Infrastructure Advisor

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Application deadline 1 year ago: Wednesday 31 Aug 2022 at 23:59 UTC

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Contract

This is a IICA-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as International Individual Contractor Agreements. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's an external contract. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education. More about IICA-3 contracts.

Background Information - Job-specific

Background Information - Ukraine

The ongoing and developing situation in Ukraine is unique from a number of perspectives, both global and regional, and is witnessing unprecedented interventions unforeseen in Europe since the end of the Second World War. It is unprecedented as far as the United Nations is concerned, and certainly from a UNOPS perspective. Never before has there been an international crisis of such magnitude in such a brevity of time with implications beyond Europe. The parties to the conflict, especially the Russian Federation, generate a level of international concern and reaction not seen since at least 1945. The strategic implications of conflict on the eastern edge of Europe are significant and, as such, are prompting a global response which is already indicating a level of moral, physical and financial support not previously witnessed elsewhere, even in traditional humanitarian and development situations.

In response to the demonstrative impact of the ongoing conflict, namely the substantive and widespread destruction of much of Ukraine’s infrastructure, a key focus of the Ukrainian Government (UAG), as well as the international community, is on how best to rebuild the country. It is already recognised that reconstruction will be of paramount importance if Ukraine is to recover from this conflict, and resume its place as an aspiring member of the international community, including meeting ascension aspirations for joining the European Union in due course. The necessary resources, including financial, required to facilitate timely and effective reconstruction in the post-conflict environment are already being discussed, and indicative commitments by international donors, including International Financial Institutions (IFIs) are now being openly discussed.

Background Information - Job-Specific

The war in Ukraine has led to the catastrophic failure of functioning communities, an associated loss of lives and displacement of people. Infrastructure which is vital for the functioning and protection of communities has been severely damaged or destroyed resulting in a partial or total loss of services that the infrastructure was previously providing. The effects of this on human lives and livelihoods is self-evident.

UNOPS, as the UN agency with a core mandate in infrastructure, is well positioned to support the efforts in Ukraine, not only to minimize immediate impacts but also to consider the longer-term infrastructure development needs of the country. In alignment with UNOPS’ core mandate, the infrastructure portfolio covers development, relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts. UNOPS’ infrastructure delivery spans across multiple sectors such as water and sanitation, health, education, agriculture, transport, other social infrastructure and justice.

Responsible to the Country Director, reporting through the Head of Programme (HOP), and in close coordination with the ECR Senior Infrastructure Advisor, the Ukraine Infrastructure Advisor will be responsible for facilitating effective planning, coordination, and management across a range of UNOPS infrastructure initiatives in Ukraine, and providing strategic guidance, partnership support, and technical oversight to the development of further initiatives in the UNOPS Ukraine portfolio.

Functional Responsibilities

The Infrastructure Advisor will be responsible for, inter alia, the following functions:

A. Specific:

i. Needs Assessments:

  • In conjunction with the ECR Senior Infrastructure Advisor, support the establishment of a holistic methodology and online data management platform for the operational application of UNOPS’ needs assessment methodology on the ground within Ukraine;
  • Identify and assess damaged infrastructure and the immediate impact on delivery of essential services, power, water & sanitation, shelter and solid waste;
  • Develop and implement short term solutions to facilitate humanitarian response actions in order to restore critical services, such as installation of temporary bridges to facilitate logistics and supply chain activities;
  • Plan, advise and support the procurement and installation of temporary structures to facilitate the delivery of health services, shelter, education and other essential community services.

ii. Infrastructure Assessments:

In the aftermath of any shock or stress that causes damage or destruction of infrastructure, assessment of damage and loss is necessary to establish a ‘baseline’ in order to quantify the scale of destruction. Traditionally this focuses on counting damaged or destroyed infrastructure assets and placing a value on them in order to quantify repair / replacement costs. The approach UNOPS advocates, in order to support Building Back Better, is to expand the assessment to look beyond the assets, thereby maximising the opportunity during the assessment phase to gather key information that should inform the medium- and long-term decisions related to the reconstruction of infrastructure to:

  • In conjunction with the ECR Senior Infrastructure Advisor, support the establishment of a holistic methodology and online data management platform for the operational application of UNOPS’ infrastructure assessment methodology on the ground within Ukraine. This may include advising government and other stakeholders on and developing ‘standards’ for infrastructure assessment to ensure consistency in approach and data collection;
  • Assess the enabling environment to ascertain how effectively the assets were managed prior to the hazard occurring;
  • Identify issues/constraints related to the infrastructure that existed prior to the event occurring;
  • Identify short-, medium- and long-term infrastructure development plans to ascertain how they align to, and support, the country's development trajectory.

iii. Rubble Management:

A key aspect of the response and recovery phases will be to deal with the rubble that has been created as a result of the war and associated damage to infrastructure. UNOPS has experience in rubble management and is updating the UNOPS Rubble Management strategy, approach and methodology for dealing with rubble, including disposal, recycling and/or re-use to suit the Ukraine context.

  • Assess, report and advise on the expanding rubble issue developing across Ukraine, and advise the most appropriate rubble management options, including development of ‘standard’ methodologies and processes for dealing with rubble;
  • Identify issues/constraints related to the removal and / or re-use of rubble and in particular hazardous materials such as asbestos;
  • Lead the effort to develop robust and effective rubble management plans to best meet priorities and intentions over the short-, medium- and long-terms.

