Associate Construction Management Engineer (Contracts Management) At UNOPS

Background Information – Zimbabwe

UNOPS Office in Zimbabwe falls under the purview of the UNOPS KEMC (Kenya Multi-Country Office). Located in Nairobi, Kenya, the KEMC manages a growing portfolio of engagements, including associated strategic and operational risks. The KEMC sub-region currently consists of an established Operation Centre in Nairobi/Kenya which manages a portfolio of engagements in multiple countries in East and Southern Africa. This includes a large portfolio of infrastructure, procurement, and project management service projects in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and several Island states.

UNOPS manages a range of infrastructure projects in Zimbabwe in different sectors including education, health, agriculture, and transport applying different implementation approaches such as labor-based and outsourced designers/contractors but always with direct supervision from UNOPS.

Following the devastation caused to life, livelihoods, and property by tropical storm Idai in March 2019, the WB has allocated up to US$ 75 million to finance a recovery project for Zimbabwe and the African Development Bank has allocated US$ 25 million. The projects address both early and mid-term recovery needs in multiple sectors (livelihoods, health, education, agriculture, transport). UNOPS manages the WB funds and has established a Project Implementation Unit (PIU) to engage multiple UN partner organizations to deliver specific components of ZIRP. UNOPS is the Implementation Agency for the AfDB project.

Functional Responsibilities

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Project Manager, the Associate Construction Management Engineer (Contracts Management) is responsible for the day-to-day contract management and timely delivery of the project and associated outputs in accordance with agreed timelines, standards, and budget.

This list is not representative of all the duties required but indicates typical duties and responsibilities.

Support the development and management of the Contract Management Plan for all UNOPS contracts in-country including, but not limited to, verification of insurance and goods procured, evaluation of subcontractor’s personnel qualifications, monitoring delivery of contractual terms, certification of reports and payments, and issue of contract amendments, verification of services delivered against contractual requirements, alignment of specifications and standards. Assist in objective oversight over various contract management processes and ensure; all contract conditions are met during mobilization, verification of insurance and goods procured, evaluation of subcontractor’s personnel qualifications, monitoring delivery of contractual terms, certification of reports, and payments are made in a timely manner and contract renewal/new contract procurement is initiated well in advance of needs.
Assist in the pre-qualification and short-listing of bidders, preparations of bids, issuance of bids, pre-bid conference, receipt and opening of bids, bid evaluation, submission to UNOPS HQCPC (Headquarters Contracts and Property Committee) for recommendation of award, contracts negotiations, contract finalization, and issuance.
Prepare the drafts for contractual correspondence, interpret the contract conditions and specifications, minutes of meetings, etc. Follow up on bidding and contracting;
Support the monitoring of contracts performance against agreed benchmarks and through the agreed reporting mechanism. Advise senior management on any potential issues and recommend remedial actions or solutions.
Assist in developing appropriate contract management tools, guidelines, and manuals for standardization and knowledge-sharing purposes.
Assist in negotiating, within the terms and conditions of the contract, solutions to conflicts/problems arising in case of poor performance or non-compliance with contractual obligations.
Assist in monitoring and production of Cash Flows on regular basis with regards to the ongoing projects and financial agreements.
General management and assisting in the development of contract strategy including tendering processes and evaluation, managing the contract and contractor, and legal implications.
Prepares and processes contract amendments and contract terminations as required in accordance with UNOPS rules and regulations.
Assists the Contracts Manager with the evaluation of the Vendor’s performance against the agreed performance measurement criteria. Make recommendations for payments upon review of reports and comments from the relevant departments.
Prepares the contract for issuance to suppliers, and obtain appropriate signatures once the procurement award is approved.
Supports the development of technical evaluation criteria, and provides guidance during contract drafting.
Scrutinize all bonds and guaranties submitted by the contractors and maintain the database for issuance of necessary notices for renewal or implementation of such bonds and guarantees.
Support reviewing and processing variations.
As needed, provide support on contract matters to project managers or other operational staff
Checking and certifying payment certificates of contractors.
Assist the Contracts Manager in the preparation of submissions for the award of contracts for the review of PA, LCPC, or HQCPC.
Assist the Contracts Manager in performing tender evaluations, check and review contractor rates and review other submissions made by the contractors, and check their authentications to ensure consistency and logical tender evaluation.
Assist the Contracts Manager in the preparation of bid documents and support in managing the tender processes.
Maintain contractual records and documentation.
Maintain good relations with all stakeholders and local authorities;
Ensure that UNOPS internal policies and procedures are followed;
Perform other related duties as required by the Project Manager.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education

Completion of Secondary education is required
A Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Civil Engineering or Project Management from an accredited university will be an added advantage and will be accepted in lieu of the respective years of experience;
A masters degree in Construction Management, Project management or any other related field will be an added advantage and will be accepted in lieu of the respective years of experience.

Experience

A minimum of six years of relevant working experience in Engineering and/or Construction Management and contract management is required
A minimum of 2 years of experience in Contract Administration is required
Experience working in project teams and working in a multi-project is required;
Professional Membership in a relevant Association will be an asset;
Experience in FIDIC contracts management is highly desired;
PRINCE2 Foundation Certification is an added advantage.

Languages:

Fluency in written and oral English language is required.

Competencies

Integrity & Inclusion: Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Partnering: Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).

Results Orientation: Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.

Agility: Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.

Solution Focused: Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.

Effective Communication: Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Additional Considerations

Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
Work life harmonization – UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

The Associate Construction Management Engineer (Contracts Associate) required will be based in the district of Chipinge which is a family duty station.

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: Local ICA Contractor Agreement
Contract level : Local ICA Support 6
Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link: https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Background Information – UNOPS

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.