Like other United Nations organizations, UNOPS employs individuals either as staff members or as individual contractors.

Staff members perform primary UNOPS functions – continuous activities that ensure sustainable operations.

Individual contractors commonly perform activities limited to a particular project or task.

The difference between staff members and individual contractors is reflected in the terms and conditions provided under UNOPS employment contract types. UNOPS staff members are employed under Temporary or Fixed Term Appointments, while individual contractors are engaged through Individual Contractor Agreements (ICA).

United Nations staff contracts

Fixed-term appointments are granted for a period of one year or more, up to five years at a time, to individuals recruited for service of a prescribed duration.

Temporary appointments are granted for less than one year to meet seasonal or peak workloads and specific short-term requirements. Both appointment types have Professional or General Service categories.

Professional positions usually require at least a Master degree and are graded by job description into different levels. International professional levels start from P1 and rise to the Assistant Secretary General (ASG) level. For National Professional Officers, levels start from NO-A and go to NO-E.  General Service positions are largely support-related and range in levels from G1 to G7.

It is possible for General Service contract holders to move to Professional positions if they fulfill the required criteria.

Applying for staff positions

View current vacancies...

Individual Contractor Agreements

As most UNOPS activities take the form of projects with finite duration, individual contractors are key resources for UNOPS and for its clients.

UNOPS introduced the Individual Contractor Agreement in 2008 to provide a flexible contract suited to the types of project in which UNOPS and its clients are engaged.

The ICA is used to contract individuals to perform specific functions for defined periods of time. ICAs may be used for activities required for between one hour and one year and can be extended up to a total period of three years.

There are three types of individual contractors depending on the type and scope of functions and the place of work.

International ICA – Specialist personnel perform specialist, expert or advisory functions outside their home country or place of residence and normally require at least a Master’s degree or equivalent educational background.

Local ICA – Specialist personnel perform specialist, expert or advisory functions in their home country or place of residence and normally require at least a Master’s degree or equivalent educational background.

Local ICA – Support personnel perform support or administrative functions in their home country or place of residence at a level normally not requiring a Master’s degree or equivalent.

Applying for ICA positions

Local ICA vacancies are not normally advertised on the UNOPS website but are primarily advertised locally in the country of the assignment. Interested candidates should refer to local media or contact relevant local UNOPS offices directly.

International ICA vacancies are advertised on current vacancies.