B. General:

  • Supporting the Ukraine Infrastructure Working Group and the UNOPS Ukraine Country Team, comprising experienced international and national technical, administrative and operational-support staff, and providing guidance and advice to the teams on implementation approaches and strategies so that UNOPS interventions are effective and comply with technical standards and legal agreements;
  • Guided by the HOP, and in conjunction with the infrastructure Project Managers, monitor project teams’ compliance with all aspects of engineering in infrastructure engagements and ensure projects’ products and outcomes meet the expectations and requirements of UNOPS, and the projects’ client/s and donors;
  • Working in collaboration with the Infrastructure Advisor, Ukraine Infrastructure Working Group and partnerships colleagues, provide guidance and strategic direction for further opportunity development in alignment with corporate, regional, and country strategies for infrastructure;
  • Provide technical input and guidance to ensure all infrastructure proposals for new opportunities are technically robust, aligned with UNOPS’ requirements, meeting stakeholders expectations, and are sufficiently resourced in terms of time, budget, team, scope, and quality management;
  • Promote and advocate sustainable, resilient, and inclusive principles and approaches into all aspects of UNOPS infrastructure related activities in Ukraine - coordinate with the ECR Senior Infrastructure Advisor and HQ Strategic Initiatives team in this regard.

C. Procedures:

  • Support project teams and project managers in liaising with key stakeholders, including donor and partners
  • Support project teams and project managers with overall planning and implementation strategies for projects. Immediately liaise with Project Managers regarding risk and issue management on all infrastructure related projects in Ukraine.
  • Provide technical interface and coordination for the UNOPS Ukraine Programme with all partners and stakeholders as required.
  • Provide presentations on technical aspects and assessments, as required.
  • Provide technical opinions, valuations and analysis to enable senior management and stakeholders to make informed decisions.
  • Monitor and support Health, Safety, Social, and Environmental aspects in UNOPS projects, in liaison with the ECR Senior Infrastructure Advisor and UNOPS HQ HSE team.

Delivery and Performance:

  • Advise the Project Teams and Project Manager on all infrastructure related matters associated with the project/programme plans and any project related risks;
  • Monitor management of risks and issues so that maximum benefit to clients and stakeholders is achieved.
  • Review product/output quality and ensure products/outputs are accepted;
  • Support to procurement of infrastructure related activities, in order to manage risks related to quality, cost and time;
  • Monitor and evaluate performance of service providers and in particular LTA holders providing specialist technical support to UNOPS.

Knowledge Management:

  • Participate in the relevant Communities of Practice;
  • Actively interact with other PMs and the PM community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices on the Knowledge System;
  • Strengthen UNOPS Ukraine’s knowledge and culture of UNOPS’ infrastructure approach through regular knowledge sharing events and platforms;
  • Contribute to regional knowledge sharing activities where appropriate;
  • Provide feedback to Practise Leads on policy, supporting guidance with an aim towards continuous improvement of UNOPS policies;
  • Contribute to lessons learned processes and Lessons Learnt workshops related to infrastructure and infrastructure projects in Ukraine.

Additional Requirements:

  • Provide leadership and direction to the respective project teams on substantive and managerial aspects;
  • In consultation with senior management, participate in business development and stakeholder relationship building;
  • Undertake regular mission travel in the country when required;
  • Analyse the efficiency of projects within the portfolio and develop mechanisms to improve performance as required;
  • Raise awareness among UNOPS Ukraine staff and local counterparts on the principles of social inclusion and environmental management, and support the monitoring, evaluation and reporting on socially inclusive and environmentally responsible practices within the portfolio;
  • Identify opportunities to strengthen linkages between key projects within the UNOPS Ukraine portfolio, including mainstreaming SDGs into ongoing projects and those under development.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

a. Education - A master’s degree in civil engineering or another relevant field. A first level university degree in a relevant field with a combination of an additional three years’ relevant work experience may be considered in lieu of the master’s degree.

b. Work experience- A minimum of 7 years working in an infrastructure context at strategic, advisory and implementation level , either at local or national government level, in similar contexts. - Experience working in emergency, recovery or reconstruction environments and/or with UN missions in infrastructure is a strong asset. - Proven experience in working in infrastructure planning and infrastructure management is preferred. - Proven experience in Infrastructure Asset Management with knowledge of infrastructure assessments is an asset. - Previous experience in Ukraine is an advantage. - Knowledge of or experience in rubble management is an asset. Proven understanding of how to plan and develop sustainable, resilient and inclusive infrastructure. - Proven understanding of, and support for, gender mainstreaming in infrastructure is an asset.

c. Languages

  • Fluency in both written and spoken English is required.
  • Working knowledge of Ukrainian and / or Russian would be an asset.

Competencies

Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organization. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organization. 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. Acts as 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

[Instructions: Please delete this paragraph and insert relevant information below:

  1. Contract type Individual Contractor Agreement (ICA)
  2. Contract level: International Individual Contractor Agreement Level 3
  3. 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

Additional Considerations

  • Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
  • 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.
  • UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
  • Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
  • 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.

Background Information - UNOPS

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.

Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: jobs.unops.org

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