Position: Project Management Support Officer

Deadline: December, 10/2023

The Ethiopia Multi-country Office (ETMCO) sub-region currently consists of an established Operation Centre in Addis Ababa which manages a portfolio of engagements in four (4) Horn of Africa countries (Ethiopia, Djibouti, Sudan and South Sudan). ETMCO focuses on Infrastructure, Procurement, Project Management, HR and Transactional Services, and Fund Management services across a wide range of sectors including Health, Education, Agriculture, and Resilient infrastructure among others. Our goal is to support countries, help people in need and enable our partners through delivering on our mandate of infrastructure, procurement and project management in the countries in the Horn of Africa. Building on our global experience of successfully delivering projects in complex operating environments, a healthy pipeline of engagements are at various stages of discussion with our priority partners.

UNOPS has signed a project agreement with the Ministry of Health to strengthen the Capacity of the Ministry for the Realization of Health Sector Transformation Plan (HSTP-II) on selected priorities. This project will be implemented in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and the overall objective/purpose is to contribute towards the realization of selected strategic priorities of the Health Sector Transformation Plan (HSTP-II) which is more on project management focusing on institutional capacity building and technical assistance. UNOPS is selected to manage and implement the project by creating a project management unit (PMU). This unit will be formed by a group of experts and specialists in the relevant matters and will lay the groundwork for institutional capacity strengthening through the establishment of a Technical Assistance Management Unit (TAMU). The TAMU will be composed of a group of Technical Assistants and experts, recruited and supervised by UNOPS personnel that will implement part of the project activities. The unit will be managed by the UNOPS for the duration of the project. TAMU will oversee the mapping of the necessary human resource requirements and potential interventions aimed at boosting the capacity of the Ministry.

 Functional Responsibilities

The Project Management Support Officer will support the Project Manager in all aspects of the project implementation including project implementation and governance, financial and procurement management, knowledge management, reporting, and documentation.

Support for project implementation and governance

• Support the Project Manager in planning and implementing project activities ensuring that UNOPS Policies and Procedures, Financial Rules and Regulations (FR&R) are adhered to for efficient project implementation and progress;

• In consultation with the relevant stakeholders, assist in preparing amendments of Agreements and Budget revisions when applicable;

• Monitor and record best practices and innovative approaches within UNOPS FR&R; identify and show alternative options according to Activity needs;

• Support the Project Manager in managing information flows, overseeing change controls, risk registers and issue management, documentation of lessons

• Maintenance of all supporting project financial documents for audit and review processes;

• Support the project manager with implementing the project’s outputs on stakeholder management by developing stakeholder profiles and facilitating the formulation of stakeholder engagement strategies.

• Coordinate stakeholder engagement activities. Make sure that partner (MoH) teams are aware of project activities, progress, issues exceptions and are in a position to accept handover outputs

• Provide regular support for project governance - organizing meetings, maintaining the schedule, document discussions, direction and decisions taken by the project board, etc.

• Ensure Minutes of Governance Meetings are on record as per the document management guidance and procedure

• Ensure effective record-keeping of decisions in line with knowledge and document management guidelines

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

Financial and procurement management

• Support the project manager in monitoring the project financials and all administrative procedures in line with the work plan and UNOPS procedures

• Prepare budget forecasts and periodic financial reports as requested

• Review input of financial information, expenditures etc in One UNOPS;

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

• Maintain all supporting project financial documents for audit and review processes

• Ensure accurate data entry into UNOPS ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system

• Alert the Project Manager for any financial shortfalls and over-expenditures.

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

• Propose budget revision and initiate corrective action when necessary.

• Coordinate vendor communications, meetings, and reports as necessary

• Support for knowledge management, project reporting, and documentation

• Support the PM in conducting a need assessment to identify communication and knowledge management needs (of the staff and MoH team and stakeholders) and design an appropriate tool/ strategy to fill the identified gaps

• Support the project Manager and partner (MoH) in developing and implementing systems for identifying, capturing, documenting, and sharing knowledge around project outputs including project progress and results

• Support the Project Manager in preparation, documentation and sharing of project progress reports and other ad hoc reports as per the required guidelines

• Review regular activity reports and quarterly financial reports with respect to outputs based on work plans and budget forecasts

• Closely work the PM and make sure that project progress reports, lesson learnings, and project related issues are shared to the donor and partners as per the schedule.

• Ensure effective record keeping of decisions in line with knowledge and document management guidelines.

• Support the PM in organizing workshops, meetings and other events. Compile the workshop reports/ meeting/ event minutes, document and share it to the relevant body.

• Contribute to the identification and assessment of risks and implement mitigation measures in accordance with the project’s and UNOPS Risk Management Approach

Capacity Strengthening

• Interact with Communities of Practice to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices.

• Contribute to capturing lessons learned and ensuring they are shared in a timely and appropriate manner.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education

•  A first-level University Degree (Bachelor's Degree) in Project Management, Development Studies, or related field is required.

• Advanced University Degree (Master’s Degree) in Project Management, Development Studies, or a related field is an asset.

Experience

• A minimum of two (2) years of relevant work experience in managing projects, with a focus on monitoring, reporting, and financial management is required.

• A minimum of two (2) years of relevant work experience in information management, data analysis, and planning and reporting is required.

• Experience in managing projects in areas of capacity strengthening, and human resource management is desirable.

• Good working knowledge and skills on Google Workspace are highly desirable.

• Experience in stakeholder management and communications is an asset.

• Experience working in the health sector is an asset.

Language

• Fluency in in written, reading and spoken English is required.

• Knowledge of another UN official language is an asset.

Competencies

• Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

• Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as a positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.

• Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).

• Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.

• Open to change and flexible in a fast-paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.

• Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.

• Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Contract type, level, and duration

Contract type: Local Individual Contractor Agreement (LICA)

Contract level: LICA-8 (ICS8)

Contract duration: ‘Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.’

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:

This is a local position and hence is open to Ethiopian nationals only.

 Additional Information

• 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 that 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. 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.

How to apply:

• Register using the following link CLICK HERE