Contract Management Specialist (Infrastructure)

United Nations Office Project Services 

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world.  Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.  With over 6,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, where they need it.  By implementing around 1,000 projects for our partners at any given time, UNOPS makes significant contributions to results on the ground, often in the most challenging environments.

Austria Multi-Country Office (AUMCO)

The Austria Multi-Country Office (AUMCO) is part of the UNOPS Europe and Central Asia Region (ECR). Specifically, AUMCO aims to enable the achievement of Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement through global programmes and tailored interventions in the Balkans, South Caucasus, and Central Asia, focused on Infrastructure, Procurement, Project Management (full service, back on track), HR and Transactional Services, Grants Management and Technical and Advisory Services. 

Uzbekistan Office

Under the purview of AUMCO, the UNOPS Uzbekistan Office, established in Tashkent in October 2022 supports the Government of Uzbekistan’s development efforts in the country, through the provision of effective project management, infrastructure and procurement services. At present, the office has signed and has been implementing three engagements contributing to SGD3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), while actively working with the Government of Uzbekistan and development partners in diversifying its portfolio in line with the country’s development priorities including education.

Summary of functions:

1. Technical Assistance

2. Contract Management

3. Monitoring and Process Control

4. Stakeholder Management

5. Documentation and Reporting

6. Knowledge Sharing

1 Technical Assistance

• Provides advice to technical specialists and the Procurement Section in the development of Statement of Works (SOW) and Terms of Reference (TOR) to ensure they contain sufficient details for a clear understanding of requirements and to ensure they are performance-based.

• Coordinates the pre-mobilization kick off meeting with all relevant stakeholders to ensure a full understanding of the requirements, responsibilities, reporting and timing of the contract;

• Take part in the tendering process for selection of suppliers, consultants and contractors;

• Prepares the contract for issuance to suppliers and obtains appropriate signatures once the procurement award is approved.

• Assist Project Managers in the issuance of contract notices in connection with work contracts;

2 Contract management

• Act as the focal point for operational contract management issues as well as in establishing and maintaining a mechanism to capture key issues, challenges, gaps and possible areas of improvement.

• Provide technical lead and guidance on the verification of claims for payment against Contracts (both national and international suppliers/contractors/consultants).

• Supports the development of technical evaluation criteria and provides guidance during contract drafting.

• Develops a quality assurance plan to provide a systematic method to monitor contract performance.

• Participates in the development of contract risk assessments and risk management plans, including mitigating measures.

• Verify the eligibility of contract variation requests previously submitted to the executing project.

• Participates in the assessment of contractor performance, including advice and action to address instances of poor performance and/or non-compliance with contractual obligations.

• Supports contract closeouts including identifying, documenting and disseminating best practices and lessons learned and securing the final contractor performance assessment.

• Liaises with other departments (Procurement, Finance, etc.) in relation to claims and disputes, demanding specific performance, claiming against warranties and other contractual remedies.

• Works towards resolution of conflicts or performance issues arising in cases of poor performance and/or non-compliance with contractual obligations.

• Provide advice to the projects on the management of contractual matters during implementation.

• Interact with local teams in order to understand issues described in the various claims.

• Advanced University (Master's Degree or equivalent) in Engineering, Law, Business Management, International Development or other relevant discipline  with a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience; OR

• First-level University degree (Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent) in Engineering, Law, Business Management, International Development or other relevant discipline with a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience

• A minimum of 5 years of working experience in procurement, contract management and administration, Project Management/ Infrastructure/Office management etc is required.

• Minimum of 5 years relevant experience, defined as experience in contract management, and project management related to Infrastructure and/or procurement of Goods and Services is required;

• Knowledge of FIDIC based contracts is required.

• Proven skills in outlining and transferring to other colleagues from different backgrounds the main elements of contract management requirements and processes are required.

• Proven skills in claims analysis, verification and negotiation, preferably in developing countries is desirable.

• Strong computer skills, including internet navigation and office applications (Google); good knowledge of the use of Google spreadsheets.

• Fluency in English is required

• Fluency in Uzbek and/or Russian is an asset

Contract type: ICA
Contract level: IICA-2 (ICS-10)
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.

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.