Project Management Office (PMO) Specialist

*** The position is open both for internal and External Candidates***

UNOPS Pakistan (Project Office) is part of the Sri Lanka Multi-Country Office in the Asia Region. UNOPS commenced operations in Pakistan in 1999 and significantly up-scaled activities from 2005 onwards to support populations affected by and vulnerable to earthquakes. In 2010, UNOPS opened a permanent office in Islamabad to support the Government of Pakistan and other partners to undertake humanitarian and reconstruction services, following the most devastating flood in the nation’s history.

UNOPS Pakistan has been implementing projects in the areas of early recovery and reconstruction of community infrastructure, project management, monitoring and evaluation, community development, fund management, human resources management, procurement, and infrastructure design and implementation.

Supported strategically by a regional operational hub and UNOPS headquarters in Copenhagen and within the overarching framework of the ONE UN Programme, UNOPS Pakistan continues to deliver projects across the country under its core delivery practices of sustainable infrastructure, sustainable procurement, and sustainable project management.

With a steady growth of the project portfolio in recent years and a new strategic direction, UNOPS in Pakistan is currently implementing projects in the following thematic areas: Green and Clean energy; Rule of Law; Health Procurement; and HR services.

The primary role of Project Management Office Specialist (PMO) is to provide the Pakistan office with the structures, tools and techniques needed to ensure that it has the right programmes and projects in place, that operational and change priorities are balanced, the governance and decision making is facilitated and it has the resources and capability to deliver them consistently well.  

The functions and services of the PMO include:

• Strategic Planning/Portfolio Support: Ensuring UNOPS is focused on doing the right projects by supporting management decision-making.

• Delivery Support: Ensuring UNOPS is doing projects the right way, through the effective  delivery of the programme and projects. 

• Best Practices: Applying UNOPS standards in project management, encouraging consistent working practices and ensuring appropriate application. 

The primary role of PMO is to ensure that project management policies, processes and methods are followed and practiced according to the organization standards, while acting as the overall Project Assurance capacity within the business unit . The PMO strongly contributes to moving the Pakistan Office toward achieving its mission-focused goals and objectives.

This position will report to the Country Manager Pakistan, under the technical supervision of the Head of Programmes in the SAMCO unit.

• Act as programmatic focal point for design of new projects including coordinating programmatic inputs for narratives, budgets and required assessments;
• Support development of programmatic inputs in country office strategy and other wider organizational strategies from a programmatic perspective;
• Support partnerships in representation of UNOPS in programmatic discussions for new engagements;
• Provide the Head of Support Services with necessary project analysis reports and information to support areas relevant to the project management team (i.e. Locally Managed Direct Costs projections etc.);
• Coordinate with relevant retainers for inputs in the design of projects

• Support partnerships to develop stakeholder profiles and the formulation of stakeholder engagement strategies;.
• Represent UNOPS in relevant programme platforms;
• Coordinate reporting on non project specific programmatic matters of the mission including but not limited to the PMT.

• Set up necessary systems to enable UNOPS to respond at speed in the event of a natural or other disaster
• Coordinate with relevant stakeholders to establish standby agreements ahead of any disaster situation;
• Manage any standby stock and rosters;
• Contribute programmatic sections and actions into the BCP.

• Act as project manager before the joining of the project management team;
• Facilitate the development of high-level programme/project plans, including the collation of lower-level plans into programme/project-level milestones;
• Develop, track and maintain dependencies;
• Enable the formulation of programme and project communications plans at the time of project inception with support from partnerships;.
• Support recruitment, launch of procurement and other actions to ensure timely start up of the project activities;
• Ensure necessary approvals and agreements with authorities and partners are in place, in coordination with the partnership team.

• Act as project manager or project focal point for specific projects including small, emergency and legacy projects;
• In conjunction with the PMO team, provide appropriate levels of programmatic management and administrative support regarding all ongoing project activities, while maintaining and implementing appropriate standards and best practices in line with UNOPS policies and procedures;
• Complete all of the necessary oversight of the project planning, execution and closure;
• Prepare reports for these specific projects;
• Recruit and manage any additional team members required to implement these projects;
• Identify and anticipates in a timely manner, potential risks and issues specific to delivery forecasts, and advises mitigating measures to the CM and Head of Programme;
• Perform routine maintenance and implementation of effective monitoring and evaluation systems of programme and project activities, in line with logical frameworks.

• For project closure purposes, act as (or nominates and supervises) a focal point between the Multi Country/Country Office and donors throughout the process.
• Oversee and coordinate all project closure activities, ensuring appropriate disposal of project assets, timely and effective final (operational) reporting, initiation of financial disbursements as appropriate during Defects Liability Periods, updating of information on the UNOPS Management Workspace (MWS), and effective handover of closed projects to UNOPS HQ for financial closure processes.
• Work with internal audit and finance to ensure the programme complies with audit requirements.
• Work with procurement/purchasing staff to ensure effective interface with suppliers' quality systems for closure
• Ensure compliance with UNOPS defined standards for programme/project management.
• Coordinate quality reviews of programme/project documents and deliverables for submission
• Provide quality control for management products (project documents, reports, etc.).

• Ensure implementation, and where required develop, systems for project management and monitoring at the CO level
• Maintain any required feedback mechanisms including but not limited to PSEA (see below)
• Support CM in regularly reviewing project status, evaluating performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule and quality).
• Maintain diaries and progress reports as required by UNOPS standard procedures.
• Provide routine oversight and analysis of delivery data within the dashboard system, using UNOPS ERP system as required.
• Coordinate and oversee the implementation of requests or initiatives relevant to project management from the Regional Office, IPAS, and HQ Teams, as required
• Act as a focal point for the Multi Country/Country Office maturity enhancement initiatives, using the P3M3 as a baseline.
• Ensure routine and effective capacity building activities are conducted in order to build the long-term and sustainable capacity of staff for project management;
• Participate in, and advocate PMs' participation in, relevant Communities of Practice;
• Actively interact with PMs and the wider PM community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices in the Knowledge System;
• Provide feedback to Practice Leads on policy and supporting guidance working to achieve continuous improvement of UNOPS policies;
• Contribute to the oversight of lessons learned procedures, ensuring that lessons learnt are shared in a timely and appropriate manner.

• A Master’s Degree in Project Management, Engineering or related field
• A combination of Bachelor’s degree with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the education requirements outlined above.

• PRINCE2 Practitioner Certification is highly desirable.
• MSP certification (Foundation and/or Practitioner) is an advantage;
• Civil engineering qualification or equivalent desirable.

• A minimum of least 5 years of relevant and progressive professional experience, specifically in the field of Project Management with experience of successful implementation and/or oversight of programmes and projects.
• Previous experience of working within a PMO environment is an advantage.
• Strong experience with data analysis, management reporting and project management tools and information management systems.

• Full working knowledge of English is essential;
• Fluency in one or more additional official UN languages is an advantage;
• Fluency in Urdu is preferred.

Contract type: ICA

• 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.