
3. Prepare scoping study reports and preliminary engineering design reports for T/PCC projects in select sites.
4. Provide technical support to T/PCC planning to deploy renewable energy systems in the field.
5. Monitor progress on renewable energy projects including site preparation, installation, commissioning, and associated works.
Minimum Requirements:
a. Education:
* An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Electrical engineering, Energy, Environmental or other relevant fields is required.
* A first level university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in a relevant field with an additional two years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
* Project Management certification such as Prince2, or equivalent is desirable.
b. Work Experience:
* A minimum of five (5) years of experience in Electrical engineering, renewable energy, and or engineering design for renewable energy development projects.
* A minimum of one year working experience in energy infrastructure is required.
* A minimum of one year experience in providing technical support (design, engineering, technical specifications, etc) to renewable energy projects implemented in UN field missions is required.
* Experience in working with troop and police contributing countries on renewable energy and energy efficiency projects is desirable.
* Experience in using methodologies for project planning, execution, and evaluation of energy standards is desirable.
* Experience in the management of a portfolio of energy projects involving strong coordination skills is desirable.
c. Languages:
* Fluency of English is required. Knowledge of an additional UN language is an advantage.
Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
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. Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply.
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