Civil Engineer (UNOPS internal candidates ONLY)

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is a United Nations body responsible for infrastructure, procurement and project management (General Assembly Resolution 65/176 of 2010). Our mission is to help people improve their lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development. UNOPS' three priority areas are:

i) Sustainable Infrastructure: Designing, building, repairing, and maintaining infrastructure in challenging environments, focusing on transportation, education, and health infrastructure.

ii) Public Procurement: Serving as a central procurement resource for the UN system and governments, emphasizing efficient, transparent, and sustainable delivery of goods and services.

iii) Project Management: Managing over a thousand humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding projects annually for various partners, ensuring quality, effectiveness, and results that meet the highest standards.

UNOPS' work seeks environmental, social, and economic sustainability, which contributes to the progress of equity and the common good of the countries in which it operates, thus promoting the improvement of the living conditions of the most needy people. UNOPS has a presence in 23 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The services, product,s and technical assistance comply with the principles of public administration of transparency, equity, integrity, free competition, impartiality, morality, effectiveness, efficiency, and respect for national institutions.

Project Information:

This project involves the construction of a new, high-security prison and house of detention in Sint Maarten. The current facility, established in 1990, is in poor condition and no longer meets national or international standards. The new facility is designed as a cluster-type prison and is being constructed to be fully compliant with human rights standards, including the Nelson Mandela Rules and others. The construction will be executed in stages to ensure the existing prison remains operational at all times.

The expected outcome is to strengthen Sint Maarten's correctional infrastructure, providing adequate, safe, and humane detention that facilitates the reintegration of offenders into society.

About Our Culture:

Our work contributes to building the foundations for countries and communities to achieve peace and sustainable development, guided by our values: Inclusion, Integrity, Humility and Humanity.

• Identify omissions, defects, and opportunities for optimization in the project design.

• Prepare and review proposals for design adjustments, in coordination with relevant technical resources (e.g., topography, specialist consultants).

• Support the Lead Engineer in controlling, managing, and monitoring the approved construction contract.

• Maintain a continuous UNOPS presence on site during construction.

• Review the UNOPS Construction Stage Quality Management Plan, recommending improvements as needed.

• Develop templates, procedures, and cost estimates to implement the Quality Management Plan within budget.

• Ensure that UNOPS contracts based on those of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) are properly managed.

• Under the supervision of the Lead Engineer act as a negotiator between stakeholders to manage and propose solutions within the contractual framework to operational and non-performance issues.

• Contribute to the project evaluation process, highlight project related challenges and provide constructive feedback in a continuous cycle of improvement.

• Provide training and transfer of technological know-how to national and contractor staff, advice on good construction and environmental management practices, and appropriate health and safety standards during construction.

• An advanced university degree (equivalent to a Master's degree) is required, preferably in one of the following disciplines: Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering and/or related areas.
• A university degree (equivalent to a Bachelor's degree) will be accepted, preferably in one of the following disciplines: Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering and/or related areas, provided that a minimum of 4 years of relevant experience is accredited.

• A minimum of 2 years of experience (or more depending on academic credentials)  is required, with a proven track record of fulfilling supervisory roles in construction/supervision management and/or contractual management for vertical infrastructure projects. 
• Experience in complex technical building construction projects of more than 5,000 m² is desirable.
• Experience in FIDIC contract management is desirable.
• Experience in the role of The Employer, as indicated in the FIDIC contract, is desirable
• Experience working in the Caribbean region is highly desirable.

• Fluency in English (written, spoken, and read) is required.
• Fluency in another UN official language is desirable.

Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement 

Contract level: ICS 9 equivalent to IICA 1

Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance. This contract is established in the Regular Monthly Contract modality; continuous service provision is required during the contract period;  the payments associated with the contract will be processed at the end of each calendar month.

Work life harmonization: UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options.

UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 11:59 pm CST.

• 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.