Senior Project Manager

UNOPS in DRC and Burundi  will provide services from its main office in the capitals (and presently mainly from the Hub office in Kinshasa) and will be opening offices located in several regions of the country, based on project needs. The organization responds to the needs of the Governments through funding from bilateral donors such as embassies, international financial institutions such as the World Bank and African Development Bank and United Nations agencies such as UNESCO, FIDA, and UNDP. UNOPS provides procurement, contract management, Infrastructure, and human resources services and aims to expand into project management, basic service provisions and other related services, specifically in economic and social infrastructure (construction and rehabilitation) and financial management in sectors such as WASH, Agriculture, Health, Environment & Climate Change Mitigation. 

Under the direct supervision of the CDMCO Director, seconded by the Head of Programme, the Senior Project Manager is responsible to read all project initiation documents (PID), Legal and Financial Agreements and have a thorough understanding of the terms, conditions, and the respective roles and responsibilities of the partners/stakeholders to ensure the projects products are capable of meeting the business cases for both UNOPS and the client. Success of the project(s) and hence of the Senior Programme Manager will be based on the Success Criteria of UNOPS engagements which are linked to the below responsibilities.

The Senior Project Manager will be managing project(s) which ultimate goal is to provide advisory services that contribute to the achievement of partners’ goals. The variety of projects is quite diverse and can range from management of grants, development of strategies to delivery of training or providing technical assistance. 

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

The Senior Project Manager oversees the programme/project portfolio of the country of DRC and Burundi and is expected to manage one or more highly complex or risky multidisciplinary project(s) delivering against an aggressive timeline. Project(s) of this caliber are highly strategic and visible for UNOPS. The Senior Project Manager is responsible for all aspects of the project life cycle which he/she manages. S/he must be able to apply, at a mastery level, the below duties and responsibilities of the programme and projects’ success criteria.

Under the direct supervision of the CDMCO Director, seconded by the Head of Programme, the Senior Project Manager is responsible for: 

1.Project Delivery and Performance 

• Develop, complete and update implementation plan(s)

• Implement the approved plan (including the establishment of milestones) within tolerances set by the Project Board. 

• Embed sustainability dimensions including social and gender inclusion, environmental and economic aspects into project life span. 

• Manage the production of the required outputs, taking responsibility for overall progress and use of resources and initiating corrective action where necessary.

• Ensure that quality of work packages and deliverables complies with the quality requirements defined in the Implementation Plan.

• Liaise with any external suppliers or account managers

• Manage acceptance and delivery of work packages

• Monitor project progress ensuring that work packages are being executed properly

• Control project and work packages changes

• Identify, and anticipate in a timely manner, potential risks and issues and advises mitigating measures to senior management/ Project Board so that maximum benefit to partner(s) and other stakeholders is achieved

• Identify and report to the supervisor potential business opportunities for UNOPS

• An Advanced University degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent) preferably in Project Management, Business Administration, Civil Engineering and/or Architecture, International Development or other relevant discipline is required. 

• A First level University degree (Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent) preferably in Project Management, Business Administration, Civil Engineering and/or Architecture, International Development,
  or another relevant discipline with additional two (2) additional years of relevant professional experience in may be accepted in lieu of the Master's Degree.

• Certification in Project Management (PRINCE2 Foundation, Prince2 Practitioner,  PMI, etc.) is an asset. 

• Complete the UNOPS PMM, UNOPS PMM Infra perspective and oneUNOPS Projects training within (3) months from joining UNOPS.

• A minimum of seven (7) years of progressive experience in programme/project management in either public or private sector organizations is required of which at least five (5) experiences in public infrastructure development (construction, rehabilitation) especially in the Water and Sanitation (WASH) & Environmental sectors to include waste management experience is required.    
• At least three (3) years Team Leader/ Management experience/skills is required. 
• Experience in programme and/or project development with a focus on training, and coordination in either public or private sector organizations is an advantage. 
• Previous experience in the implementation of complex sector-wide programmes will be highly distinct. 
• Experience in risk management is an asset 
• Experience in developing countries or post conflict environments is an asset 
• Experience working in multicultural teams is an asset Strong Problem solving Skills 
• Experience in writing reports, performing data analysis, and writing technical documents is an asset. 
• Experience in process definition and business requirement documentation is an asset 
• Previous experience with UNOPS or a UN Agency is an advantage.

• Full working knowledge (Fluency) in both English and French is required 

• Fluency in Portuguese is desirable.

1. Contract type : International Individual Contractor Agreement (IICA)
2. Contract level :   ICS11 (IICA 3)
3. Contract duration: Ongoing ICA

• 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.