Electrical Engineer - Retainer

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. 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.

Background Information – Kenya Multi Country Office (KEMC)

Located in Nairobi, Kenya, the Kenya Multi Country Office manages a growing portfolio of engagements. The KEMC sub-region currently consists of an established Operation Centre in Nairobi/Kenya which manages a portfolio of engagements in multiple countries in East and Southern Africa. This includes transactional projects in partnership with the Nairobi based UN Agencies, UN-Habitat and UNEP, and multiple ‘operational’ projects in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi.

Background Information - Job-specific

The Technical Services Unit (TSU) engages in multidisciplinary design and design review, assessments and advisory work for infrastructure related UNOPS projects.  The team currently comprises 20 permanent and 60+ retainer (consultant) personnel including architects, civil engineers, structural engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, quantity surveyors, GIS and specialist infrastructure practitioners (for dams, ICT, safeguards, biomedical works inter alia) and CAD technicians in addition to support personnel.  

Current / recent projects are based in Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Morocco, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique and Madagascar.  These projects comprise a range of types of horizontal and vertical infrastructure

The Unit is based in Nairobi, but works extensively in other locations, via travel and by using the network of retainer (consultant) personnel based elsewhere in Africa and beyond. 

The TSU is a business unit for the Multi-Country office and comes under the direction of the Director for East and Southern Africa office (KEMC).

The Electrical Engineer will work as part of the Technical Services Unit on a range of infrastructure related activities. S/he may be called on to carry out reviews, site assessments, do design in collaboration with other personnel within and outside UNOPS. S/he will be familiar with UNOPS’s infrastructure review processes, codes typically used in Africa and an excellent communicator in English.

Specific tasks are outlined below;

a. Technical and quality assurance

• Apply knowledge of relevant codes and good practice in analyzing information to produce high quality analysis.

• Clearly communicate review findings in writing, and verbally when required

• Conduct assessments, designs, analysis and reviews with due regard for current innovations, passive design and energy efficiency imperatives, and pragmatic applications of maintenance in developing country setting, particularly rural or unsophisticated environments

• Apply working knowledge of solar energy to meet regional needs

• Any other duties assigned by the TSU peer review stream lead

b. Collaboration and knowledge sharing

• Coordination with other professionals in developing optimal solutions

• Identify additional specialist expertise that may be required

• Collaborate with other disciplines to ensure coherent reports

• Regular liaison with services engineers on topical matters

a. Education

• Bachelor of Electrical Engineering / Science in Electrical Engineering from an accredited university is required.

• Advanced degree in Electrical Engineering from an accredited university is an added advantage and may substitute for some years of experience.

b. Professional registration

Full member status registration with a recognized professional built environment body is required.

c. Work Experience

• Minimum four years’ experience in designing, preparing drawings, specifications, calculations and BOQs for electrical systems is required.  

• Familiar with electrical installations and infrastructure, Lift installations, Solar installations is an added advantage.

• Minimum two years’ experience in solar energy solutions is required.   

• Proficiency in the use of google suite is desirable.

d. Key Competencies

• Ability to work to meet tight schedules in a busy environment and varied cultural context.

• Good team player attitude.

• Ability to perform with professionalism, integrity and pragmatism to project demands.

• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required

Contract level: Local Individual Contractor Agreement (LICA 9) / ICSC-9.

Contract duration: One (1) year renewable subject to satisfactory performance and funding availability.

• 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. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. 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.