Portfolio Manager

UNOPS Horn of Africa Multi-Country Office is recruiting for this position: Portfolio Manager to be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.


Qualified females and candidates from underrepresented groups in UNOPS are highly encouraged to apply.

Established in 2009, Horn Of Africa Multi-country office (HAMCO) sub-region currently consists of an established Operation Centre in Addis Ababa which manages a portfolio of engagements in four (4)  Horn of Africa countries  (Ethiopia, Djibouti, Sudan and South Sudan).  HAMCO focuses on Infrastructure, Procurement, Project Management, HR and Transactional Services, and Fund Management services across a wide range of sectors including Health, Education, Agriculture, Resilient infrastructure, among others.  

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 in the Horn of Africa. 

The primary role of HAMCO Programme Team is to provide the MCO 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 Programme team include:

• Strategic Oversight/Portfolio Support: Applying and evidence-based approach to project oversight, early warning, corrective actions, and mainstreaming lessons into business planning

• Delivery Support: Doing Projects the Right Way with specific emphasis on in-depth, full project cycle management, from starting up new projects, to substantive closure.  Providing guidance to Project Managers and their teams in delivering projects according to policy and best practice

• Best Practices: Doing Projects Consistently and well through mentoring, coaching and developing the project management team’s capacity to deliver successful and impactful projects

Through these functions and services, the Programme Team aims to 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 senior management. The PMO strongly contributes to moving the office towards achieving its mission-focused goals and objectives.

• Lead, Motivate and Manage the pool of Project Managers and other members of the PM Team;

• Ensure that behavioral expectations for Project Managers and their teams are established;

• Actively contributes to the implementation and further refinement of the Resources Pool Management Strategy; promoting synergies across the MCO;

• Develops strategies and approaches that foster a common vision for maturity, and strive towards harmonizing good practices across projects in the MCO;

• Instill a culture of excellence, best practices, continuous improvement, and lesson learning in the delivery of projects in the Project Management Team;

• Take a leadership role in the implementation of the Operational Excellence Agenda; ensuring KPIs are mainstreamed into all PMs performance metrics and monitored regularly;

• Foster a positive work environment, respectful of both men and women, and ensure that the highest standards of conduct are observed;

• Promote and support a learning culture by empowering individuals and teams to identify critical learning needs, and plan/ facilitate learning opportunities to maintain personnel competency and flexibility;

• Exercise management of all staffing issues within the PM Team including recruitment taking into account gender parity and diversity objectives, on-boarding and staff performance reviews

• Ensure that performance reviews are conducted fairly, accurately and timely;

• 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.

• Develops and establishes resource tracking systems and/ tools for use within the PM Team, complementary to UNOPS' online tools, to ensure effective planning, forecasting and tracking of delivery across the office.

Portfolio Monitoring and Performance Oversight 

• Ensures the Project Management Team meets the metrics established for the unit and it’s partners;

• Support the Country Program coordinator and  Head of Programme in providing Portfolio, Programme and Project (P3M) oversight, advice and direction in line with legal commitments to partners;

• Oversee and assure the consistent and feasible development, completion and updates of implementation plan(s);

• Ensure Project Managers embed sustainability dimensions including social and gender inclusion, environmental and economic aspects into project plans;

• Ensure all projects establish effective tools to monitor and report, and identify issues related to milestones and targets throughout the project lifecycles;

• Provide routine oversight and analysis of delivery data on the portfolio performance using the dashboard systems available;

• Regularly review and assure status of projects evaluating performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule and quality);

• Monitor and appraise the delivery of activities, products, and outputs/milestones against partner commitments, ensuring projects satisfy quality expectations of partners;

• Ensure Project Managers fulfill contract management responsibilities, including contract administration, issuing notices where applicable and undertaking supplier performance evaluations;

• Provide guidance, support and assurance over to change management and control procedures including amendments, exception reports and planning;

• 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

Starting up Projects

• Provide expertise for start-up of programmes or projects, planning and closing projects as per the organizational requirements; 

• Ensure new projects are formally received/ taken over, from the Partnerships team ensuring all knowledge is transferred to the custodianship to the Programme Team;

• In the absence of a dedicated PM, lead the start-up of new projects including the recruitment of the project team and preliminary activities.  Ensures thorough handover to incoming PMs upon arrival;

• Facilitate the identification of dependencies between teams and work packages to inform the development of feasible and implementable project plans;

• Facilitate the development of high-level programme/project plans, including the collation of sub-plans as required by both legal commitments and the UNOPS P3M requirements;

• Support the PMO in overseeing and coordinating Project Closure activities, ensuring appropriate disposal of project assets, timely and effective final (operational) reporting, initiation of financial disbursements etc.

