Senior Project Engineer

UNOPS 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.

Within these three core areas of expertise, UNOPS provides its partners with advisory, implementation and transactional services, with projects ranging from building schools and hospitals, to procuring goods and services and training local personnel. UNOPS works closely with governments and communities to ensure increased economic, social and environmental sustainability for the projects we support, with a focus on developing national capacity.

Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices in development, humanitarian and peacebuilding contexts, always satisfying or surpassing partner 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 we can quickly respond to our partners' needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale.

The 2014 Ebola outbreak is the largest in history and the first in West Africa. In mid-2014, the Governments of the three most affected countries, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, declared a state of emergency and implemented a number of management measures to contain and control the outbreak, which are still continuing. The international donor community, the United Nations, non-governmental organizations and other health sector actors have partnered with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation to implement programmes to stop the spread of the disease. As part of this effort, and to assist with Sierra Leone’s transition to the Ebola recovery phase, UNOPS is providing infrastructure services to improve the safety and functionality of hospitals across the country. 

Under the direct supervision of Project Manager, the Senior Project Engineer will carry out following specific tasks: 

• Technical assessments of building projects, advising on project feasibility, during the proposal review consultation process by the project stakeholders.
• Develop conceptual designs and specifications for discussions and agreements in collaboration with relevant development partners and governmental, non-governmental and community counterparts.
• Prepare budget estimates based on the prevailing market rates survey and develop strategies for the projects component execution, with the involvement of the relevant stakeholders.
• Liaise with the partners and counterparts and provide specific technical inputs and advise for projects endorsement and approval.
• Define the scope of works, develop and prepare designs and technical specifications for the selected projects component implementation of various building projects in Sierra Leone.
• Develop the relevant tender documents for procurement process including bills of quantities, RFQs, ITBs and RFPs.
• In close liaison with the Procurement Officer, conduct the tendering process in advertising, bid opening, evaluating tenders and award of contracts for the works, goods and services.
• Implement activities through direct labour (if required).
• Supervise the project implementation construction works for quality, progress, compliance with the regulatory approval conditions, and meeting the design specifications and standards.
• Issue site instructions, assess and approve variation requests/time extensions from the contractors.
• Carry out works progress measurements and prepare progress payment certificates for contractor payments.
• Prepare periodic progress reports (internal and external) for the donor, client and other stakeholder reporting. 
• Prepare close-out reports and financial reports for the stakeholder reporting and budget management.
• Procurement, delivery and installations of materials, equipments and fittings as required.
• Update and maintain project documentation and filing system.
• Represent UNOPS in meetings with donors and other stakeholders as required.
• Assign duties and tasks to national engineers and support staff working under you.
• Supervise, monitor and report on daily and monthly progress and output for the staff as required.
• Develop the capacity of national engineers, local/state authority’s staff, and contractors through ‘on-the-job’ training.
• Participate and provide technical input in recruitment of technical or any other personnel as assigned.
• Undertake bid opening and evaluations as committee member for other projects under UNOPS Sierra Leone.
• Participate and provide technical input to various committees on strategic plans in cross-cutting issues including gender, environmental and capacity development by UNOPS.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

Measurable outputs and milestones

• Produces designs, specifications, bills of quantities, and tender documents for his/her project
• Tracks contracts and procurement requests throughout the entire process and assures that any stoppages or delays are remedied quickly
• Participates in the evaluation of bids and in the recruitment personnel and provides his/her assessment of the bidder or candidate under consideration.

Key Performance Indicators and Reporting    

• Clear feedback and link between project management/donor/client and the project execution teams
• Appropriate resources for project implementation are availed on time and well-managed
• Suppliers delivery results are in accordance with the terms of agreement 
• Staff management – motivated, challenged and capacities developed
•  Clear and accurate periodic reports as required

Final Product
The whole project delivery targets are attained; with construction works completed on time, within budget and to the required quality standards, to the satisfaction of both donors and clients.

• Demonstrates commitment to UNOPS mission, vision and values, including cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
• Excellent organizational, inter-personal and general communication skills.
• Builds strong relationships with clients and external actors.
• Strong IT skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and with clearly defined timeframes.
• Ability to deliver projects on time, within budget in a demanding cultural context with transitional government partners, under challenging physical conditions and poor national infrastructure.
• Highly motivated with a positive attitude and problem-solving approach.

• An advance university degree in Civil Engineering or related fields of specialization from a recognized university. (Additional 2 years of relevant work experience in combination with a relevant bachelor degree, may substitute for the requirement of a master’s degree).
• Minimum 7 years of post graduate relevant experience in civil engineering which of at least 5 years of construction experience
• Experience in developing/post-conflict countries is an advantage.
• Knowledge of UN/UNOPS rules and regulations is an added advantage.
• Must be fluent in English, written and oral.

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time (CET)
• 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.