Position: Project Management Office (PMO) Team Leader

Deadline: December, 31/2023

Background Information - Job-specific

Established in 2009, 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.

The primary role of the Project Management Office (PMO) is to provide the MCO with the structures, tools and techniques needed to ensure that it has the right programs and projects in place, that operational and change priorities are balanced, the governance and decision making is facilitated and it has the resources and capability to deliver them consistently well.

The functions and services of the PMO include:

• Strategic Planning/Portfolio Support: Ensuring UNOPS is focused on doing the right projects by supporting management decision-making.

• Delivery Support: Ensuring UNOPS is doing projects the right way, through the effective delivery of the programme and projects.

• Best Practices: Applying UNOPS standards in project management, encouraging consistent working practices and ensuring appropriate application.

Through these functions and services, the PMO ensures that project management policies, processes and methods are followed and practiced according to the organization's standards while acting as the overall Project Assurance capacity within the business unit on behalf of senior management. The PMO strongly contributes to moving the office towards achieving its mission-focused goals and objectives.

The Project Management Office (PMO) Team Leader will work under the direct supervision of the Head of Programme and in close collaboration with the Country Managers to provide support to the Portfolios, Programmes and Projects implemented by UNOPS in the MCO. The PMO Team Leader will be responsible for developing and implementing strategies toward delivering projects that contribute to the SDGs, with excellence and to partner satisfaction. The assignment will also involve travel to all Country Offices in the MCO.

Functional Responsibilities

The Project Management Office (PMO) Team Leader will be responsible for the below listed responsibilities.

• Leadership and Team Management

• Development and Planning

• Set-up and Closure

• Monitoring and Reporting

• Stakeholder engagement

• Quality Assurance

• Knowledge management and innovation

Leadership and Team Management

• Foster a positive work environment, respectful of both men and women and ensure that the highest standards of conduct are observed.

• Promote and support a learning culture by empowering individuals and teams to identify critical learning needs and plan/provide easy access to learning opportunities to maintain personnel competency and flexibility.

• Develops strategies and approaches that foster a common vision for maturity and harmonization of practices across all country offices in the MCO

• Exercise management of all staffing issues within the PMO team including recruitment, onboarding and staff performance reviews.

• Directly contributes to the development and maintenance of budget and resource availability tables in conjunction with project managers and relevant project staff.

• Lead the implementation of the Resource Pool Approach for the PMO team

Development and Planning

• Provides appropriate levels of programmatic management and administrative support to the Head of Programme regarding all ongoing project activities, while maintaining and implementing appropriate standards and best practices in line with UNOPS policies and procedures.

• Directly contribute to strategic oversight, advice and direction on program and project management activities in line with service agreements and project documents.

• Ensure proper development, implementation and, as and when appropriate, amendments, of project budgets and staffing resources, ensuring synergies across the Ethiopia Office.

• Develops and establishes resource tracking systems for use within the PMO, complementary to UNOPS' online tools, to ensure effective planning, forecasting and tracking of delivery across the office.

• Identifies, and anticipates promptly, potential risks and issues and advises mitigating measures to the Head of the Programme.

• Provide expertise for the start-up of programs or projects, planning and closing projects, and conducting regular health checks;

Set-up and Closure

• Facilitate the development of high-level program/project plans, including the collation of lower-level plans into program/project-level milestones.

• Develop, track and maintain dependencies.

• Liaise closely and support the Head of Support Services in all operations, finance and assets management issues.

• For project closure purposes, acts as (or nominates and supervises) a focal point between the office and donors throughout the process.

• Oversee and coordinate all project closure activities, ensuring appropriate disposal of project assets, timely and effective final (operational) reporting, initiation of financial disbursements as appropriate during Defects Liability Periods, updating of information on the OneUNOPS and effective handover of closed projects to UNOPS HQ for financial closure processes.

Monitoring and Reporting

• Monitor and ensure projects prepare and issue regular project reports under donor guidelines for reporting.

• Regularly review project status, evaluating performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule and quality).

• Maintain diaries and progress reports as required by UNOPS standard procedures.

• Identify and anticipate promptly, potential risks and issues specific to delivery forecasts, and advise mitigating measures to the Head of Programme.

• Provide routine oversight and analysis of delivery data within the dashboard systems available.

• Perform routine maintenance and implementation of effective monitoring and evaluation systems of program and project activities, in line with logical frameworks.

• Within the context of monitoring and evaluation, ensure all projects submit and regularly update specific milestones and targets for the duration of projects' life cycles, and track progress, or otherwise, against such information.

• Provide editorial support to programs and projects, ensuring effective and timely dissemination of reports, in line with project documentation and clients' expectations.

• Provide the Head of Support Services and Finance Officer with necessary project analysis reports and information to support areas relevant to the project management team (i.e. Resource requirements of projects, Locally Managed Direct Costs projections, etc.).

