Project Manager

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.

Background Information – Yemen

The ongoing conflict in Yemen has caused significant disruptions to the supply chain and to the overall availability of services.

In light of the reduced or even absent provision of public services, communities have adopted various coping strategies, including using alternate water and energy sources, relying on alternate service providers and community-based service delivery initiatives to address the shortfall.

Physical damage to infrastructure and the lack of functionality in one sector often spills over into other sectors with significant consequences on both the access to, and quality of services, that are often interrelated. For example, in many cities of Yemen, the lack of functionality in the water sector is tied most directly to the lack of electricity rather than to physical damage to water infrastructure. As a result, wastewater continues to overflow into the streets, which in turn has significant implications for the health and transport sectors. Similarly, the absence of electricity across many cities in Yemen is not solely tied to infrastructure damage of energy facilities but rather to the lack of fuel, amongst others due to severe transport limitations and access constraints. These cross-sectoral linkages demonstrate the need for an integrated, multi-sectoral approach that provides synergies and responds to the multi-faceted needs on the ground.

UNOPS  is undertaking a multi-sectoral engagement aimed at restoring urban services mainly in energy, urban roads, WASH and municipal services in targeted cities in Yemen using an integrated approach..

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Programme, the Project manager provides an overall strategic direction and ensures a programmatic approach of activities / subprojects in four sectors: energy; transport; municipal services; and WASH. S/he will be responsible for successful implementation and delivery of subprojects. The Project Manager will ensure effective coordination among key stakeholders.

The Project Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of subproject(s) and managing the works of the implementing partners.  S/he is expected to meet and exceed the organizations performance and delivery goals. Success of the project(s) and hence Project manager will be based on the Success Criteria of UNOPS engagements which are linked to the below responsibilities.

The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS. 

The Project manager is responsible for all aspects of the project life cycle. S/he must be able to apply, at a mastery level, the below duties and responsibilities of the project success criteria:

Stakeholder Management:

• Establish solid working relationship with the technical committee, the implementing partners and other key stakeholders
• Manage communications and ensure all stakeholders are aware of activities, progress, exceptions and are in a position to accept handover products
• Advise the management on issues that may impact the achievement of the project outcomes (including issues of sustainability and post project requirements such as maintenance)
• Manage the information flows between the Project Technical Committee, UNOPS Hub in Amman and  the donor as needed

Delivery and Performance:

• Develop and maintain project and subproject plans
• Implement approved project plans (including the establishment of milestones) within tolerances set by the technical committee
• Embed sustainability dimensions including social and gender inclusion, environmental and economic aspects into project life cycle.
• Manage the production of the required products, taking responsibility for overall progress and use of resources and initiating corrective action where necessary
• Liaise with any external suppliers or account managers
• Authorize Work Packages
• Liaise closely with the established project governance structures and, as relevant, advice the project Technical Committee and UNOPS Hub management of any deviations from the plan
• Identify and manage risks so that maximum benefit to the Bank and stakeholders is achieved
• Manage and review product quality and ensure products are accepted
• Monitor and evaluate performance of service providers
• Identify and report potential business opportunities for UNOPS to supervisor
• Identify and report threats to UNOPS internal business case to supervisor

Procedures:

• Follow the Project Management Cycle Instructions and ensure that all organizational policy is complied with (Organizational Directives and Administrative Instructions)
• Prepare/adapt the following plans for approval by the technical committee:  I. Project Initiation Documentation; II. Stage/Exception Plans and relevant Product Descriptions
• Prepare the following reports:

                I.  Highlight Reports
               ii.  End Stage Reports
               iii. Operational Closure Checklist
               iv. End Project Report
               v.  Handover Report

• Maintain the following: i. Electronic Blue File; ii. Procurement, HR and Finance files as required by those practices as per OD12.
• Ensure that all expenditure comply with UNOPS Financial Rules and Regulations (FRR).
• Manage budgets, cash flow and obligations to ensure that deliverables are met and payments to contractors and personnel are received on time.
• Understand and manage UNOPS overheads, allocable charges, and related corporate charges as they apply to the project
• Understand the unique structures of the UN and budget appropriately for personnel
• Manage and remain accountable for expenditures against the budget (based on accurate financial reports)

Knowledge Management:

• Participate in the relevant Communities of Practice
• Actively interact with other PMs and the PM community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practice on the Knowledge System.
• Provide feedback to Practice Leads on policy, supporting guidance with an aim towards continuous improvement of UNOPS policies
• Complete lessons learned as per reporting format
• Incorporate lessons learned from others as per planning format

Personnel Management

• Lead and motivate the project management team
• Ensure that behavioural expectations of team members are established
• Ensure that performance reviews are conducted
• Identify outstanding staff and bring them to the attention of the OC Director
• Have a thorough understanding of UNOPS personnel contract modalities (including ICA and Staff)
• Select, recruit and train team as required by project plans
• Perform the Team Manager role, unless appointed to another person(s)
• Perform Project Support role, unless appointed to another person or corporate/programme function
• Ensure safety and security for all personnel and comply with UNDSS standards

Coordination:

• Engage and coordinate with other UN agencies, as well as national and international partners, as needed
• Represent UNOPS in the relevant coordination forums
• Facilitate programmatic and operational synergies and alignments with other interventions in the four sectors
• Contribute to UNCT and HCT planning and reporting requirements, in coordination with the Partnerships Advisor in the UNOPS Hub in Amman
• Guide the programmatic and operational direction of UNOPS in Yemen 
• Perform other related duties as required.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

The Project manager will comply with the UNOPS monitoring processes and procedures. In addition, the Project manager will be supported by the Third Party Monitoring to reinforce the performance of the project.

General: 

• Masters degree in Civil Engineering with progressive experience in programme/ project management in multi-sector integrated environments is required with additional 10 years of relevant working experience. 

• University Degree (bachelor's degree/ first level)  in Civil Engineering with progressive experience in programme/ project management in multi-sector integrated environments is required
  with a combination of 2 additional years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the advance university degree.
• Ten years (or more based on academic credentials) of progressive experience in project development and management, with focus on monitoring, reporting, development and coordination in either public or private sector organizations.
• Desired experience in the implementation of similar projects / programmes. 
• Previous similar experience in Yemen or similar hard-ship duty stations is an asset
• An excellent knowledge of English and Arabic (both oral and written).

• PRINCE2® Foundation an asset( Complete the UNOPS Project Management Foundation course (within one year after signing this TOR).
• PRINCE2® Practitioner an asset
• Certified Senior Project Manager - International Project Manager Association (IPMA Level B) or Project Management Professional (PMP - PMI) an asset. 

• 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.
• 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
• 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.