Programme Management Officer

This position is located in the United Nations Technology Innovation Labs (UNTIL) Programme of Global Services Division, Office of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Management. The incumbent reports to the Chief of Section.

The Programme Management Officer is responsible for the following programme management duties around the Office’s regional technology innovation labs:

• Assists in development of suitable strategies and objectives for the technology programs, its projects and platforms in alignment with the UNTIL’s overarching strategy. 
• Supports activities around setting up individual labs in the lab hosting countries and preparing project briefs and other programme documentation around programme initiation.
• Assists in maintaining project plans, schedules, and budgets on the UNTIL programmes.
• Identifies appropriate human and technical resources to complete the project.
• Applies change, risk and resource management
• Assess programme performance and aim to maximize ROI.
• Monitors project risk factors, escalating project issues, and develops solutions to projects issues.
• Prepares timely program/project status reports for the management.
• Maintain documentation of decisions and actions taken on programme related issues
• Assists in the preparation and implementation of communication and outreach strategies supporting the communications team with the required materials.
• Performs ad hoc duties as required.
• Provides guidance to new/junior staff. 

Client-orientation:

• Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ perspective;
• Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect;
• Identifies clients’ need and matches them to appropriate solutions;
• Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems;
• Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects;
• Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Creativity:

• Actively seeks to improve programmes and services
• Offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs
• Promotes and persuades other to consider new ideas
• Takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks “outside of the box”
• Takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things
• Is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches

Accountability:

• Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments;
• Delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards;
• Operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules;
• Supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments;
• Takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.

Education

A Master’s degree in international business administration, innovation management, knowledge management or related field.

Work Experience

A minimum of two years of progressive work experience in establishing innovation labs in private and public sector is required. Implementation and management of innovation platforms is a must. Planning, design, development, implementation and maintenance technology innovation projects, communications, management consulting or related area is desired.

English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this job opening, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required; knowledge of another UN official language is desirable.

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• 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.

UNOPS mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS provides its partners with advisory, implementation and transactional services, with projects ranging from building schools and hospitals, to procuring goods and services and training local personnel. UNOPS works closely with governments and communities to ensure increased economic, social and environmental sustainability for the projects we support, with a focus on developing national capacity.

UNOPS vision is a world where people can live full lives supported by appropriate, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, and by the efficient and transparent use of public resources in procurement and project management.

With over 8,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, where they need it.  By implementing around 1,000 projects for our partners at any given time, UNOPS makes significant contributions to results on the ground, often in the most challenging environments.

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.

Based in the New York, the UNOPS Development Group Cluster supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations. For example, within the United Nations Development Programme, the Cluster works with the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support and the Office of South-South Cooperation.

The cluster also supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as a broadening community of other New York-based United Nations organizations in the delivery of project management and implementation services