Project Manager

General 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. 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 organisations. With over 6,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, where they need it. By implementing around 1,000 projects for our partners at any given time, UNOPS makes significant contributions to results on the ground, often in the most challenging environments.

The project Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the project(s) and provides services to the different donors, partners and beneficiaries. Project Manager acts on behalf of the Project Board and in close coordination with the Fund Manager and the Senior Programme Manager, to manage the project on an ongoing basis during the Implementation Stage. The main responsibility of a Project Manager is to ensure that the project outputs are delivered within the specified project tolerances of time, cost, quality, scope, risk and benefits. He/she is expected to meet the organization’s performance and delivery goals.

The Project Manager has the authority to assign, as per the Project Plan, work packages to Team Managers and approve deliverables produced by them.

The Project Manager is responsible for creating the Implementation Plan, using the Project Initiation Document (PID), Legal Agreement and having a thorough understanding of the terms, conditions, and the respective roles and responsibilities of the partners/stakeholders, to ensure the project(s) outputs are capable of meeting the business cases for both UNOPS and the partner(s). Success of the project(s) and hence of the Project Manager will be based on the defined Success Criteria

UNOPS may accept to have the candidate working home-based depending on the project’s future needs. The incumbent will be anyway required to work during New York office hours.

The duration of the position is foreseen for now until December 2024, subject to funds availability, and satisfactory performance.

Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development operations. It provides Services to partners’ programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serves partners that are headquartered in New York. The SDC has a footprint of approximately 125 countries.

UNOPS is the implementation arm of the Global Center for Climate Mobility (GCCM). The GCCM is a global hub advancing the implementation of regional climate mobility initiatives, including the Africa Climate Mobility Initiative, the Caribbean Climate Mobility Initiative and the Rising Nations Initiative. The GCCM works closely with all relevant actors to support relevant regions in addressing climate-forced displacement and migration while harnessing climate mobility to advance its development agenda and political & economic integration. The GCCM’s people-centered & evidence-based approach aims to generate political momentum, a common policy agenda, and resources to advance comprehensive and locally anchored solutions for climate mobility.

The Rising Nations Initiative (RNI) is a Member States-led initiative, guided by a core group of champions, including the Pacific atoll countries. Officially launched on 28 September 2022 Its objective is to press forward efforts towards protecting the statehood of Pacific atoll countries, preserving their sovereignty, and safeguarding the rights and heritage of affected populations. In this regard, the RNI aims to mobilize the needed political momentum for prompt action at all levels to highlight the climate emergency facing the Pacific atoll countries and inspire global and local action, including through intergovernmental processes of the United Nations.

Purpose and Scope of Assignment

Summary of functions:

1. Project Development, Project Delivery and Performance
2. Procedures
3. Monitoring and reporting
4. Stakeholder engagement
5. Quality assurance
6. Knowledge management and innovation
7. Personnel management

1. Project Development, Project Delivery and Performance

• Develop, complete and update implementation plan(s) in close coordination with the Senior Programme Manager and Fund Manager implement the approved plan (including the establishment of milestones) within tolerances set by the Project Board.
• Support project development and the preparation of legal agreements, budgets, and project documents.
• Support the clearance process for new projects.
• Embed sustainability dimensions including social and gender inclusion, environmental and economic aspects into project life span.
• Support 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.
• 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 potential business opportunities for UNOPS to the supervisor.

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), receiving inputs from the Fund Manager and Senior Programme Manager in relation to the achievements 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.
• 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 personnel.
• Manage expenditures against the budget (based on accurate financial reports).
• Where the 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.

3. Monitoring and reporting

• Prepare, and solicit inputs from the Senior Programme Manager and Fund Manager 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.
• Control that all project team members track and regularly update milestones and targets for the duration of projects’ life span.

4. Stakeholder engagement

• Establish solid working relationships with the Project Board (Executive, Senior Users and Senior Suppliers), client and key stakeholders.
• Support stakeholder engagement and communication, monitoring effective timing and interdependency management of communications. Monitor that 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.) or delegate to the Senior Programme Manager or Fund Manager as appropriate.

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.
• 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.

7. Personnel Management

• Support teamwork.
• Ensure that behavioural expectations of team members are established.
• Support the process of performance reviews for the team.
• 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.

Qualifications and Experience

a. Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent), is required.
• First-level university degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in combination with two (2) additional years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced university degree.
• Certification in Project Management (Prince2, PMI, etc.) is an asset.

b. Work Experience

• At least five (5) years of experience implementing projects/programmes in the area of international development.
• Minimum of three (3) years experience implementing or delivering projects for international organizations.
• At least two (2) years experience in climate, advocacy, or multi-stakeholder initiatives.
• Experience in developing project proposals, budgets and legal agreements is an asset
• Experience in finance, procurement, and budget management is an asset.

c. Language

• Fluency in English.

d. Others:

*Even though the duty station is indicated as New York, USA, consideration may be given to allow the position to be home-based, depending on the incumbent’s personal situation. For home-based positions, a location-specific fee scale is applied in determining the contractor’s fee.

Contract type, level and duration

• Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement (IICA)
• Contract level: IICA-2
• Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance. The contract for this position is set for a duration up to 31 December 2024, with termination upon its conclusion. Any need for services beyond this initial period will be communicated to the incumbent accordingly.
• 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
• *Even though the duty station is indicated as New York, USA, consideration may be given to allow the position to be home-based, depending on the incumbent’s personal situation. For home-based positions, a location-specific fee scale is applied in determining the contractor’s fee.* The incumbent will be anyway required to work during New York office hours