Project Closure

• Where assigned by the Project Executive, acts as the Closure Manager for projects, ensuring full compliance with closure requirements;

• Acts as the focal point between the office and donors throughout the closure stages;

• In consultation with the Infrastructure Team Leader, monitor the appointment of DNP Engineer (for infrastructure projects) to implement DNP monitoring plans;

• In coordination with the PMO Team Leader contribute to thorough review of project documents as part of the project closure stage;

• In collaboration with the PMO ensure all information on the OneUNOPS and effective handover of closed projects to UNOPS HQ for financial closure processes.

Procedures and Assurance

• Ensures all projects in the portfolio comply with all organizational standards, policies, procedures and tools and specifically the Project Management Manual

• Monitor and ensure projects prepare and issue regular project reports in accordance with legal commitments to donors for reporting and internal reporting schedules;

• Supports the Country Program Coordinator and Head of Programme (HOP) to monitor and assure the implementation of approved plans (including the establishment of milestones) within tolerances set by the Project Board;

• Actively contribute to Internal Board Reviews of projects in the portfolio, ensuring Project Managers undertake evidence-based self assessments of end stage progress and comprehensive implementation plans for subsequent stages;

• Provide assurance and editorial support over Project Reports, ensuring timely and quality dissemination of reports, in line with project agreements and clients' expectations;

• Work with the PMO and Support Services teams to assure feasibility of project implementation plans and sub-plans;

• Collaborate with the PMO to undertake assurance over progress against results/outputs/milestones as specified in the logical frameworks and contributions to SDGs and the UNSDCF;

• Work with internal stakeholders to ensure projects comply with audit requirements;

• Ensures Project Managers exercise management control over activities, products, outputs, deliverables and/or milestones;

• Coordinate quality reviews of project document records, promoting consistent implementation of guidance and robust risk management related to document and knowledge management;

• Identify and anticipates in a timely manner, potential risks and issues specific to financial performance, expenditure forecasts, and advises mitigating measures to the Country Program Coordinator;

• Undertake thorough review of risk and issue registers providing feedback to PMs on risk/issues identification and responses.  Ensure risk/issues responses are mainstreamed into updated plans and implementation is monitored to full task completion;

Stakeholder Engagement

• Provides oversight and guidance to PMs in the development of stakeholder profiles and facilitates the formulation of stakeholder engagement strategies;

• In collaboration with the HAMCO Communications team, ensures projects establish communications plans that are fit for purpose;

• Monitor the timely and effective implementation of stakeholder engagement, communication and visibility plans throughout the lifecycle of projects including effective and early coordination with the Communications team;

Planning, Knowledge Management, Good Practices, and Innovation

• Actively takes part in Programme Team planning, monitoring and reporting progress against plans;

• Actively contribute to the MCO’s maturity enhancement and innovation initiatives to continuously identify and improve operational processes relevant to project implementation;

• Support the HOP and the Partnerships team in the development of new projects, reflecting lessons learnt from past projects that gives due consideration feasibility of project budgets, staffing resources;

• Lead the development and implementation of common procedures and work flows to improve quality and effectiveness of projects, and monitor their full implementation.

• Strive for consistency and standardized and harmonized practices in the execution of similar projects;

• Facilitate and deliver capacity building activities across the Project Management team based on development needs identified;

• Participate in, and advocate PMs' participation in, relevant Communities of Practice;

• Actively interact with PMs and the wider PM community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices in the Knowledge System;

• Supports the PMO to ensure lessons learnt are identified, captured and shared in a timely and appropriate manner.

• Proactively remain abreast of new developments, innovations and tools related to Portfolio, Programme and Project Management (P3M) practices promoting a common approach and frame of reference;

• Coach, mentor, train and otherwise support the Programme and Project Management Teams to fulfill their objectives and potential;

• Act as an advisory resource for other Programme Team members as appropriate;

1. Contract type: Local Individual Contractual Agreement (IICA)
2. Contract level: LICA-11 (ICS11)
3. Contract duration: Ongoing Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

• 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 is a local position and is open to Ethiopian nationals only.

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.