Project Management Office (PMO) - Associate (Internal For UNOPS candidates)

Background Information – Kenya Multi Country Office (KEMC)

The primary role of Project Management Office (PMO) - Associate is to provide Kenya Multi Country Office (KEMC) 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 Project Management Office (PMO) - Associate  include:

• Portfolio Support: Ensuring UNOPS is focused on doing the right projects by supporting management decision-making through the timely analysis of portfolio data.

• Delivery Support: Ensuring UNOPS is doing projects the right way, through the effective delivery of the programme and projects.

• Best Practices: Applying UNOPS standards in project management, encouraging consistent working practices and ensuring appropriate application.

The Project Management Office (PMO) - Associate will 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 the Director and Representative (Executive). The PMO strongly contributes to moving the KEMC toward achieving its mission-focused goals and objectives.  

The Project Management Office (PMO) - Associate will be supervised by the Head of Project Management Office (Primary),  under the overall direction of the Head of Programme (Secondary) 

• Provide administrative support to the Head of PMO and the Head of Programme regarding all ongoing project activities; also providing support to the respective Support Services Departments,  in relation to coordination with projects. 

• Assist with monitoring of programme and project management activities in the hub, in line with service agreements and project documents by providing the back end support. 

• Perform other duties as may be assigned by the Head of PMO and the Head of Programme

Set-up and closure

• Support in project setup, project budget preparation, revisions and financial reporting, when applicable 

• Assist the Head of Support Services in project assets and some finance related issues.

• Under the overall oversight of the Head of PMO, coordinate all project closure activities - assist in operational and financial closure of project, ensuring appropriate disposal of project assets, timely and effective final (operational) reporting, initiation of financial disbursements as appropriate during Defects Liability Periods, updating of information on the UNOPS dashboards, and effective handover of closed projects to UNOPS HQ for financial closure processes. 

• Act as the Hub focal point for all project closure activities, including monitoring the progress of project closure activities, the accuracy of such data, training project teams and following up on project teams who are undertaking these activities. 

• Work closely with key stakeholders to ensure all projects are closed on time and in line with the organisation’s policies 

 Monitoring,  Reporting and Delivery

• Improve the delivery, planning and monitoring process by collecting and maintaining appropriate data, in a consistent manner

• Assist  in the consolidation of project issues from the regular project reports in accordance with donor guidelines for reporting.

• Support in the review of project status; evaluation and monitoring of  performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule and quality).

• Support with the routine checks of delivery data within the dashboard system, using UNOPS ERP system as required.

• Within the context of monitoring and evaluation, support in ensuring that all projects submit and regularly update specific milestones and targets for the duration of projects' life-cycles; and track progress, or otherwise, against such information.

• Provide tracking support to programmes and projects, on the effective and timely dissemination of reports, in line with project documentation and clients' expectations.

• Provide the Head of PMO, the Head of Programme and the Head of Support Services with necessary project reports and information to support areas relevant to the project management team (i.e. Locally Managed Direct Costs (LMDC) projections etc.).

• Coordinate the response to requests and the implementation of initiatives relevant to project management from the Regional Office, IPAS, and HQ Teams, as required.

• Assist in the management of communications across programmes and projects; and with other support services team, when applicable

Quality Assurance

• Act as the secretariat for the Project Quarterly Assurance exercise and provide relevant documentation and knowledge management 

• Provide hands-on support to PMO and projects to implement guidelines, procedures,  templates and new ways of working

• Assist internal audit and finance to support projects to comply with audit requirements.

• Support in ensuring  compliance with UNOPS defined standards and processes for programme/project management.

• Support in providing  quality control for management products (project documents, reports, etc.).

Knowledge management and innovation

• Ensure that lessons learned by projects and programme related knowledge, best practices and lessons learned are appropriately captured, documented, shared and integrated accordingly .

• Coordinate and support in the dissemination of internal programme/project communications, lessons learned and best practices, aiding in knowledge sharing. 

• Ensure all PMO and programme information, records and documentation are captured and archived properly 

Impact of Results 

The Project Management Office (PMO) - Associate directly impacts on achievement of project results by supporting the Head of PMO and the Head of Programme to implement effective project management methods and strategies, reduce risks, cut costs and improve 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.

• Secondary education is required
• A Bachelor's degree in  Project Management, Business Administration or related field is an asset and may substitute some of the required years of experience.

• A minimum of 6 years  of relevant and progressive professional experience specifically in the field of Project Management with experience of successful support of programmes and projects is required.

• Minimum of 2 years of UNOPS experience is required.

• Previous experience of working within a PMO environment is an advantage.

• Experience in project management support, reporting and financial analytics is desired.

• PRINCE2 Practitioner Certification is an advantage.
• MSP certification (Foundation and/or Practitioner) is an advantage.

• This is a local post. As such, it is only open to Kenyan Nationals or persons with valid residence permits and have at least 2 years of UNOPS experience are eligible to apply

• This position is based in a family duty station, qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.  

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• 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 (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.