• Coordinate and oversee the implementation of requests or initiatives relevant to project management from the Regional Office, IPAS, and HQ Teams, as required.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Supports the development of stakeholder profiles and facilitates the formulation of stakeholder engagement strategies.

• Enable the formulation of program and project communications plans.

• Facilitate stakeholder engagement and communication, ensuring effective timing and inter-dependency management of communications across programs and projects.

• Ensure coordination of internal program/project communications.

• Monitor the effectiveness of program/project communications.

Quality Assurance

• Support Head of Support Services, and work with internal audit and finance to ensure the programme complies with audit requirements.

• Work with procurement personnel to ensure an effective interface with suppliers' quality systems.

• Ensure compliance with UNOPS-defined standards for program/project management.

• Coordinate quality reviews of program/project documents and deliverables.

• Monitor, promote and facilitate a high level of data quality across all projects in the data systems

• Provide quality control for management products (project documents, reports, etc.).

• Represent the Head of the Programme in supporting key stakeholders to identify and improve operational processes relevant to project implementation continuously.

• Ensures that program teams have an up-to-date understanding of the UNOPS Legislative Framework and ETMCO procedures, as it pertains to their roles as PMO Team members.

• Standardize and introduce economies of repetition in the execution of projects;

• Ensure risk registers and issue logs are maintained within all projects; all projects go through a quarterly end-stage review, or equivalent; All projects report on time and following legal agreements; Projects document Centre (PDCs) and share drive are regularly updated and maintained as appropriate;

Knowledge Management and Innovation

• Act as a focal point for the MCO’s maturity enhancement and innovation initiatives

• Lead the development and implementation of common procedures and workflows to improve the quality and effectiveness of projects, and monitor their full implementation.

• Ensure routine and effective capacity-building activities are conducted to build the long-term and sustainable capacity of relevant personnel.

• Participate in, and advocate PMs' participation in, relevant Communities of Practice.

• Actively interact with PMs and the wider PM community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices in the Knowledge System.

• Provides feedback to Practice Leads on policy and supporting guidance working to achieve continuous improvement of UNOPS policies.

• Contributes to the oversight of lessons learned procedures, ensuring that lessons learnt are shared in a timely and appropriate manner.

• Proactively remain abreast of new developments, innovations and tools related to Portfolio, Programme and Project Management (P3M) practices promoting a common approach and frame of reference;

• Coach, mentor, train and otherwise support PMO Team members and Project Teams in fulfillment of their project support functions;

• Act as an advisory resource for other programme personnel

Impact of Results

The PMO Team Leader directly impacts on achievement of project results by assisting the Head of Programme and other members of the MCO’s Leadership Management Team to implement effective project management methods and strategies, reduce risks, cut costs and improve success rates. This consequently reinforces the visibility and image of the UNOPS as an effective service provider in project services and management and strengthens its competitive position as a partner of choice in sustainable development and project Services

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education:

• A Master’s Degree is required, preferably in Project Management, Business Administration, International Relations or related fields.

• A combination of a Bachelor's degree with an additional two (2) years of relevant work experience may be accepted instead of the education requirements outlined above.

Certification:

• Prince 2 Foundation or equivalent is highly desirable

• Prince 2 Practitioner or equivalent an advantage

• A minimum of at least seven (7) years of relevant and progressive professional experience, specifically in the field of Project Management with experience in successful implementation and/or oversight of portfolios, programs and projects is required

• A minimum of two (2) years of experience leading multidisciplinary, multicultural teams is required;

• At least one (1) year of experience delivering or facilitating training/capacity-building workshops in project management-related topics is required;

• Proven experience working with Management Information Systems (MIS), data analytics and/or reporting is highly desirable;

• Proven experience in planning and implementing organizational or process change initiatives is highly desirable;

Experience:

• Previous experience of working within a PMO environment is an advantage;

• Previous experience in a UN Environment is highly desired

• Previous experience working with UNOPS’ project management tools, financial and procurement rules and regulations, and financial management tools, is an advantage;

• Experience working in Post-Conflict (or active conflict) environments is highly desirable;

• Demonstrated experience working with Government MDAs on Donor-Funded projects is an asset;

• Being familiar with web-based applications and Google-Suite products, especially Google Docs, sheets, slides and Forms is an asset;

• Fluency in written, spoken and read English is required

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

Language Requirements:

• Working knowledge of French is an advantage

• Working knowledge of Arabic is an advantage

Competencies

• Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, and thinks long term and externally to positively shape the organization. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organization.(for levels IICA-2, IICA-3, LICA Specialist- 10, LICA Specialist-11, NOC, NOD, P3, P4 and above)

• 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 Contractual Agreement (LICA)

• Contract level: LICA-11 (ICS11)

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

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

https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

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 under 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