Project Management Support Associate

Kenya Multi-Country Office (KEMCO)


Kenya Multi-Country Office (KEMCO) sub-region currently consists of an established Operation Centre in Nairobi, Kenya which manages a portfolio of engagements in multiple countries in East and South Africa. These include Kenya, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania, Eritrea and several island states. KEMC focuses on Infrastructure, Procurement, Project Management, HR and Transactional Services, and Fund Management services in those countries. 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  East and South Africa.

Project Information:

The Project Management Support Associate will assist in the implementation of the transactional portfolio under the broad supervision and guidance of the Transactional Portfolio Manager.

Under the direct supervision of the Project Management Support Officer, the Project Management Support Associate is to support the transactional projects in the day-to-day operations of the projects.  He/she is expected to meet and exceed the organization’s performance and delivery goals, in the area of project management.  She/he must be able to apply, independently, the below duties and responsibilities of the project success criteria.

Summary of functions:

• Stakeholder Management
• Project Delivery and Performance
• Operations and Procedures
• Knowledge building and knowledge sharing

• Establish positive and fruitful working relationships with all members of the Transactional Team & overall Programme Team, Beneficiaries, and Partners as appropriate, providing support and guidance on specific and general administrative and project undertakings at the appropriate level.
• Interaction with colleagues and partners and undertaking of missions, as may be required, to guide operational issues and outline UNOPS service provision. 
• Fostering of partner relationships as primary focal point for assigned tasks

• Support of assigned aspects of project initiation, implementation and closure in full compliance with UNOPS rules and regulations 
• Monitoring of progress for all projects/services agreements under his/her responsibility, anticipating operational and budgetary issues and taking pre-emptive action.
• Review of service requests, assessment of their complexity, level of effort and UNOPS service fee levels for compliance with the UNOPS self-financing principle, and feedback before acceptance of projects for execution and/or service requests.
• Resolution of operational and process issues, referring complex issues to the supervisor to with clear recommendations for courses of action. 
• Support in the provision of operational, budgetary and financial guidance to project partners. Assisting in the preparation of project budgets and revisions and other related documents.
• Support in the preparation of contracts for services, memorandum of agreement, inter-agency agreements, and grant agreements.
• Monitoring expenditures and advice to clients/partners and funding agencies on budget status including any need to reallocate resources to meet objectives.
• Support in verification of accuracy of request/transactions and completeness of  documentation
• Initiation of action and certification for approval at the higher level as may be required. 
• Any other duties as assigned

• Follow the Project Management Manual Instructions and ensure awareness of and relevant respect for organizational policy compliance (Organisational Directives and Administrative Instructions).
• Contribute to the identification and assessment of risks and issues. Implement mitigation measures in accordance with the different risk management strategies in place. Contribute to the identification and sharing of the project’s lessons learned and best practices.
• Contribute to efficient and effective use of the Transactional Portfolio and UNOPS tools for monitoring project performance, outputs, and benefits.
• Perform other duties as may be reasonably required and in line with the incumbent’s scope of services above.

• Completion Secondary education required. 
• Diploma Certificate in Business Administration, Project Management, Supply Chain Management, Accounting, Procurement, Management, International Relations and or other relevant disciplines combined with four (4) years of relevant professional experience may be considered but not mandatory;
• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Project Management, Supply Chain Management, Accounting, Procurement, Management, International Relations and or other relevant discipline combined with two (2) years of relevant professional experience may be considered but not required.

Contract type: ICA 
Contract level: LICA 6 - (Local ICA Support)
Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

This is a local post. As such, it is only open to Kenya Nationals or applicants with valid residence

• 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.

This position is based in a family duty station

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.