Senior Project Manager At UNOPS

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Summary of key responsibilities:

1. Project Delivery and Performance

  • Develop, complete and update implementation plans.
  • Implement the approved plan (including the establishment of milestones) within tolerances set by the Project Board.
  • Embed sustainability dimensions including social and gender inclusion/mainstreaming, environmental and economic aspects into project life span.
  • Manage the production of the required outputs, taking responsibility for overall progress and use of resources and initiating corrective action where necessary.
  • Ensure that quality of work packages and deliverables complies with the quality requirements defined in the Implementation Plan.
  • Liaise with any external suppliers or account managers.
  • Manage acceptance and delivery of work packages.
  • Monitor project progress ensuring that work packages are being executed properly.
  • Control project and work packages changes.
  • Accept goods, services or works delivered by suppliers.
  • Lead contract management duties including supplier performance evaluation.
  • Act as the Employer’s Representative within the FIDIC works contracts.
  • Identify, and anticipate in a timely manner, potential risks and issues and advises mitigating measures to senior management/ Project Board so that maximum benefit to partner(s) and other stakeholders is achieved.
  • Identify and report to the supervisor potential business opportunities for UNOPS.

2. Procedures

  • Comply with all organizational policy and specifically the Project Management Manual.
  • Prepare/adapt all relevant plans for approval by the Project Board.
  • Manage the reporting obligations defined in the Legal Agreement(s) and in the Implementation Plan.
  • Draft the requirements definitions for procurement processes. Approving requisitions and requests for non-purchase order payments; Evaluating submissions received, if appointed to the evaluation team.
  • Ensure maintenance of the project files and lessons learned are recorded.
  • Manage budgets, cash flow and obligations to ensure that deliverables are met and payments to contractors and personnel are received on time.
  • Understand and manage UNOPS overheads, allocable charges, and related corporate charges as they apply to the project.
  • Understand the unique structures of the UN and budget appropriately for personnel
  • Manage expenditures against the budget. (based on accurate financial reports)
  • Where the Senior Project Manager has no delegation as a committing officer, s/he retains these responsibilities and will monitor and instruct/request others to carry out the relevant commitments and disbursements.
  • For project closure purposes, provide a formal handover of the project to the closure manager.
  • Support project audit activities, including planning, preparation and coordination during the audits and follow up on audit observations/recommendations.

3. Monitoring and reporting

  • Prepare and issue regular project and/or financial reports in accordance with Partner and UNOPS requirements for reporting.
  • Regularly review project status, evaluating performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule and quality).
  • Maintain diaries and progress reports as required by the organization’s standard procedures.
  • Provide routine oversight and analysis of delivery data within the dashboard system.
  • Ensure all project team members track and regularly update milestones and targets for the duration of projects’ life span.

4. Stakeholder engagement

  • Develop stakeholder profiles and facilitate the formulation of stakeholder engagement strategies.
  • Establish solid working relationships with the Project Board (Executive, Senior Users and Senior Suppliers), client and key stakeholders.
  • Enable the formulation of project communications plans.
  • Coordinate internal project communications. Monitor the effectiveness of project communications.
  • Coordinate stakeholder engagement and communication, ensuring effective timing and interdependency management of communications.
  • Ensure stakeholders are aware of project activities, progress, exceptions and are in a position to accept handover outputs.

5. Quality assurance

  • Work with internal stakeholders to ensure projects comply with audit requirements.
  • Work with procurement/purchasing staff to ensure effective interface with suppliers’ quality systems.
  • Coordinate quality reviews of project documents and deliverables.
  • Provide quality control for management outputs. (project documents, reports, etc.)

6. Knowledge management and innovation

  • Encourage routine and effective capacity building activities are conducted in order to build the long-term and sustainable capacity of staff.
  • Provide tailored and structured coaching and mentorship to the Deputy Project Manager.
  • Actively interact with other Project Managers and the wider PM community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices.
  • Contribute to the oversight of lessons learned procedures, ensuring that lessons learnt are shared in a timely and appropriate manner. Participate in the relevant Communities of Practice.
  • Identify and log the lessons learned in the project management system OneUNOPS Projects throughout the project life span.
  • Provide feedback to Practice Groups on policy, supporting guidance with an aim towards continuous improvement of UNOPS policies.

7. Personnel Management

  • Select, recruit and train the project team, taking into account gender parity and diversity objectives.
  • Lead and motivate the project team.
  • Ensure that behavioural expectations of team members are established.
  • Ensure that performance reviews are conducted fairly, accurately and timely.
  • Mentor, coach and enhance the capacity of the Deputy Project Manager.
  • Monitor safety and security for all project personnel and comply with UNDSS standards.
  • Create, foster and role model a culture of respect and zero tolerance for discrimination, abuse of authority, harrasement, sexual harrasement and sexual exploitation and abuse.
  • Ensure accountability for actions and perform duties in accordance with protection mechanisms and action plans, as expected by UNOPS policies, standards and commitments.

You may find more information at https://jobs.unops.org/Pages/ViewVacancy/VADetails.aspx?id=22008

Requirements

Education:

  • A Master’s degree or advanced degree in an Engineering field (Water & Sanitation, Civil, Electrical etc.)or Development Studies or other relevant field is required.
  • Bachelor degree in an Engineering field (Water & Sanitation, Civil, Electrical, etc.)or Development Studies or other relevant field with additional 5 years relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the Master’s degree.

Certification:

  • Project Management (eg Prince2 or PMI, etc) is desirable.**
    Experience:**
  • 7 years of engineering related project management in developing countries is required.
  • 3 years of practical experience managing WASH/WATSAN projects in humanitarian or development context is required.
  • Prior Experience with UNOPS managing similar projects is preferred.
  • Experience in managing multi-year programmes is preferred.
  • Experience in mentoring and capacity building of staff is essential.
  • Experience with Government, UN agencies, and NGOs is an asset.

Language Requirements:

  • Fluency in English essential.

How to apply

Apply Here

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