Project Management Office (PMO) - Senior Officer

I. Background Information

Located in Dakar, the UNOPS office in Senegal has developed a strong working relation with the Governments of West Africa and international partners over the years. It provides technical support in strategic development areas including elections; Procurement and related capacity building; Environmental protection, as well as infrastructure rehabilitation and development.

Job-Specific  Information

The primary role of the Project  Management Office (PMO) is to provide the Office with the structures, tools and techniques needed to ensure that it has the right programmes and projects in place, that operational and change priorities are balanced, that the governance  and decision making is facilitated and that it has the resources and capability to deliver them consistently  well.

The functions and services of the PMO include:

• Strategic Planning/Portfolio Support: Ensuring UNOPS is focused on doing the right projects by supporting management decision-making.

• Delivery Support: Ensuring UNOPS is doing projects the right way, through the effective delivery of the programme  and projects.

• Best Practices: Applying UNOPS standards in project  management, encouraging consistent working practices  and ensuring appropriate application.

The  primary role of the Project Management Office (PMO) - Senior Officer is to 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. 

The Project Management Office (PMO) - Senior Officer will, under the guidance of , and in cooperation with, MCO PMO Specialist contribute to consistent implementation of the UNOPS project management method and standards across Project portfolio. 

The Project Management Office (PMO) - Senior Officer will periodically review projects’ performances and  help in identification of gaps in policies and practices; and support the development of corrective actions. he/she shall be responsible for the following duties including, but not limited to.

2.    Set-up and closure

3.    Monitoring and reporting

4.    Stakeholder  engagement

5.    Quality assurance

6.    Knowledge management and innovation

7.    Personnel  management

1. Development and planning

• Support the Head of Programme in providing appropriate levels of programmatic management and administrative support to all ongoing project activities.

• Contribute to the  maintenance and implementation of appropriate standards and best practices  in line with UNOPS policies and procedures.

• Maintain oversight and make substantive contributions to ensure that project management activities are in line with service agreements and project documents.

• Ensure proper development, implementation and, as and when appropriate, amendments, of project budgets and staffing resources.

• Ensure effective planning, forecasting and tracking of delivery across the Country Office though appropriate tracking systems used within the PMO.

• Identify, and anticipate in a timely manner, potential risks and issues and propose mitigating measures to the Head of Programme.

2. Set-up and closure

• Facilitate the development of programme/project plans, including the collation of lower-level plans into programme/project-level milestones.

• Liaise closely and support the Head of Support Services in all project assets and finance related issues.

• For project closure purposes, act as (or nominates and supervises) a focal point between the Country Office and donors throughout the process.

• Coordinate all project closure activities, ensuring appropriate disposal of project  assets, timely and effective final (operational) reporting, initiation of financial disbursements as appropriate during Defects Liability Periods, updating of  information on the UNOPS Management Workspace (MWS), and effective  handover of closed projects to UNOPS HQ for financial closure processes.

3. Monitoring and reporting

• Prepare and issue regular project reports in accordance with donor guidelines for reporting.

• Regularly review project status, evaluating performance criteria (scope, cost,  schedule and quality).

• Maintain diaries and progress reports as required by UNOPS standard procedures.

• Provide routine oversigh and analysis of  delivery data  within the  dashboard system, using UNOPS ERP system as required.

• Perform routine maintenance and implementation of effective monitoring and evaluation systems of programme and project activities,  in line with logical frameworks.

• Within the context of monitoring and evaluation, ensure all projects submit and regularly update specific milestones and targets for the duration of projects'  life-cycles, and track progress,  or otherwise,  against such information.

• Provide editorial support to programmes  and  projects, ensuring  effective and  timely dissemination  of reports,  in line with project documentation and clients' expectations.

• Provide the Head of Support Services with necessary project analysis reports and information to support areas relevant to the project management team  (i.e. Locally Managed Direct Costs projections etc.).

• Oversee the implementation of requests or initiatives relevant to project  management from the Regional Office and HQ Teams, as required.

4. Stakeholder engagement

• Develop stakeholder profiles and contribute to the formulation of stakeholder engagement strategies.

• Provide support to the formulation of programme  and project communications plans.

• Coordinate stakeholder engagement and communication, ensuring effective timing and interdependency management of communications across programmes and projects.

• Coordinate internal programme/project communications.

• Monitor the effectiveness of programme/project communications.

5. Quality assurance

• Work with internal audit and finance to ensure the  programme complies with audit requirements.

• Work with procurement/purchasing staff to ensure  effective  interface  with suppliers' quality systems.

• Ensure compliance with UNOPS defined standards for programme/project management.

• Coordinate quality reviews of programme/project documents and deliverables.

• Provide quality control for management products (project documents, reports,  etc.).

6. Knowledge management and innovation

• Ensure routine and effective capacity building activities are conducted in order to build the long-term and sustainable capacity of national staff.

• Participate in, and advocate Project Managers' participation in relevant  Communities of Practice.

• Actively interact with Project Managers and the wider Project Manager community to share case studies, lessons  learned and best practices  in the Knowledge System.

• Contribute to the oversight of lessons learned procedures, ensuring that lessons  learnt are shared in a timely and appropriate  manner.

7. Personnel Management

• Maintain budget and resource availability tables in conjunction with project managers and relevant project staff.

• Continuous assessment of the performance and effectiveness of Supervisees.

• Ensure principles of human rights, gender equity, peace, voice and accountability, ‘doing no harm’ and aid effectiveness in all activities.

• Create, foster and role model a culture of respect  and zero tolerance for discrimination, abuse of authority, harassment, sexual  harassment and sexual exploitation  and abuse. Ensure  accountability for actions and perform duties in  accordance with protection mechanisms and  action  plans,  as  expected by UNOPS policies,  standards  and commitments.

Education

• An advanced university degree (e.g. Masters) in Civil Engineering or Engineering or Architecture or Construction Management or Project Management is required.

• A first-level university degree (e.g. Bachelor) in Civil Engineering or Engineering or Architecture or Construction Management or Project Management or other relevant  field in combination with two  (2) additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.

Certification

• PRINCE2, PMI Project Management Professional, or other  internationally recognized certification  is an asset.

Work Experience

• A minimum of 2 years of progressively responsible experience in project management is required.

• Experience in the successful implementation and/or oversight of programmes and projects  is required.

• Experience with data analysis, management reporting and project management tools and information management systems is desirable.

• Experience working on infrastructure projects is an advantage.

• Experience working in developing countries (especially Africa) is a strong advantage.

• Experience working in an international environment is highly desired.

• Experience dealing with government officials is an advantage.

Languages

• Fluency in French is required.

• Intermediate level of English is required.

1. Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement (IICA) or Local Individual Contractor Agreement (LICA) 
2. Contract level: ICS-9 / IICA-1 / LICA-9
3. 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.

Senegal

Located in Dakar, the UNOPS office in Senegal has developed a strong working relation with the Governments of West Africa and international partners over the years. It provides technical support in strategic development areas including elections; procurement and related capacity building; environmental protection, as well as infrastructure rehabilitation and development.

A Partnerships Unit (PU) has been established to support the development of new engagement opportunities in the sub-region and increase CIOH’s project and programme portfolio. The Partnership Unit coordinates, supports and monitors the development of the portfolio. The Unit report directly to the Hub Director serving, as an interface between the project centers and the operational hub. The Partnership Advisor will work within the Partnership Unit.