Project Management Support Senior Officer (Internal candidates only)

South Asia Multi County Office:

The South Asia Multi-Country Office (SAMCO) oversees the development and implementation of projects in 7 countries in South Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. SAMCO offers expertise in infrastructure, procurement, human resource management, and fund management. All the project offices have local technical experts and strong partnerships with the governments in each country.

UNOPS has supported Sri Lanka’s development since 1998, expanding operations in 2005 to support the post-tsunami response and reconstruction process. Within the organization’s mandate in project management, infrastructure, and procurement, UNOPS Sri Lanka implements customized socio-economic development projects that benefit vulnerable people and develop national capacities. Achievements in Sri Lanka include the development of sustainable and climate-resilient infrastructure, procurement services & capacity building, and project management in education, fisheries, roads, health, water supply systems; flood control and sanitation, and integrated solid waste management sectors. UNOPS works closely with Government counterparts and communities to ensure increased ownership, sustainability and accountability of Projects. Key projects in Sri Lanka include the Technical Project Management support for the Maternal and Newborn Health Care Strengthening Project in Matara District, Sri Lanka funded by KOICA.

UNOPS Sri Lanka also facilitated over $22 million worth of procurement of COVID-19 protection equipment and services in partnership with the World Bank, the Government of Japan, and the United Nations Multi-Partner Trust Fund.

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Senior Programme Manager, the incumbent manages a team, performing a range of specialized, technical and general, administrative support services, and transactions for discrete work areas in administration and logistics, ensuring efficient, client oriented and effective service delivery. The Administration Senior Associate promotes a client, quality and results-oriented approach, ensuring utilization of office resources in a most cost-effective manner.

Under the overall Supervision of the UNOPS International Senior Programme Manager, the Incumbent will support and provide technical assistance in especially in the areas listed below:

1. Project Implementation

• Supporting the day-to-day operations of the projects and effective management and implementation;

• Ensuring UNOPS Policies and Procedures, Rules and Regulations are adhered to for efficient projects’ implementation and progress;

• Supporting the drafting and preparation of projects’ documentation, agreements or Memoranda of Understanding (MoU), presentations and other official correspondence in English as needed;

• Monitoring projects’ implementation ensuring \projects’ plans and and registers are continuously updated in the internal systems and stay up to date on UNOPS project management system changes and best practices;

• Tracking the progress data, overall situation, risk or any country or field level issue and report and support the Project Managers to take prompt required action.

• Monitoring and recording best practices and innovative approaches within UNOPS; identify and show alternative options according to activity needs;

• Managing information flows and overseeing change controls, risk registers and issue management; document and feedback lessons learned and best practices;

• Supporting projects’ planning process;

• Managing of work packages within the project as and when required;

• Monitoring project quality indicators and supports monthly assurance tasks;

• Monitoring budgets, preparing monthly budget forecasts and cash flows and reports on expense obligations to ensure that deliverables are met;

• Reviewing monthly reports and quarterly financial reports with respect to outputs based on work plans and budget forecasts;

• Alerting Project Managers of any financial shortfalls and over-expenditures;

• Proposing budgets revision and initiating corrective actions when necessary;

• Coordinating vendor communications, meetings, and reports as necessary;

• Assisting in preparing amendments of Agreements andBudget revisions when applicable, in consultation with all relevant stakeholders

• Master’s Degree in Project Management, Business Administration, International Relations, Social Science, Political/Security/Development Studies, or other relevant discipline is required.

• Bachelor’s Degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree;

• A relevant combination of academic credentials and/or industry certifications and qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the university education.

• Minimum two (2) years of experience in project management support is required. 

• Experience and demonstrated knowledge of UN rules and procedures in finance and procurement is highly desirable

• Experience in information management, data analysis and scheduled and highlight reporting is highly desirable.

• Fluent in English is required.

• Knowledge of local languages (Sinhala and Tamil) is an asset.

• Working knowledge of another official UN language is desirable.

Contract type: Local Individual Contractor Agreement (LICA)
Contract level: LICA Specialist-9
Contract duration: 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.

• This position is stationed in Colombo, Sri Lanka which is a family duty station.

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. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. 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.