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.

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: