Project Manager

South Asia Multi County Office:

The South Asia Multi-Country Office (SAMCO) oversees the development and implementation of projects in 7 countries in South Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. SAMCO offers expertise in infrastructure, procurement, human resource management, and fund management. All the project offices have local technical experts and strong partnerships with the governments in each country.

UNOPS has supported Sri Lanka’s development since 1998, expanding operations in 2005 to support the post-tsunami response and reconstruction process. Within the organization’s mandate in project management, infrastructure, and procurement, UNOPS Sri Lanka implements customized socio-economic development projects that benefit vulnerable people and develop national capacities. Achievements in Sri Lanka include the development of sustainable and climate-resilient infrastructure, procurement services & capacity building, and project management in education, fisheries, roads, health, water supply systems; flood control and sanitation, and integrated solid waste management sectors. UNOPS works closely with Government counterparts and communities to ensure increased ownership, sustainability, and accountability of Projects. 

UNOPS Sri Lanka facilitated over $22 million worth of procurement of COVID-19 protection equipment and services in partnership with the World Bank, the Government of Japan, and the United Nations Multi-Partner Trust Fund. Currently, UNOPS completed the procurement of US$5 million in essential pharmaceuticals  to strengthen the Sri Lanka health system during the medicine shortage crisis. Currently, UNOPS is implementing a digital health transformation project along with the Ministry of Health under funding from the Global Fund. 

The Project Manager will be based in Colombo with frequent travel to the field to oversee the digitization of hospitals under the project's pilot stage, whilst working side by side with the Ministry of Health's Health Information Unit (HIU) and the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) in Colombo. This digitization effort will start centrally at the Ministry of Health (MoH) and will interlink and expand to 30-50 government hospitals across Sri Lanka. UNOPS is responsible for  several budget lines under the overall Health Information Quality Improvement (HIQI) project. Key outputs under this scope is the procurement and instalment of hardware and software to aide the transformation process. The project will involve stakeholders from both the public and private IT sectors in Sri Lanka and internationally. 

The HIQI Project Manager will lead a team comprising IT advisors, finance officers, procurement and reporting staff, and other support functions at UNOPS to support the Ministry of Health in achieving its goal of pilot health digitization.

The HIQI Project is a complex, multi-stakeholder platform with varied points of implementation; the overall goal is to link the fragmented health information system together efficiently and sustainably. The project aims to create, link, and expand the functionality of a single IT platform across state hospitals. The Project Manager must demonstrate a strong understanding of how the digital platform must take shape to optimize the interoperability of the whole system. Good link and knowledge of the IT industry in Sri Lanka and the ongoing digital transformation within government ministries is crucial to ensuring the project is implemented well.

It is crucial for the Project Manager to possess strategic planning abilities to ensure that all components of the project, including those that are reliant on the Ministry and stakeholders, are implemented on time and in full by the project's end date.  

• Advanced University Degree in a relevant  discipline related to the nature of the project: Finance, Information System, IT Project Management, Supply Chain, Project Management.

• A combination of Bachelor’s Degree with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the education requirements outlined above.

• Certification in Project Management ( PRINCE2, PMI, etc.) Asset.

• A minimum of 5 years' experience in implementing complex projects or programs, with a focus on IT project management, is required.

• Proven knowledge and qualifications in IT infrastructure development is required.

• Expertise in assessing critical linkages between procurement and business functions.

• Demonstrated success in creating, executing, and implementing complex project plans.

• Strong background in report writing, data analysis, document drafting, and risk management.

• Excellent problem-solving and quality assurance skills.

• Experience working effectively in multicultural teams.

• Strong communication skills, including written, verbal, presentation, and client service abilities.

• 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.