Project Manager

This vacancy is designed to specifically recruit professionals who are nationals of Sri Lanka or possess a valid residency permit enabling them to legally work within the country. 

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. 

UNOPS Sri Lanka 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. Currently, UNOPS completed the procurement of US$5 million in essential pharmaceuticals  to strengthen the Sri Lanka health system during the medicine shortage crisis. Currently, UNOPS is implementing a digital health transformation project along with the Ministry of Health under funding from the Global Fund.

Local Context: 

UNOPS has a long-standing presence in Sri Lanka and is a strategic partner of the Ministry of Health, delivering procurement and infrastructure projects in both emergency and sustainable development contexts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, UNOPS played a critical role by procuring and delivering PPE, medical equipment, micro-enterprise startup assistance, and cash grants across the country through various projects.

UNOPS’s footprint in Sri Lanka encompasses large-scale infrastructure projects, civil society support, and project management in climate action initiatives. Moving forward, UNOPS aims to continue supporting the Government of Sri Lanka's reform policies by improving the efficiency of public administration and enhancing accountability through the digitization of key ministries, including the Ministry of Health.

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

Project Manager  has the authority to assign, as per the Project Plan, work packages to Team Managers and approve deliverables produced by them.

Project Manager is responsible for creating the Implementation Plan, using the Project Initiation Document (PID), Legal Agreement and having 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 of the Project Manager will be based on the defined Success Criteria. 

Project Information:

These projects aim to procure goods and services for a variety of partners including UNODC under its Global Maritime Crime Prevention program, development of new projects and monitoring and management of new projects that include substantial procurement including high tech and complex procurement, logistics and operations. . This role also includes logistics, procurement and project management for other relevant projects and programmes. 

1. Project Delivery and Performance

2. Procedures 

3. Monitoring and reporting

4. Stakeholder engagement

5. Quality assurance

6. Knowledge management and innovation 

7. Personnel management

• A Master’s Degree or equivalent in Purchasing and Supply Management, Business Administration, Public Administration, Procurement, or related fields is required.

• A Bachelor's  Degree or equivalent in Purchasing and Supply Management, Business Administration, Public Administration, Procurement, or related fields in combination with two (2) additional years of experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree requirement.

• Fluency in English is required.

• Knowledge of the local language is an asset.

• 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. 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.