Project Manager

UNOPS supports the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner.

Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices, always satisfying or surpassing our partners’ expectations.

With over 7,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, wherever they need it.

A flexible structure and global reach means that we can quickly respond to our partners' needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale. 

Based in Geneva, the Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECR) supports UNOPS offices throughout the region through: management, financial and programmatic oversight of global and country-specific portfolios, clusters and operations centres, including hosting services; fund and management advisory services; project implementation; procuring goods and services; and managing human resources.

ECR ensures that projects are executed to the highest standards, providing a shared knowledge base and ensuring that best practices and lessons learned are disseminated between business units and projects across the entire region.

 ECR strategy is to:

• Strengthen UNOPS role in operationalizing the Sustainable Development Goals with particular emphasis on health, environment and economic development.
• Position UNOPS in the Balkan sub-region, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
• Strengthen the implementation of ECR global and regional programmes, with revitalized partnerships in infrastructure, procurement and project management.

ECR operates global portfolios from offices in Geneva, Brussels and New York, and country-specific programmes from its operations and project centres located in Eastern Europe and Central Asian countries. 

Cities Alliance

The Cities Alliance is the preeminent global partnership for the promotion of cities in poverty reduction and sustainable development. Headquartered in Brussels, it is a unique partnership with diverse members – local authorities, national governments, international non-governmental organisations, foundations and multi-lateral organisations  – which have come together to strengthen both impacts and coherence in urban development.

The Cities Alliance’s overall objectives are to support cities in providing effective local government, an active citizenship and a growing economy characterised by both public and private investment.

Since its establishment in 1999, the Cities Alliance has become a global leader in supporting strategic city planning, slum upgrading strategies and national policies designed to make cities more inclusive and sustainable. Cities Alliance’s activities have helped leverage over US$1.5 billion in additional funding.

The current Medium Term Strategy is focused on Promoting Equity in Cities through equitable economic growth, gender equality and partnerships.

Cities Alliance is an independent organization hosted by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), governed by a Management Board and Assembly of members.

Within this context the Cities Alliance will manage a Monrovia City Programme / Liberia Country Programme to support local authorities in greater Monrovia  to make the city and metropolitan region work for the urban poor, through an enabling national environment and empowered citizenship. The Monrovia City Corporation (MCC), Government of Liberia, acts as the lead partner agency for the Programme and Chairs the Programme Steering Committee.

The 5 year (2016-2020) programme will involve in depth consultation, community infrastrucure projects, partnership and techincal assistance investments with organized civil society groups, urban local authorities, national government bodies, international development partners and research/training institutions. The CA Secretariat will play an overal managerial, supervisory and quality assurance role for the entire Programme, including linking the greater Monrovia metropolitan area to international experience and CA membership. The Secretariat is responsible for reporting back on the Programme to its Management Board members, donors, and will conduct supervision missions and receive reports from the Programme's international grantees for review. The CA Secretariat will also actively document the process and lessons learned, together with members, leveraging further resources for the Programme.

The Project Manager (PM) will be the key in country focal point for the Cities Alliance Programme in Liberia. He/She will work in partnership with Cities Alliance members and partners in Monrovia to drive effective and efficient functioning of the Programme and its' support office in central Monrovia. The PM will undertake the following functions:

Activity 1: Effective Programme Management, M&E, Coordination and Partnership Building (50%) 

In close consultation with the CA Secretariat and under the overall guidance of the Programme Steering Committee, the PM will support the implementation and management of the Programme:

•           Lead the daily supervision of various short term international consultants and long term national personnel;

•           Preparation of annual work plans with performance targets and budgets to ensure alignment of resources to Programme goals for CA Secretariat approval. The work plans submitted to the CA will cover both the technical components of the Programme as well as its management and administration, and clearly define indicators and targets for activities, as well as input of staff, short-term technical assistance and other resources;

•           Provide management support for all aspects of Programme implementation according to the annual work plan of the Programme, ensuring targeted achievement of expenditures, delivery of activities and outputs;

•           In conjunction with the CA Secretariat, prepare and implement a resource mobilization and partnership building strategy to attract non-core funding, including private sector contributions, for Programme activities. In support of this, he/she wll map and monitor all activities that relate to urban programming in he country and will identify key synergies and resource mobilization where they exist between potential stakeholders. The PM will undertake and regularly update a detailed stakeholder analysis to ensure that all key Programme actors receive the appropriate flow of information regarding project progress and that the project is responsive to stakeholder feedback and identified needs;

•           Represent the CA and its Programme within the country and will engage with a wide range of national, local government, international development, private sector and civil society actors. Most specifically, the PM will ensure that the Programme is fully integrated with CA members and partners related programming in Liberia;

•           Ensure the Programme's Steering Committee has a functioning TOR and meets on at minimum on a quarterly basis to assess progress and risks. The PM will ensure a clear line of communication between the Programme and the Steering Committee which will receive quarterly highlight reports as per the activities and outputs of the various stages of the Programme;

•           Research and draft concept notes, proposals, project documents and related documentation in support of Programme development;

•           Organization of all Programme related meetings and events, including but not limited to Steering Committee meetings and workshops;

•           Regular liaison with stakeholders, donors, partners and other relevant Programme stakeholders.

