Background:

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.

Background Information – Job-specific

Established in 2009, Ethiopia Multi-country office (ETMCO) sub-region currently consists of an established Operation Centre in Addis Ababa which manages a portfolio of engagements in four (4) Horn of Africa countries (Ethiopia, Djibouti, Sudan and South Sudan). ETMCO focuses on Infrastructure, Procurement, Project Management, HR and Transactional Services, and Fund Management services across a wide range of sectors including Health, Education, Agriculture, Resilient infrastructure, among others.

Our goal is to support countries, help people in need and enable our partners through delivering on our mandate of infrastructure, procurement and project management in the countries in the Horn of Africa.

The primary role of ETMCO Programme Team is to provide the MCO with the structures, tools and techniques needed to ensure that it has the right programmes and projects in place, that operational and change priorities are balanced, the governance and decision making is facilitated and it has the resources and capability to deliver them consistently well.

The functions and services of the Programme team include:

• Strategic Oversight/Portfolio Support: Doing the Right Projects
• Delivery Support: Doing Projects the Right Way
• Best Practices: Doing Projects Consistently and Well

Through these functions and services, the Programme Team aims to ensure that project management policies, processes and methods are followed and practiced according to the organization standards, while acting as the overall Project Assurance capacity within the business unit on behalf of senior management. The PMO strongly contributes to moving the office towards achieving its mission-focused goals and objectives.

The Project Management Support Specialist – Team Leader is a Senior Member of the Programme Management Office (PMO) reporting directly to the PMO Team Leader. The incumbent will be responsible for managing a pool of PM Support personnel assigned to support specific projects in the MCO Portfolio. The incumbent will maintains a close eye on the operational and financial performance of projects supported by the pool, identifies emerging issues and potential risks and, supports in problem solving as necessary. The successful candidate will strive to ensure that support provided to Project Managers is of the highest standard, is consistent across the team and ensures projects are implemented according to operational excellence metrics.

1. Leadership, Team and Resource Management
2. Project Implementation
3. Financial and Procurement management
4. Project Monitoring and Reporting
5. Coordination and liaison/ Stakeholder Management
6. Knowledge Management and Innovation
7. Operational and logistical support

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, Finance, Logistics, Emergency Management, International Relations and/or relevant field is a requirement;
• A first University Degree (Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, Finance, Logistics, Emergency Management, International Relations and/or other relevant field with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advance education requirements outlined above.

Certification:

• Prince 2 Foundation or equivalent is an advantage

Experience:

• A minimum of five (5) years relevant and progressive professional experience, specifically in the field of Project Management and Operations Management with focus on monitoring, reporting, development and coordination or related field is required;
• A minimum of two (2) years experience in a supervisory role is required;
• Demonstrated experience delivering or facilitating training/ capacity building workshops in project management related topics is highly desirable.
• Proven experience working with Management Information Systems (MIS), data analytics and/or reporting is highly desirable;
• Advanced understanding of operational risk management is highly desirable;
• Proven experience in planning and implementing organizational and/or process change initiatives his highly desirable;
• Experience in humanitarian emergency operating contexts, including humanitarian coordination mechanisms, donors, security, and operations management;
• Experience and demonstrated knowledge of UN rules and procedures in Procurement, Finance, HR Management and administrative rules and regulations will be an advantage.
• Experience and demonstrated knowledge of UNOPS rules and procedures in Procurement, Finance, HR Management and administrative rules and regulations will be an advantage.
• Familiar with web-based applications and Google-Suite products, especially google docs, sheets, slides and forms is an asset

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in spoken, written and reading English is required.
• Fluency in Amharic and/or other Regional Language is Required
• Working knowledge of French is an advantage
• Working knowledge of Arabic is an advantage

Contract type: Local Individual Contractor Agreement (LICA)

Contract level: LICA-10 (ICS10)

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

• 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 opportunity. 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 which 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.