Project Management Support – Senior Officer

The PMSO will provide key support to the WEC Programme Management Specialist to ensure smooth development, set-up and delivery of project management activities across the WEC growing portfolio. 

UNOPS project management support covers, among other activities, HR and contract management, procurement, travel and logistics management on behalf of UNOPS’ partners. The PMSO will coordinate these activities as required by the project plans and legal agreements. The PMSO will work to ensure timely, quality and cost-effective implementation in line with UNOPS rules and regulations, as well as international best practices. The PMSO will support the management of emerging issues and risks, coordination with the partners and key stakeholders, as well as with other UNOPS units and personnel. 

The PMSO will manage the client relationship including, the coordination of, and preparation of progress reports and the arrangement of Project Board meetings. The PMSO will have a direct reporting line to the UNOPS WEC Programme Management Specialist, and work in close coordination with the WEC Portfolio Management Team and respective Project Managers and project teams, as required. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION 

• Retainer positions are not full-time positions. They constitute a contract whereby the Retainer may be requested to provide a specific output/deliverable within a specified period of time, on short notice. When holding a retainer contract, individuals may receive ad-hoc requests from the UNOPS project teams or country offices, and the quantity of requests will vary depending on the current needs. UNOPS shall have no obligation to obtain any minimum quantity of services from the Individual Contractor during the duration of the retainer ICA. It is possible to have multiple consultancy contracts with or outside UNOPS, as long as it is declared to the UNOPS Ethics Office.

Functional Responsibilities

Summary of functions:

• Project Development, Delivery and Performance
• Procedures
• Monitoring and reporting
• Stakeholder engagement
• Quality assurance
• Knowledge management and innovation

Project Development, 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, environmental and economic aspects into project life span.
• Manage the development/delivery of the required outputs, taking responsibility for overall progress and use of resources and initiating corrective action where necessary.
• Manage acceptance and delivery of work packages.
• Monitor project progress ensuring that work packages are being executed properly
• Control project and work package changes.
• Accept goods, services or works delivered by implementing partners.
• Lead contract management duties including supplier performance evaluation.
• 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.
• Undertake project closure activities in close cooperation with relevant internal and external stakeholders.

Procedures 

• Comply with all organizational policy and specifically the UNOPS 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.
• Ensure maintenance of the project files and lessons learned are recorded.
• Ensure the development and implementation of project financial management guidelines and control mechanisms, in conformity with UNOPS rules and regulations.
• 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 office personnel
• Manage expenditures against the budget (based on accurate financial reports).
• Where the PMSO 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.

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 partner personnel members track and regularly update milestones and targets for the duration of projects’ life span.

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.

Quality assurance

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

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.
• 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.
• Research and logging of lessons learned throughout the project life span.
• Provide feedback to Practice Groups on policy, supporting guidance with an aim towards continuous improvement of UNOPS policies.

Impact of Results 

• The Project Management Support Officer directly impacts on achievement of project results by adhering to project management methods and strategies, reducing risks, cutting costs and improving success rates.  This consequently reinforces the visibility and image of  UNOPS as an effective service provider in project services and management and strengthens its competitive position as a partner of choice in sustainable development and project services.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education

• Advanced University Degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Project Management, Finance, Economics, Human Resources, Business Administration, Supply Chain management, International Relations, Social Sciences and/or any other relevant field of study  in combination with an additional four (4) years’ relevant experience is required;

OR

• First-level University degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) combined with two additional years of relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of the Master’s degree.

Experience 

Required

• A  minimum of four (4) years of relevant working experience. Relevant experience is defined as progressive experience in programme/project development or management related to the international development sector in either public or private sector organizations;
• A minimum of two (2) years working experience in implementing and delivering projects for international organisations.

Assets

• Experience with coordinating multiple stakeholders, ideally in an international setting is an advantage

Certification

• Certification in project management is an asset (PRINCE2, PMI, etc)

Languages 

• Fluency in English is required
• Working knowledge of another UN language (Arabic/Chinese/French/Spanish/Russian) is desirable.

Source: https://jobs.unops.org/Pages/ViewVacancy/VADetails.aspx?id=28406