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.  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.  With over 6,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, where they need it.  By implementing around 1,000 projects for our partners at any given time, UNOPS makes significant contributions to results on the ground, often in the most challenging environments

Duties & Responsibilities;

1. Leadership, Team and Resource Management

• Lead, Motivate and Manage the pool of Project Managers and other members of the PM Team;

• Ensure that behavioral expectations for Project Managers and their teams are established;

• Actively contributes to the implementation and further refinement of the Resources Pool Management Strategy; promoting synergies across the MCO;

• Develops strategies and approaches that foster a common vision for maturity, and strive towards harmonizing good practices across projects in the MCO;

• Instill a culture of excellence, best practices, continuous improvement, and lesson learning in the delivery of projects in the Project Management Team;

• Take a leadership role in the implementation of the Operational Excellence Agenda; ensuring KPIs are mainstreamed into all PMs performance metrics and monitored regularly;

• 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/ facilitate learning opportunities to maintain personnel competency and flexibility;

• Exercise management of all staffing issues within the PM Team including recruitment taking into account gender parity and diversity objectives, on-boarding and staff performance reviews

• Ensure that performance reviews are conducted fairly, accurately and timely;

• Create, foster and role model a culture of respect and zero tolerance for discrimination, abuse of authority, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual exploitation and abuse. Ensure accountability for actions and perform duties in accordance with protection mechanisms and action plans, as expected by UNOPS policies, standards and commitments.

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

2. Portfolio Monitoring and Performance Oversight 

• Ensures the Project Management Team meets the metrics established for the unit and it’s partners;

• Support the Head of Programme in providing Portfolio, Programme and Project (P3M) oversight, advice and direction in line with legal commitments to partners;

• Oversee and assure the consistent and feasible development, completion and updates of implementation plan(s);

• Ensure Project Managers embed sustainability dimensions including social and gender inclusion, environmental and economic aspects into project plans;

• Ensure all projects establish effective tools to monitor and report, and identify issues related to milestones and targets throughout the project lifecycles;

• Provide routine oversight and analysis of delivery data on the portfolio performance using the dashboard systems available;

• Regularly review and assure status of projects evaluating performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule and quality);

• Monitor and appraise the delivery of activities, products, and outputs/milestones against partner commitments, ensuring projects satisfy quality expectations of partners;

• Ensure Project Managers fulfill contract management responsibilities, including contract administration, issuing notices where applicable and undertaking supplier performance evaluations;

• Provide guidance, support and assurance over to change management and control procedures including amendments, exception reports and planning;

• Identify, and anticipate in a timely manner, potential risks and issues and advises mitigating measures to senior management/ Project Board so that maximum benefit to partner(s) and other stakeholders is achieved

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent) in Project Management, Business Administration or any other relevant field is required. (e.g. International Relations)

• A first university degree (Bachelor’s Degree) or any other relevant field with an additional two (2) years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advance education requirements outlined above.

Certification:

• PRINCE2 Foundation or equivalent is an advantage

• PRINCE2 Practitioner or equivalent an advantage.

Experience:

• A minimum of seven (7) years of relevant and progressive professional experience, specifically in the field of Project Management is required.

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

• A minimum of two (2) years experience managing; overseeing; and/or coordinating portfolio(s) of multiple projects programmes and projects is required;

• Experience delivering training/ capacity building workshops in project management topics is a distinct advantage;

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

• Experience working on infrastructure projects is highly desirable;

• Previous Experience in a UN Environment is highly desired;

• Experience with project management, performance tracking tools, data analysis, and information management systems is highly desirable;

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

• Proven experience in planning and implementing change projects within a project-based organization is an asset.

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

• Familiar with web-based applications and Google-Suite products, especially google docs, sheets, slides and forms is an asset;

Language Requirements:

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

• Fluency in spoken, writtten and reading the local language (Amharic) is required.

• Knowledge of another UN Official language is an asset.

How to Apply:

• Register using the following link CLICK HERE