Project Manager

UNOPS supports the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner.

Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices, always satisfying or surpassing our partners’ expectations.

With over 7,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, wherever they need it.

A flexible structure and global reach means that we can quickly respond to our partners' needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale. 

Haiti

The UNOPS Haiti office supports international partners and the Haitian Government in their work to improve lives following the 2010 earthquake. UNOPS project managers and their local employees are helping to check the safety of damaged houses, build transitional shelters for homeless families, provide cleaner toilets for those living in camps, clear canals of debris to prevent floods, repair roads, and construct maternity centres and schools.

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is the largest service provider in the United Nations system, working on behalf of UN departments, IFIs and Governments. 

UNOPS has over the years developed a wide range of services able to provide rapid response in complex emergencies. These include initial humanitarian assistance together with complex logistics and procurement, applied baselines surveys and multi-sectorial assessments, as well as emergency preliminary assessments for the design of physical infrastructures for longer-term reconstruction or recovery.

UNOPS Haiti Operations Centre has been working in Haiti for 11 years providing project management, procurement and logistics services for the Haitian Government, other UN agencies and international organizations in communication, governance, and engineering expertise.

UNOPS-HTOC has been rehabilitating neighborhoods in the Port au Prince metropolitan area since 2010. A large program was initiated to provide Housing and other Community Infrastructure to the downtown community of Fort National. One of the most vulnerable neighborhoods in Haiti, Fort National has had very little support. During the last year, UNOPS-HTOC was able to achieve many important milestone, namely finishing the construction of a new water network enabling water to flow into the community for the first time in generations, construction of a new main street, new pathways and a large number of social housing projects.

The last element of this support is the construction of a new school and a dispensary.

The school will provide education to the local children and the sipensary will provide essential medical services to its population.

These two essential services will be funded and managed by the Congregation of Ste Anne, who have been present in Haiti since 1944 and are responsible for some of the best educational facilities in the country.

They have been present in Fort National since the 1950’s. The school will be built on the premises of a former school that collapsed during the earthquake of January 12th 2010.

• The PM is responsible for operational management of the Project.
• S/he will work closely with the Program Manager to ensure that appropriate support and technical services are in place to expedite contract approval and the processing of payments.
• The PM will regularly review project progress and the implementation structure to ensure the most efficient and most cost effective model to deliver and lessons are learnt for the future.
• The PM will be based in Port-au-Prince and travel throughout the country or internationally as required.
• The PM works closely with the Program Manager to identify and pursue UNOPS portfolio development opportunities.
• The PM reports directly to the Program Manager

Stakeholder Management:

• Establish solid working relationship with the project board (Executive, Senior Users and Senior Suppliers), client and key stakeholders
• Manage communications and ensure stakeholders are aware of project activities, progress, exceptions and are in a position to accept handover products
• Advise the client on issues that may impact the achievement of their outcomes (including issues of sustainability and post project requirements such as maintenance)
• Manage the information flows between the Project Board/OC Director and the project(s)

Delivery and Performance:

• Develop and maintain project plans
• Implement approved project plans (including the establishment of milestones) within tolerances set by the project board
• Embed sustainability dimensions including social and gender inclusion, environmental and economic aspects into project life cycle.

• Manage the production of the required products, taking responsibility for overall progress and use of resources and initiating corrective action where necessary
• Liaise with any external suppliers or account managers
• Authorize Work Packages
• Advise the Project Board and OC Manager of any deviations from the plan
• Identify and manage risks so that maximum benefit to client and stakeholders is achieved
• Manage and review product quality and ensure products are accepted
• Monitor and evaluate performance of service providers
• Identify and report potential business opportunities for UNOPS to supervisor
• Identify and report threats to UNOPS internal business case to supervisor

Procedures:

• Follow the Project Management Cycle Instructions and ensure that all organizational policy is complied with (Organizational Directives and Administrative Instructions)
• Prepare/adapt the following plans for approval by the Project Board:  I. Project Initiation Documentation; II. Stage/Exception Plans and relevant Product Descriptions
• Prepare the following reports:

                    i.            Highlight Reports

                  ii.            End Stage Reports

                iii.            Operational Closure Checklist

                 iv.            End Project Report

                   v.            Handover Report

• Maintain the following: i. Electronic Blue File; ii. Procurement, HR and Finance files as required by those practices as per OD12.

