Director, Country Office

UNOPS Panama Multi-Country Office (PAMCO) is recruiting for this position: Country Director based in San Jose, Costa Rica.


Work Context:

This role requires frequent travel on official missions to project sites and other locations in and outside San Jose, Costa Rica, as well as frequent verbal interactions with national public partners, other counterparts as well as peers and direct reports, this includes sound negotiation and influence skills.


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.



About UNOPS in Costa Rica:

The Costa Rica Office is one of the countries under Panama Multi Country Office (PAMCO), the MCO covers Panama, Costa Rica and the English/Dutch speaking Caribbean Countries 

The Role:

Reporting to and under the general guidance and oversight from the Multi Country Director, the CO Director directs and manages all delivery within the Country Office scope, including liaison and engagement development activities and delivering timely and cost effective services for sustainable results by partners and stakeholders. 

The CO Director represents UNOPS on behalf of the MCO and Regional Director in Costa Rica.


About our Culture:

Our work contributes to building the foundations for countries and communities to achieve peace and sustainable development, guided by our values: Inclusion, Integrity, Humility and Humanity.

UNOPS celebrates diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunities. The UNOPS workforce is made up of people of diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations and abilities. UNOPS aims to maintain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive work environment for its entire workforce.

• An Advanced University degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent)  in Public Administration, Business Administration, Engineering,  Social Science, International Development, Project Management, or other relevant disciplines combined with ten (10) years of relevant experience.

• A First level University degree (Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent)  in Public Administration, Business Administration, Engineering,  Social Science, International Development, Project Management, or other relevant disciplines combined with twelve (12) years of relevant experience is required.

• A minimum of  ten (10) years of experience that combines strategic and managerial leadership in international development, business development, operations and/or program management in a large international and/or corporate organization is required. 
• At least three (3) years of senior leadership experience including supervising senior professional staff and managing financial sustainability of operations, including at least 2 years in a country office. 
• Experience working in developing countries is desirable. 
• Experience in dealing with infrastructure portfolios is desirable. 
• Experience partnering with the public sector on developing, implementing and/or evaluating  projects and programs of high national relevance is a distinctive advantage.

• Fluent in Spanish and English Language is required
• Knowledge of any official UN language is an advantage.

Contract type: Fixed Term Appointment (FTA-Staff)

Level of contract: P5/ICS 12

Contract duration: One year initially, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and funding availability. 

• 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.

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 5,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,400 personnel recruited on behalf of our partners, spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced and diverse labour force — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs. We continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage the recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.