Deputy Project Manager

Organisational 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 organisations.  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.

Project Manager  is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the project(s) and provides services to the different donors, partners and beneficiaries. Project Manager acts on behalf of the Project Board to manage the project on an ongoing basis during the Implementation Stage. The main responsibility of a Project Manager  is to ensure that the project outputs are delivered within the specified project tolerances of time, cost, quality, scope, risk and benefits. He/she is expected to meet the organization’s performance and delivery goals.

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, the Deputy Project Manager (Infrastructure) will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the project(s) and provide services to the different donors, partners and beneficiaries. S/he is expected to meet and exceed the organization's performance and delivery goals.

The Deputy Project Manager is responsible to produce/read the project initiation documents (PID), Legal Agreement and have a thorough understanding of the terms, conditions, and the respective roles and responsibilities of the partners/stakeholders to ensure the project(s) products are capable of meeting the business cases for both UNOPS and the client. The Deputy Project Manager is responsible for all aspects of the project infrastructure life cycle.  

Diversity

With over 5,000 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.

Project Information:

Freetown’s water supply system has been hugely impacted by a disproportionate trend in water supply as against the number of consumers. This has resulted in an intermittent water supply system to be able to serve consumers through rationing. Even though this is the most viable option to sustainably carry out the mandate of the GVWC, potential downsides to this include the risk of waterborne diseases through potential intrusion of contaminants into the distribution system from pressure transients during off-supply hours when the pipes are empty and pressures below atmospheric. 

With funding from the Japanese government, the project ending in March 2025 covers technical studies including mapping of customer databases, validation and update of the existing network, procurement of pipes and fittings for leakage management, and establishment of well-defined DMAs to enable GVWC to carry out proper water balance. The main focus on leakage management will be the prevention of water ingress into the water supply system thereby improving the water quality reaching the consumers and subsequently incidences of waterborne and water-related diseases. Interventions will be developed taking into consideration the priorities for people in Freetown in collaboration with the Guma Valley Water Company. This intervention will benefit 250,000 people directly and 15,000 meter connections in Freetown

Overall objective

The project aims at increasing access to safe water and reducing waterborne diseases in Freetown.

Outcome

1. Improved and increased access to safe water in priority areas  (beneficiaries: 250,000 people in Freetown) 

2. Reduced Non-Revenue water (water loss, from current 45% to 35%, 10% reduction)

3. Improved network system resilience

Job Specific Information 
Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, the Deputy Project Manager (Infrastructure) will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the project(s) and provide services to the different donors, partners and beneficiaries. S/he is expected to meet and exceed the organization's performance and delivery goals.

The Deputy Project Manager is responsible to produce/read the project initiation documents (PID), Legal Agreement and have a thorough understanding of the terms, conditions, and the respective roles and responsibilities of the partners/stakeholders to ensure the project(s) products are capable of meeting the business cases for both UNOPS and the client. The Deputy Project Manager is responsible for all aspects of the project infrastructure life cycle. 

S/he must be able to apply, independently, the below duties and responsibilities of the project success criteria:

1.  Summary of functions:

2. Project Delivery and Performance

3. Procedures 

4. Monitoring and reporting

5. Stakeholder engagement

6. Quality assurance

7. Knowledge management and innovation 

8. Personnel management 

• Advanced University Degree (Masters Degree) in Project Management, Procurement/ Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Construction engineering, Architecture, vertical infrastructure (buildings, etc.) or other relevant discipline is required.

• A  Bachelor’s degree with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the education requirements outlined above.

• A minimum of 2 years progressive experience in infrastructure is required;

• Experience working in development sector is an added advantage;

• Experience in a Project Management  role (incl. Team Leader, Lead Engineer, Technical Coordinator, Deputy PM or Acting) in the delivery of development projects is highly desirable;

• Demonstrated experience working with multidisciplinary teams is desired;

• Past experience involved in procurement of goods/services/ works is a distinct advantage;

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

• Full working knowledge of English is required.

• PRINCE2® Practitioner Certification is an asset. 

• Managing Successful Project (MSP) Practitioner Certification is an asset.

• Contract type: Local Individual Contract Agreement (LICA)
• Contract level: LICA 9/ ICS 9
• 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.

• Freetown, Sierra Leone is a family duty station
  
  

Terms and Conditions 

• 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.