• Ensure that all expenditure comply with UNOPS Financial Rules and Regulations (FRR).
• Manage budgets, cash flow and obligations to ensure that deliverables are met and payments to contractors and personnel are received on time.
• Understand and manage UNOPS overheads, allocable charges, and related corporate charges as they apply to the project
• Understand the unique structures of the UN and budget appropriately for personnel
• Manage and remain accountable for expenditures against the budget (based on accurate financial reports)
• Where the Project Manager has no delegation as a committing officer, s/he retains these responsibilities and will monitor and instruct/request others to carry out the relevant commitments and disbursements.

Knowledge Management:

• Participate in the relevant Communities of Practice
• Actively interact with other PMs and the PM community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practice on the Knowledge System.
• Provide feedback to Practice Leads on policy, supporting guidance with an aim towards continuous improvement of UNOPS policies
• Complete lessons learned as per reporting format
• Incorporate lessons learned from others as per planning format

Personnel Management: 

• Lead and motivate the project management team
• Ensure that behavioural expectations of team members are established
• Ensure that performance reviews are conducted
• Identify outstanding staff and bring them to the attention of the OC Director
• Have a thorough understanding of UNOPS personnel contract modalities (including ICA and Staff)
• Select, recruit and train team as required by project plans
• Perform the Team Manager role, unless appointed to another person(s)
• Perform Project Support role, unless appointed to another person or corporate/programme function
• Ensure safety and security for all personnel and comply with UNDSS standards

 Core Values and Principles:

• Understand and respect UNOPS sustainability principles

                                I.            Look for ways to embed UNOPS sustainability principles in day to day project management

                              II.            Seek opportunities to champion gender equality at work place

                            III.            Champion and communicate project’s sustainability aspects with key stakeholders

• Understand and Respect National ownership and capacity

                                i.            Understand the principles of the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness and mainstream them into the project plans

                              ii.            Seek opportunities to recruit qualified local staff

                            iii.            Look for ways to build capacity of local counterparts

• Partnerships and Coordination

                                i.            Understand the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and UNOPS, the project’s place in the UN system

                              ii.            Strive to build strong partnerships and effective coordination among relevant project actors (e.g. United Nations, governments, and non-governmental organizations or other relevant partners

• Accountability for results and the use of resources

                                i.            The project management processes are designed to deliver maximum accountability, transparency and results. If a project or processes is not in line with this, it is the responsibility of the PM to raise the issue to a supervisor

• Excellence

                                i.            Contribute to innovation and the adaptation of best practice standards of sustainability and quality.

• Advanced University Degree in Engineering or Architecture.
• University Degree (bachelor’s degree / first level) with a combination of 2 additional years of relevant professional experience in Project Management, Engineering, Architecture, Business Administration, or other relevant discipline, may be accepted in lieu of the advance university degree.
• PRINCE2 Practitioner Certification – Preferred
• PMP certification - Preferred
• Complete the UNOPS Project Management Foundation course (within one year after signing this TOR)

A relevant combination of academic credentials and/or industry certifications and qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the university education.    

• Minimum 7 years of experience, out of 7 years  5 years in the management of vertical infrastructure projects, equivalent.
• Previous experience in project management of construction of Vertical Infrastructure in Haiti is an asset.
• Knowledge of the Health/Education Infrastructure environment.
• Experience managing project in slums/vulnerable neighborhoods is a strong asset
• Experience in feasibility studies, design and supervision of construction projects
• Strong capacity building skills
• Excellent command of English and French is required.
• Knowledge of Haitian creole an asset.

• Proficient with standard computer applications.
• Planning
• People Management
• Problem Solving and Conflict Management
• Excellent interpersonal and analytical skills.

• PRINCE2® Foundation required
• PRINCE2® Practitioner an asset, but required completion within first 6 months of onboarding

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time or 6 pm Haiti time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.