Senior Project Manager

Job-Specific Information:

The Senior Project Manager (Infrastructure) will serve to address critical situations and projects, either remotely or in-person. Hence, the Senior Infrastructure Project Manager is expected to be internationally mobile and willing to travel to different locations around the world, including hardship locations. Missions abroad may last for several weeks/up to a maximum of 3 months. The estimated time in assignments per year is 60%. Availability to travel is therefore a prerequisite for this position, even though some of the missions may be conducted remotely.

• The  Senior Project Managers (Infrastructure) provides technical guidance and project/portfolio management support to UNOPS field offices globally as part of the Surge Mechanism. When engaged on surge assignments, she/he is expected to provide rapid and temporary project management and infrastructure expertise in support of projects and offices.
• The Senior Project Manager (Infrastructure) will be managing projects or portfolios with the ultimate goal of delivering infrastructure physical assets or technical outputs. Those infrastructures are diverse and range from educational and health facilities to roads, bridges, irrigation systems or ports. Depending on the nature and configuration of the project, the Senior Project Manager might be executing technical studies, reviews, designs, supervision or operation and maintenance services of one or several physical infrastructure assets, in one or multiple sites. The projects may also involve large volumes of procurement of goods, services and HR services.
• The Senior Project Manager (Infrastructure) is expected to advise on or temporarily manage infrastructure implementation projects that are of moderate to high complexity from stakeholder management, financial management, risk management,  governance, resource management and quality management perspectives.
• In their role, the Senior Project Manager will provide advice to the country or project office on project management capacity, quality and progress related issues, highlighting operational and compliance challenges to projects and field offices whilst tailoring appropriate mitigation approaches.
• When engaged on a surge assignment, the Senior Project Manager will report to the supervisor of the position occupied or related position in the unit/office of work. They will also have a secondary reporting line to the Surge Coordinator.
• It is important to note that surge assignments vary in nature and context. Hence, this job description is generic and may not always be applicable, nor be comprehensive, for all assignments under this job title. The specific tasks and deliverables for each surge assignment may vary and will be detailed in the terms of reference developed for each assignment by the requesting office/unit.

Functional Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions

• Project Delivery
• Technical Advisory
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Quality Assurance
• Personnel Management

Project Delivery

• Develop, complete and update implementation plan(s).
• Ensure that quality of work packages and deliverables complies with the quality requirements defined in the Implementation Plan.
• Embed sustainability dimensions including social and gender inclusion, 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.
• Liaise with any external suppliers or account managers, including accepting goods, services or works delivered.
• Monitor project progress ensuring that work packages are being executed properly and manage changes, acceptance and delivery of work packages.
• Lead contract management duties including supplier performance evaluation.
• Act as the Employer’s Representative within the FIDIC works contracts.

Technical Advisory

• Provide substantive advice to Programme Managers/Project Managers/Team Managers in the planning and implementation of infrastructure projects and programmes throughout their life cycle.
• Advise on and support the development of project/programme recovery, including work plans and implementation guidance.
• Advise key stakeholders such as Head of Programme, Programme Managers, Project Managers and Heads of PMO on how to embed best practices of project and programme governance, risk management, project and programme management into the projects.
• Provide advice with regard to the preparation of  technical specifications, Bills of Quantities, bidding documentation, engineering drawings, construction methodologies, construction planning and programming, and assessments of contractors’ technical capacity to deliver.
• Support the assessment of the quality of design and construction.
• Identify impending or anticipated risks that may affect UNOPS programme/project implementation and develop mitigation strategies to ensure the maximum benefit to partner(s) and other stakeholders is achieved.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Establish solid working relationships with HQ, project and field office personnel including Project Board and key stakeholders.
• Support with the formulation of project communications plans.
• 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

• Advise infrastructure practitioners on the application, interpretation and adoption of corporate policy, guidance and best practices.
• Advise Project Teams regarding design considerations and design review requirements.
• Support project teams providing substantive inputs and ensuring the quality of all Infrastructure projects’ plans including: Quality Plans, Project Implementation Plan, Health, Safety Social and Environment (HSSE) Plans, Gender, Equality and Social Inclusion Plans and any other relevant plans.
• Provide technical advice on quality assurance frameworks, including quality assurance improvement plans.
• Provide expert input for quarterly reviews of project documents and deliverables as well as internal quarterly assurance processes.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to ensure projects comply with audit requirements.

Personnel Management

• Lead and motivate the project management team.
• Select, recruit and train personnel as required and take into account gender parity and diversity objectives.
• Ensure 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, harassment, sexual harassment 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.

Core Values and Principles:

• Understand and respect UNOPS sustainability principles
• Look for ways to embed UNOPS sustainability principles in day to day project management.
• Seek opportunities to champion gender equality in the workplace.
• Champion and communicate the project’s sustainability aspects with key stakeholders.
• Understand and Respect National ownership and capacity
• Understand the principles of the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness and mainstream them into the project plans.
• Seek opportunities to recruit qualified local staff.
• Look for ways to build the capacity of local counterparts.

Partnerships and Coordination:

• Understand the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework and UNOPS Strategic Plan
• Strive to build strong partnerships and effective coordination among relevant project actors (e.g. United Nations, Government, and non-governmental organizations or other relevant partners.

Excellence

• Contribute to innovation and the adaptation of best practice standards of sustainability and quality.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education

• An advanced university degree (e.g. Masters) in a relevant technical discipline (e.g. Architecture, Civil Engineering, Water Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Structural Engineering, etc.) is required.
• A first level university degree (e.g Bachelor) in the above-mentioned subjects or related field, combined with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.

Certification

• Certification in PRINCE2® Practitioner and/or other project management certification is highly desirable.

Experience

• A minimum of 7 years of experience in implementing and managing infrastructure projects (roads, bridges, health facilities, buildings, water services, renewable energy and distribution, etc.) is required.
• Within these 7 years, a minimum of 3 years managing projects in the international development context is required.
• Technical acumen with the ability to understand and speak about technical project plans and documents is required.

Desirable experience:

• Current or prior experience as a UNOPS project manager given the nature of the surge capacity role.
• Experience in the Global South and/or conflict/post-conflict environments.

Languages

• Fluency in English is required.
• Proficiency in additional official UN languages such as French or Spanish is an asset.

Source: https://jobs.unops.org/Pages/ViewVacancy/VADetails.aspx?id=29056