Construction Engineering Technician - Assistant - Retainer, Multiple positions

Background Information - UNOPS Kenya Multi Country Office

In East and Southern Africa, UNOPS is represented by a Multi Country Office based in Nairobi, Kenya and operating across 16 countries. The portfolio of engagements managed by the Kenya Multi Country Office includes transactional projects in partnership with the Nairobi based UN Agencies, UN-Habitat and UNEP, and multiple infrastructure, procurement, fund management, and HR management projects in Zimbabwe, Somalia, Mozambique, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and several island states. In 2023 a country presence will be established in Malawi in order to implement and oversee the new education sector project and build a pipeline of future projects.

Specifically, the incumbent will be responsible for the following tasks under the close supervision and guidance of the Associate Engineers: 

• Assist the Associate Engineer on the technical supervision of construction works implementation to ensure construction works are completed on time, within budget, as per the contractual provisions and the design specifications and top quality standards. 
• Assist the Associate Civil Engineer in the preparation of project/contracts related documentation such as periodic progress reports, site monitoring reports, stakeholder meeting minutes, engineer’s instructions and variation orders, contractor’s bills review reports, certifications, client hand-over documents and contracts close-out reports. 
• When required, support on the preparation of the pre-solicitation documents for tendering of the infrastructure projects such as the scope of works, technical specifications, bill of quantities and drawings 

Knowledge Sharing and Management: 

•  Contribute to the project evaluation process; highlight challenges associated with the project and feedback into a continuous improvement cycle. 
• Contribute to the dissemination and sharing of best practices and lessons learned for development planning and knowledge building.
• Participate in the relevant Communities of Practice, actively interact with other Engineers and the Engineering community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practice on the Knowledge System 

• Ensure accurate and timely reporting of progress and conditions on site through daily site records prepared and submitted by the engineering team. 
• Produce any appropriate documentation identified by the DNP Project Manager and Associate Civil Engineer in a professional and accurate manner.

• Completion of Secondary education is required.
•  A Bachelor’s Degree preferably in Construction Contract Management, Quantity Surveying, Civil Engineering or Project Management from an accredited university will be an added advantage and will be accepted in lieu of the respective years of experience.

• A minimum of four years of relevant working experience of support services in Engineering and/or Construction Management, is required. 
• Experience working in project teams and multi-project environment is required.

• Full working knowledge of English is required.

• Working knowledge of another official UN Language is an asset.

Contract type: Local Individual Contractor Agreement (LICA)
Contract level: ICS4 (LICA 4)
Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance

This is a local position, it is therefore open to Zimbabwe Nationals 

• 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.