Senior Project Manager

The South East Asia and Pacific Multi Country Office (EAPMCO) supports, develops and oversees the UNOPS projects in South East Asia and the Pacific. EAPMCO was established in January 2023 following the merger of the Thailand Multi-Country Office, which covered 20 countries across  North East Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific, and the Cambodia Multi-Country Office, which covered 4 countries South East Asia - 3 countries in the Mekong Sub-region (Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam) and the Philippines.  EAPMCO currently covers 24 countries across North East Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific. With its head office in Bangkok, the Multi-Country Office comprises nine business units: SEMCO Thailand, EAPMCO Indonesia,  EAPMCO Pacific Operations Cluster, EAPMCO Papua New Guinea, EAPMCO China, EAPMCO Vietnam, EAPMCO Lao PDR, EAPMCO Philippines and EAPMCO Cambodia.

Local Context: EAPMCO Pacific Cluster 

The EAPMCO Pacific cluster, established in 2017, was formed to support the implementation of UNOPS projects across the Pacific, dealing with the challenges and constraints associated with a combination of Pacific Islands' remoteness, availability of resources, demography, weather, or a combination of all these factors. Many Pacific Islands continue to suffer from diseconomies of scale in production and exchange of goods and services, and access to export markets, with the main economic activities remaining concentrated around tourism, fisheries, forestry, and agriculture, with remittances still playing a significant role in the economy of several Pacific Islands. Currently, UNOPS is working across 12 Pacific Island countries, implementing projects in the areas of health systems strengthening, digital transformations, climate change adaptation,  governance, etc. 

Project Background:

Against this background, UNOPS EAPMCO Pacific is hiring a Senior Project Manager to oversee a project to design and construct One UN House in Pohnpei, the Federated States of Micronesia which requires close coordination and collaboration with the various stakeholders including RC, RCO and other UN agencies and timely implementation. Phase-1 project (design stage) will be approximately USD 3mil and construction values will be estimated during this stage.

The Senior Project Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the project(s) and provides services to the different donors, partners and beneficiaries. The Senior 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 Senior 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.

The Senior Project Manager is responsible to create the Implementation Plan, use 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) outputs are capable of meeting the business cases for both UNOPS and the partner(s). Success of the project(s) and hence Senior Project Manager will be based on the defined Success Criteria. 

The Senior Project Manager for infrastructure projects will be managing project(s) which ultimate goal is to deliver infrastructure physical assets or technical outputs. Those infrastructures are diverse and range from educational and health facilities to roads, bridges, irrigation systems or ports. 

While the complexity of those may vary, maintaining high standards in terms of quality, health, safety and sustainability is always expected.

Depending on the nature and configuration of the project, the Senior Project Manager might be executing technical studies, reviews, designs, supervision or operation and maintenance services of one or several physical infrastructure assets, in one or multiple sites. Depending on the implementation modality it may involve large volumes of procurement of goods, services and HR services.

UNOPS operates in complex contexts where resources might be scarce, local capacity low and where professional judgement and experience in these environments are of uttermost importance.

• Advanced University Degree in a relevant discipline is required. Preferably in Architecture, Civil Engineering, Water Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Structural Engineering, or related field.

• A combination of a Bachelor’s degree preferably in the above-mentioned fields or related with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the education requirements outlined above.

Certification:

• Certification in Project Management (PRINCE2, PMI, etc.) is an asset.
• Professional certification from an accredited institution ( PEng., CEng. , etc) is an asset

• A minimum of 7 years experience (or more depending on academic credentials) in Implementing and managing infrastructure projects (roads, damns, bridges, irrigation, health, wind mills, solar power, ports, etc.) is required.
• Experience in contract management is an asset.
• Knowledge of FIDIC contracts is an asset.
• Experience in planning and applying Health & Safety procedures is an asset.
• Experience in developing Procurement strategies is an asset.
• Proficient in MS Project and Schedule Analysis is an asset.
• Experience in developing countries or post-conflict environments is an asset.
• Experience in writing reports, performing data analysis, and writing technical documents is an asset.
• Knowledge of quality assurance methodologies is an asset.
• Experience in risk management is an asset.
• Experience working in multicultural teams is an asset.
• Experience in managing teams is an asset.

Language:

• Full working knowledge of English is essential.
• Knowledge of another official UNOPS language is an asset.
  
  
  

1. Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement (IICA)
2. Contract level: ICS 11 / IICA 3
3. Contract duration: 1 September 2024 - 31 December 2025 with the possibility of extension.

• 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.