Project Management Office Specialist (Policy, Governance & Technical)

Multi-Country Office Context:

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.  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.  With over 6,000 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.

UNOPS Ghana Multi-country Office (GHMCO) located in Accra covers five West African countries namely Ghana, The Gambia, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.  The GHMCO is also responsible for managing strategic and operational risks associated with a subset of the regional portfolio of engagements, developing and delivering cost effective services contributing to partners’ sustainable results and achievements of UNOPS management results.

Project Information:

UNOPS has been established in Sierra Leone since 2000 and currently has over 40 personnel in the country, working on up to 5 projects from  its country office in Freetown. During the last 15 years, UNOPS has delivered a variety of infrastructure projects nationwide, particularly in the fields of health, energy, and security infrastructure and procurement.

Sierra Leone has one of the lowest rates of electricity access in the world; the country has a national electrification rate of 26 percent, although this figure declines to 6 percent in rural areas where the majority of the population lives. There are a number of barriers to expanding grid-based electricity access and improving service quality, including a weak and limited transmission and distribution system; non-technical deficiencies with the utility, which result in high technical and commercial losses; insufficient generation capacity; seasonal variability in hydropower production; and institutional and regulatory constraints.

Furthermore, a large portion of small towns and rural communities of the country are not likely to be connected to the main grid for at least ten years. Hence the reason why the Government of Sierra Leone is increasing its effort on access to electricity in the country  . UNOPS, through the Ministry of Energy (MoE) signed an agreement with the World Bank to implement a $12.7m project with the  aim to increase rural electricity access through mini-grids and standalone home systems in Sierra Leone. The mini-grid option provides a cost- effective solution for small towns, large communities and settlements. 

The objective of this project is to increase rural electrification access in Sierra Leone through mini grids, targeting productive use potential and stand alone solar systems aimed at electrifying health facilities and schools, leading to improved development outcomes in health, education and economic development to those locations. The associated human capital development is to ensure a long term sustained intervention.

The Project Management Office Specialist (Policy, Governance and Technical) is expected to work closely with the various work-package team leaders, Project Management Unit (PMU) including the communications specialist to support the delivery of projects being delivered by UNOPS for the Government of Sierra Leone in the energy sector.  One of the main responsibilities of the Project Management Office Specialist (Policy, Governance and Technical) is to maintain regular engagement with the key stakeholders especially the Ministry of Energy but also the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Private Public Partnership Unit, Private sector operators and mini-grid developers, local level community groups and other donor partners conducting work on the project

The Project Management Office Specialist (Policy, Governance and Technical) will provide support to the Ministry with regard to monitoring the progress of activities under the Enhancing Sierra Leone Energy Access Project (ESLEAP) between UNOPS and the Ministry of Energy. 

In addition, She/He will be required to collaborate with Technical Assistance and Capacity Building lead in providing support to the Energy in relation to coordination technical outputs provided by other partners.

1. Coordination support

2. Monitoring and Reporting

3. Stakeholder Management

4. Delivery and Performance 

5. Procedures

6. Knowledge Management

7. Team Management

• Master’s Degree (Advanced University Degree or Higher) in Project Management, Business Administration, Development Studies, Energy Studies, Engineering or other relevant disciplines is required.

• Bachelor's Degree in Project Management, Business Administration, Development Studies, Energy Studies, Engineering or any related field of study with a combination of two (2) additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of Master’s Degree requirement.

• A minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience in the implementation of development projects in a project management support related role is required.

• Out of the five years experience above, two years must be in stakeholder engagement during project implementation.

• Experience working with Government institutions in the delivery of activities is highly desirable;  

• Experience in community engagement is an advantage.

• Experience in the use of google software packages (Google Doc, Sheets and Slides) and experience in handling web-based management systems is an added advantage.

• Knowledge of the UN system and familiarity with UNOPS procedures is an advantage; 

• Fluency in written, reading and spoken English Language is required.

• Contract type: Local Individual Contract Agreement (LICA)
• Contract level:  LICA 10/ ICS 10
• Contract duration: Ongoing ICA – ‘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.

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.

Africa Region

AFR helps ensure that 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.