Project Management Support - Senior Officer -Retainer

Background Information - UNOPS Water, Environment and Climate (WEC)

UNOPS Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) Portfolio, located in Vienna, and with offices based globally is part of the UNOPS Global Portfolios Office. The Portfolio has built strong partnerships and is effectively managing a portfolio of over 500 million USD over the last 15 years to support key initiatives with fund management, project implementation and administrative support. 

WEC effectively operationalizes partners' agendas with global approaches, as well as regional and country specific activities focused on climate action, protection and conservation of the environment. Partners profit from WEC’s ability to operationalize and/or scale up their important substantive agendas, including in support of key multilateral environmental and climate agreements,  such as the Paris Agreement, the Cartagena Convention as well as the Sustainable Development Goals.

Role of the Project Management Support Officer (PMSO) 

The PMSO will provide key support to the WEC Programme Management Specialist to ensure smooth development, set-up and delivery of project management activities across the WEC growing portfolio. 

UNOPS project management support covers, among other activities, HR and contract management, procurement, travel and logistics management on behalf of UNOPS’ partners. The PMSO will coordinate these activities as required by the project plans and legal agreements. The PMSO will work to ensure timely, quality and cost-effective implementation in line with UNOPS rules and regulations, as well as international best practices. The PMSO will support the management of emerging issues and risks, coordination with the partners and key stakeholders, as well as with other UNOPS units and personnel. 

The PMSO will manage the client relationship including, the coordination of, and preparation of progress reports and the arrangement of Project Board meetings. The PMSO will have a direct reporting line to the UNOPS WEC Programme Management Specialist, and work in close coordination with the WEC Portfolio Management Team and respective Project Managers and project teams, as required. 

** IMPORTANT INFORMATION **

Retainer positions are not full-time positions. They constitute a contract whereby the Retainer may be requested to provide a specific output/deliverable within a specified period of time, on short notice. When holding a retainer contract, individuals may receive ad-hoc requests from the UNOPS project teams or country offices, and the quantity of requests will vary depending on the current needs. UNOPS shall have no obligation to obtain any minimum quantity of services from the Individual Contractor during the duration of the retainer ICA. It is possible to have multiple consultancy contracts with or outside UNOPS, as long as it is declared to the UNOPS Ethics Office. Read more about the ICA retainer modality here.

Duty station:                     

Please be aware that this is a home-based position, with the duty station being your city of permanent residence. 

*This is a retainer (consultant) national vacancy/position and will be hired for 12 months for a maximum of 220 working days with possibility of extension depending on performance and on availability of funds.

Summary of functions:

1. Project Development, Delivery and Performance

2. Procedures 

3. Monitoring and reporting

4. Stakeholder engagement

5. Quality assurance

6. Knowledge management and innovation 

• Advanced University Degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in Project Management, Finance, Economics, Human Resources, Business Administration, Supply Chain management, International Relations, Social Sciences and/or any other relevant field of study  in combination with an additional four (4) years' relevant experience is required;

OR

• First-level University degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) combined with two additional years of relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of the Master’s degree.

• A  minimum of four (4) years of relevant working experience. Relevant experience is defined as progressive experience in programme/project development or management related to the international development sector in either public or private sector organizations;
• A minimum of two (2) years working experience in implementing and delivering projects for international organisations.

• Experience with coordinating multiple stakeholders, ideally in an international setting is an advantage

• Certification in project management is an asset (PRINCE2, PMI, etc)

1. Contract type: Individual Contractor Agreement (ICA).
2. Contract level : ICSC 9/ LICA 9.
3. Contract duration: This is a retainer (consultant) national vacancy/position and will be hired for 12 months for a maximum of 220 working days with possibility of extension depending on performance and on availability of funds.

• 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.