Regional Management and Oversight Support Specialist

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world.  UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects.  Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.  


The Africa Regional Office (AFR RO):

Based in Nairobi, Kenya, the Africa Regional Office (AFR RO) supports UNOPS’ offices throughout the region, providing programme, partnerships, management and oversight, health and safety, and human resources support.

The Africa Regional Office helps ensure that programmes and projects are executed to the highest standards, providing a shared knowledge base and ensuring that best practices and lessons learned are disseminated between projects across the entire region.

Under the guidance and supervision of the Regional Management and Oversight  Advisor (RMOA), the Regional Management and Oversight Specialist supports the Africa Regional Office in the following areas:  Process and Operational Excellence, Performance Oversight and Coordination, Research, Analysis and Reporting, Finance and Budgeting, Coordination and Monitoring Support, Capacity Building and Knowledge Management, Stakeholder Engagement and Communication.

The Project Management Specialist promotes a collaborative, client-focused, quality and results-oriented approach. More specifically, the duties of the Project Management Specialist include the following:

• Process and Operational Excellence.
• Performance Oversight and Coordination.
• Research, Analysis, and Reporting.
• Finance and Budgeting.
• Coordination and Monitoring Support.
• Capacity Building and Knowledge Management.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Communication.

• Ensure full compliance of Africa Regional Office with UNOPS rules, regulations and policies.

• Analyze HQ and regional business processes, and recommend improvements for efficiency and effectiveness of such processes.

• Assist in drafting and development of regional Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines.

• Facilitate training and internal consulting on new corporate initiatives, policy updates, procedures and regional SOPs.

• Support implementation of updated corporate standards, tools and templates.

• Provide operational support for missions and audits and conduct necessary preparation work prior to such missions and audits.

• Monitor the operating environment for potential risks and intervene as needed.

• A Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Development Studies, International Relations or other related field is required. 

• A Master's degree in Business Administration, Development Studies, International Relations or other related field is an advantage and will require 5 years experience in supporting programmes/projects implementation at the national and preferably international levels, in a multicultural setting.

• PRINCE2 Practitioner Certification is highly desirable.

• A minimum 7 years of experience in supporting programmes/projects implementation, at the national and preferably international levels, in a multicultural setting is required. 

• Knowledge of budgeting, data analysis, financial reporting, human resources/procurement management is required.

• Knowledge of Google Workspace, particularly Google Sheets, or equivalent is required.

• Knowledge of UN/UNOPS’ rules, regulations, policies, tools, and systems is highly desirable.

• Experience working in the Africa region will be considered an advantage.

Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement (I-ICA).
Contract level: International ICA 2 (ICS-10).
Contract duration: 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 position is based in Nairobi, Kenya which is a family duty station. 

• Kenya nationals are welcome to apply; however, if selected, the candidate will be issued with a Local Individual Contractual Agreement (LICA) contract. 

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.