Senior Project Manager (INTERNAL APPLICANTS ONLY)

Afghanistan

With more than 20 years of experience in the country, UNOPS Afghanistan focuses on providing maximum support to the people of Afghanistan through the delivery of projects and services that improve the lives of people in need. The UNOPS Afghanistan Country Office (AFCO) serves as an organizational mechanism to deliver a range of projects for which UNOPS has been designated as the implementation agency. At present, UNOPS AFCO activities cover a range of sectors including humanitarian, basic human needs, cash for work, infrastructure, development, procurement and HR services.

The functional objective of UNOPS AFCO is to contribute to improving the lives of girls, boys, men and women living in Afghanistan. The aim of UNOPS AFCO is to provide efficient and cost-effective implementation services on behalf of all our partners to support the humanitarian response and development of the country. UNOPS AFCO’s mission is to exceed the expectations of all stakeholders in the delivery of AFCO services, at all times, in all places, in all circumstances, in order to improve the lives of Afghans in need.

Organisational Context:

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 organisations.  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.

Senior Project Manager  is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the projects and provides services to the different donors, partners and beneficiaries. 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 aSenior 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.

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

Senior 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 projects outputs are capable of meeting the business cases for both UNOPS and the partners. Success of the projects and hence of the Senior Project Manager  will be based on the defined Success Criteria. 

Project Information:

The functions and services of the Senior Project Manager include:

• Strategic Oversight/Portfolio Management: Applying an evidence-based approach to project oversight, early warning, corrective actions, and mainstreaming lessons into business planning

• Manage Delivery: Doing Projects the Right Way with specific emphasis on in-depth, full project cycle management, from starting up new projects, to substantive closure.  Leading teams in delivering projects according to policy and best practice

• Best Practices: Doing Projects Consistently and well through mentoring, coaching and developing the project team’s capacity to deliver successful and impactful projects

Through these functions and services, the Senior Project Manager will ensure that project management policies, processes and methods are followed and practiced according to the organization standards, while acting as the overall Project Assurance capacity within the business unit on behalf of senior management. 

The selected candidate will work under the direct supervision of the Head of Programme to ensure that projects meet their intended outcomes, are implemented to the highest standard of project management practices, and meet partner satisfaction.

Projects under the portfolio includes:

Being one of the Participating UN Organisations (PUNOs) under the revised STFA JP for West, UNOPS will support earthquake-affected communities in Herat province to restore access to essential services and infrastructure in Component 2 - Improved Access to Essential Services, along with UNDP, UNHCR, and UNFPA. Also, in accordance with the revised JP, aligned with the United Nations Strategic Framework for Afghanistan 2023-2025 (UNSFA), this UNOPS STFA West project will contribute to UNSFA Output 1—Essential services and community infrastructure, including for health, agriculture, and energy supply, are functional, sustained, and expanded to meet the different needs of women and men. 

The Japan supplementary fund project is responding to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan caused by the sudden return of Afghan refugees from Pakistan and the ongoing threat of Explosive Ordnance (EO) contamination. Among the key proposed activities, this project will include: Conducting Humanitarian Mine Action Operations, including community liaison, survey, risk education and clearance of EO-contaminated land and providing Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) training to approximately 6,900 people through the selection of a national NGO as an implementing partner. It also aims to implement small-scale community infrastructure projects through Cash for Work programs, providing income opportunities for 150 people and supporting national capacity in mine action and sustaining the operational capacity of local partners.

UNOPS offers flexible and tailored human resources solutions to UN partners, where speed and efficiency are essential. We provide specialist human resources support in peace and security contexts, during rapidly changing humanitarian emergencies, or for longer term development, based on the needs of our partners. In Afghanistan, UNOPS supports WHO, which includes on-time contract and payroll management,

And the Senior Project Manager  can be assigned to, as per Country office requirements, to follow up and closure of legacy projects. 

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

• Advanced University Degree (Masters Degree) in Project Management, Business Management, Development Studies, Procurement/Supply Chain Management or other relevant disciplines is required.
• A Bachelor's Degree in Project Management, Business Management, Development Studies, Procurement/Supply Chain Management in combination with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the education requirements outlined above.

• 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.