PMO Specialist At UNOPS

Background Information – Job-specific

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 the recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

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

Background information – ITG

The UNOPS Information Technology Group (ITG) unit is focused on innovation and harnessing cutting-edge technology to deliver solutions to UNOPS that truly address business needs.

Working with UNOPS IT Group is a unique opportunity to deliver systems to users around the world – making an impact on development and solving practical problems for the UNOPS workforce and thereby help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development.

ITG’s goal is to provide greater effectiveness, efficiency, and differentiation to UNOPS products and services. UNOPS IT Group is responsible for architecting, designing, delivering, and managing all UNOPS IT infrastructure and business applications. The unit includes Enterprise Architects, Business Analysts, Solutions Designers, Developers, and QA Testers from all around the world who are based primarily in Denmark and Thailand.

Under the direct supervision of the Head of ITG Project Management and Support, the PMO Specialist is responsible for coordination and communications within the Project Management and Support team and monitoring and oversight of ITG projects. The Project Management and Support team acts as the primary management, monitoring, and oversight function within ITG to ensure the timely and organized delivery of all ITG outputs. The team also provides support services to the ITG team in the areas of talent management, supplier management, and budgeting and financial controls.

Functional Responsibilities

1. Monitoring and oversight
2. Coordination and communication
3. Support for the ITG team
4. Knowledge management

1. Provide monitoring and oversight for ITG projects

• Develop, implement, and update tools for the management of ITG projects, including the introduction of project management software to track progress against deadlines and timelines
• Monitor and track project progress against deadlines and timelines and provide regular updates to the Head of ITG Project Management for his/her follow-up
• Manage the project implementation in accordance with directions from the Head of ITG Project Management to UNOPS strategies, policies, guidelines, and concerned procedures/rules
• Identify and anticipate in a timely manner, potential risks and issues specific to delivery forecasts, and advises mitigating measures to the Head of ITG Project Management
• Coordinate the planning, implementation, monitoring, and closure of projects.
• Report on progress and identify and solve operational problems

2. Coordinate with teams within ITG to ensure a smooth flow of tasks and information and prepare a communication for use within ITG

• Develop and support effective communication mechanisms from the ITG Project Management and Support Team to the larger ITG team and the rest of the organization
• Work with the project teams & clients for effective project implementation, including making inputs to implementation plans, analysis and modifications, identification of milestones, and other performance indicators to ensure success
• Prepare project briefs, and regular updates on budget reports, performance reports, and progress reports in close consultation with ongoing needs

3. Support to the ITG team

• Provide day-to-day support and guidance to ITG personnel on PMO processes
• Support the ITG team in the areas of talent management, procurement, supplier management, and budgeting and financial controls when needed
• Perform the role of a Learning focal point for ITG

4. Knowledge management

• Continuously update the UNOPS-specified Process Quality Management System as well as the Knowledge Management system
• Keep informed about best practices in knowledge management and ensure these practices are adopted by ITG
• Facilitate cross-project learning and best practice transfer through documentation and dissemination/sharing of lessons learned
• Contribute to the recording and oversight of ITG’s lessons learned procedures, ensuring that lessons learned are shared in a timely and appropriate manner

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Resource Management, Project Management, or another relevant discipline is required.
• A Bachelor’s degree in combination with additional two years of experience may be accepted in lieu of a master’s degree

Experience

• Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible experience in an operational role, supporting multiple stakeholders is required
• Within these 5 years, a minimum of 2 years of experience in project management support with a focus on monitoring, reporting, development, and/or coordination is required
• Experience leading project teams is an asset
• Previous experience working within a PMO environment is an advantage
• PRINCE2® Foundation or equivalent is an asset
• UNOPS experience is an asset
• Strong organizational skills are required
• Strong analytical skills are required
• Experience in the implementation of process improvement projects would be an asset
• Good communication and organizing skills

Language requirements

• Full working knowledge of English is essential.
• Knowledge of another official UNOPS language is an asset

Contract type, level, and duration

Contract type: ICA
Contract level: IICA-2
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

Additional Information

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunities. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.
• Qualified women and candidates from groups that are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions

• 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 (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.