Activity 2: Technical and Specialist Services (40%)

Community Upgrading Fund (CUF)

•           Set up a specialized CUF Committee for the governance of the small grant facility;

•           Support the design and delivery of comprehensive small grant guidelines in Year 1;

•           Oversee the appraisal, implementation, moniotring and reporting of at least 100 small community driven infrastructure investments in slums of greater Monrovia adhering to these guidelines.

•           Organize and report on CUF grant project quality assurance site visits in greater Monrovia.

City Development Strategy (CDS)

•           Working through procurement of local and international expert partners from the CA Secretariat, design and deliver a comprehensive City Development Strategy (CDS) which addresses economic and environmental considerations within a long term implementable urban planning framework for the Monrovia metropolitan area. The CDS should actively build on the outputs of housing value chain assessments, slum profiling, upgrading, national urban policy development, capacity development and participatory urban forum processes also being supported by the Programme.

Capacity Development

•           Lead the development and implementation with local and international partners targeted capacity development training strategy in support of at least 100 local government officials in key Programme thematic areas such as strategic urban planning, land management, resilience, pro poor housing and slum upgrading, urban management, finance and participatory local governance.

Advisory and Oversight Services to International Country Programme Grants

•           Provide support to and oversight of international grant funded projects made between the Cities Alliance Secretariat and implementing partners in Liberia as per the Country Programme Framework Document. These would include technical assistance investments in slum profiling, capacity development of urban poor associations, national urban policy development, affordable housing and slum upgrading activities.

Activity 3: Overall Management of the Cities Alliance Country Programme and Liberia Office (5%)

•           Ensure that additional work packages delegated by the Task Manager in Brussels are implemented to the defined quality standards and time frames;

•            Ensure that his/her Task Manager is constantly appraised of progress and that appropriate mitigation strategies are in place to ensure effective delivery of outputs and provide detailed reports to Cities Alliance senior management minimumly on a bi-annual basis;

•            Liaise with UNOPS Liberia Country Office to support oversight and implementation of the Programme as appropriate under guidance from his/her Supervisor;

•            Manage the activities and assessments of a small country team of national personnel;

•           Office management functions such as maintain asset inventories, record keeping and petty cash account.

•           Comply with UNOPS/UNDSS security procedures.

Activity 4: Gender Mainstreaming (5%)

•            Ensure that gender considerations are actively promoted and adequately mainsteamed through production, implementation and monitoring of a gender mainstreaming strategy for the Programme;

The PM will deliver the following outputs during the 5 year Programme with support from her/his team members:

1. Monthly (during Year 1) and Quartery (during Year 2-5) comprhensive project stage progress reports with financial and progress narrative to Cities Alliance Secretariat Task Manager and MCC management.

2. One Programme M&E Plan (Year 1).

3. One Risk Management Plan (Year 1) with risk logs updated throughout the Programme period.

4. One Quality Management Strategy (Year 1).

5. One Programme Communications and Advocacy Plan (Year 1).

6. One Gender Mainstreaming Plan for the Programme (Year 1).

7. Support the delivery of one Mid Term (Year 3) and Final Evaluation (Year 5) report procured by the CA Secretariat.

8. One set of CUF Grant Guidelines (Year 1).

9. Quarterly progress reports of at least 100 CUF projects (Year 2-5).

10. Final results and lessons learned reports for at least 100 CUF projects (Year 5).

11. Attendance registers and minutes of the Programme Steering Committee (quarterly) and other key governance bodies (i.e. CUF Committee).

12. Support the delivery of one City Development Strategy for greater Monrovia procured by the CA Secretariat (Year 3).

13. One annual city wide urban poor forum (5 total) with report delivered.

14. Two National Urban Forums with reports devliered within the 5 year Programme period.

16. Annual training programme reports of at least 100 local government officials in greater Monrovia (5 total) supporting the implementation of a capacity development strategy to be delivered in Year 1.

17. One Office Asset List produced in Year 1 and updated throughout the Programme period. 

Familiarity with the work of the Cities Alliance and other multilateral, bilateral and civil society development partners in urban development;

Strong understanding of programme development and results-based management including M&E;

Good understanding of political processes at the local level and exercise objectivity and sound judgment;

Ability to work collaboratively and operate effectively across thematic areas;

Ability to promote constructive dialogue between diverse stakeholders, communicate clearly and respectfully at the highest levels of government and with civil society;

Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in management, urban planning, international development or environmental studies; economics; social sciences; or related disciplines.

For candidates with a bachelor's degree: a minimum of nine years of professional programme management and reporting experience; 

For candidates with an advanced/master's degree: a minimum of seven years of professional programme management and reporting experience; 

Experience in managing complex multi partner technical assistance grant processes and projects;

Has worked extensively in Africa on sustainable and inclusive urban development, with additional experience in other developing regions an advantage;

Background in delivering technical assistance projects in related fields;

Substantial experience in developing, implementing and monitoring project documents in the broad thematic area;

Technical experience in urban planning, management, local governance, housing, slum upgrading, land, and climate resilient development;

Evidence of implementing complex programmes/projects in a post conflict country will be an advantage;

Experience managing teams including monitoring, verifying work packages and applying results based performance indicators;

Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time (CET)
• 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.
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• 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.