Project Management Support Associate

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.  UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects.  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.  

Kenya Multi Country Office (KEMCO):

Located in Nairobi, Kenya, the Kenya Multi Country Office (KEMCO), manages a growing portfolio of engagements. The KEMCO sub-region currently consists of an established Multi Country Office in Nairobi, Kenya which manages a portfolio of engagements in multiple countries in East and South Africa, including Tanzania Mainland and the Islands of Zanzibar where UNOPS is physically present. The current portfolio includes projects funded by the Foreign Ministry of the Government of the Sultanate of Oman to construct a health center, rehabilitation of the Bargash House, and an education institute on the island of Zanzibar. 

The Oman Funded Projects in Zanzibar:

There are currently two ongoing projects in Zanzibar, Tanzania, with funds from the Foreign Ministry of the Government of the Sultanate of Oman. The first is the construction of the Mahonda Healthcare Centre, which will contribute to increased access to specialized medical and preventive care services for the community of Mahonda–Zanzibar. The project aims to reduce the burden on other medical facilities in the Mahonda area and improve the quality of the delivery of health services. This extension of medical services is expected to allow more people in the nearby communities to access specialized services and better health screening. This, in turn, will help to reduce the pressure on Government Hospitals and improve the efficiency of health service delivery and referrals.
The second project is the construction of the Istiqama Education College in Zanzibar. It is an education institute that accepts students from around the Zanzibar Islands. It is known for helping students become independent by promoting social, economic, and cultural integration within Zanzibar society.  

Purpose and Scope of Assignment:

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Project Manager and under the guidance of the Head of the Programme Management Office, the Project Management Support Associate (PMSA) will contribute to ensuring that the project activities are in compliance and up to date and that reporting requirements to UNOPS and its stakeholders are in line with defined project objectives. The PMSA will be responsible to provide support for all operational aspects of the project, including but not limited to: preparing initial documentation for financial transactions, preparing the reports and covering all aspects of human resources, procurement, contracting and logistics, administration, outreach and stakeholder coordination in close consultation with the relevant colleagues.

• Provide support to the overall aspects of project operations related to reporting.

• Perform administrative tasks related to management of project inventory, assets, including recording and reporting as per UNOPS rules and regulations.

• Support the Senior Project Manager in maintaining the Electronic Blue File, uploading engagement and project level files on OneUNOPS (ERP) and maintaining monthly team work plan, monthly portfolio reports and stage plans.

• Provide substantive inputs to assist the supervisor in the preparation of project reports and documents.

• Maintain records of project files and other supporting documents on the shared drive as per the UNOPS guidelines for record keeping and the KEMCO document management guidance.

• Monitor data quality in OneUNOPS Project related to risk, lessons and issues management tool.

• Support on the compilation, consolidation and analysis of relevant data for regular portfolio reports and stage plans.

• Take minutes of meeting and follow up on action points as requested.

• Support in the compilation, consolidation and analysis of relevant data for the project.

• Assist the Supervisor in the preparation of project completion reports and ensure compliance with contractual obligations.

• Provide support with the organization of meetings; prepare minutes and summaries of actions to be taken, and follow-up with focal points.

• Provide support with financial analysis of project budget as required and ensure the daily implementation of the project's financial management as per UNOPS Financial Rules and Regulations and specific donor requirements, as required.

• Maintain all supporting project financial documents for audit and review processes; ensure accurate data entry into UNOPS ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system.

• Monitor project budget and financial expenditure and all administrative procedures in line with the work plan.

• Process direct payments and advance requests and prepare project budget revisions.

• Support the preparation of  financial reports, including developing financial monitoring and reporting formats as per UNOPS’ requirements.

• Support the project team by monitoring budgets, cash flow and reporting on expense obligations to ensure that deliverables are met.

• Alert the supervisor of any potential and actual financial shortfalls and over-expenditures, and propose budget revision and initiate corrective action when necessary.

• Support in the coordination of  vendor communications, meetings, and reports as necessary on financial matters.

• Ensure conformity of project disbursement requests with procedures, work plans, and availability of resources for expenditure.

• Liaise with UNOPS Support Service Units for project-related administrative and operational matters such as requisitions, payments, contract management, recruitment of personnel, procurement of goods and services and assets management.

• Review input of financial information, expenditures etc. in OneUNOPS (ERP).

• Support development and maintenance of OneUNOPS based management information systems to ensure real time tracking and asset management under the project activities.

• Liaise with the Finance Unit to process and monitor all payment requests within the Project.

• Assist the Senior Project Manager in monitoring all Human Resources (HR) requirements and related activities under the Projects.

• Support the preparation of Terms of Reference (ToR) for required inputs in the projects (staff, individual and institutional consultancy services, procurement of goods and services, organization of training, seminars,etc.), with expert and/or client support as required.

• Support the organization of induction briefings to newly recruited staff and render support to consultants in the course of their assignment.

• Provide efficient support in contract management, goods contract management and all matters relating to successful supervision and management of contracts and purchase orders.

• Contribute to organizing project and stakeholder meetings as and when necessary, and maintain records of these meetings.

• Maintain records of project files and reports according to UNOPS document management guidelines. 

• Support the preparation of budget forecasts and periodic financial reports as requested.

• Liaise with finance and logistics/procurement units in tracking commitments and disbursements.

• Identify operational, administrative, financial and other bottlenecks that may impede project delivery and recommend solutions and take appropriate remedial action.

• Upon instruction of the supervisor, undertake field missions as required. 

• Establish and monitor an internal control system for all administrative actions.

• Coordinate with the internal procurement and logistic team on all transport, inventory and procurement issues.

• Support the Project Support Assistant to manage the travel plans of the Project Team, manage travel booking, and coordinate with relevant colleagues for any travel requirements.

• Support the compilation of lessons learned as per the defined reporting format.

• Contribute to the dissemination and sharing of best practices and lessons learned for planning and knowledge building.

• Maintain records of project files and activity reports in hard and soft copy.

• Completion of Secondary Education is required. 

• A first-level university degree (e.g. Bachelor) in Project Management, Public/Business Administration or other relevant field may be considered as a substitute for some years of working experience.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of six (6) years of experience in project support or operations is required.

• Prior experience in UN system organizations or INGOs is desirable.

Language Requirements:                    

• Excellent knowledge of both written and oral English is required.

• Knowledge of Kiswahili is desirable.

Contract type: Individual Contractor Agreement (ICA)

• 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.

• This position is based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania which is a family duty station. 

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.