Project Management Support Officer

Contract

This is a LICA Specialist-8 contract. This kind of contract is known as Local Individual Contractor Agreements. It is normally only for nationals. It's an external contract. It usually requires 0 years of experience, depending on education. More about LICA Specialist-8 contracts.

Background Information - UNOPS

UNOPS – an operational arm of the United Nations – supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by successfully implementing its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development.

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

Working with us We are proud of our people. With a wealth of knowledge and skills in various disciplines – engineering, finance, human resources, ICT, leadership, project management, procurement, and more – they help tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time. Their work around the world supports progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

At UNOPS, we offer a range of short- and long-term opportunities in various environments and duty stations – from Denmark and Kenya to Mexico, Switzerland, Myanmar, Senegal, Uganda, and many more.

Diversity With over 5,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,400 personnel recruited on behalf of our partners, spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced and diverse labor force — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs. We continually strive to maintain our gender-balanced workplace. We encourage qualified underrepresented groups as per UNOPS Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy to apply for our vacancies.

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

UNOPS Hub in Amman

The UNOPS Hub in Amman implements projects in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen, in partnership with bilateral donors, national governments, and other UN agencies. With an established presence across the region, the office runs operations including large-scale procurement, project development, and technical management, and provides financial, human resources, and infrastructure-related services. The functional objective of UNOPS Hub in Amman is to deliver its projects in an efficient and effective manner and in line with the principles, rules and regulations of UNOPS, in order to support the response to the current needs and national priorities in the region.

The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

UNOPS is committed to achieving a fully diverse workforce.

Background Information - Job-specific

The ongoing conflict in Yemen has caused significant disruptions to the supply chain and to the overall availability of services across all sectors. UNOPS is undertaking a project that aims at increasing access to primary and secondary health services in Yemen. The project aims to restore the physical infrastructure of facilities including general hospitals, local health centres, and therapeutic feeding centres through rehabilitation, maintenance works and minor repairs, in the targeted areas. In addition, UNOPS will be providing priority medical equipment and supplies to these targeted facilities along with training on the use of the medical equipment to the staff of the rehabilitated health facilities.

UNOPS is undertaking a project that aims at increasing access to primary and secondary health services facilities (general hospitals, local health centers, and therapeutic feeding centers) in Yemen, through restoring the physical infrastructure of health facilities (rehabilitation, maintenance works and minor repairs) in targeted areas.

UNOPS will be responsible for the design and rehabilitation works of the health facilities, ensuring highest standards in design and rehabilitation works, and respect of ‘state of the art’ requirements for safety, sustainability, security, and disability access. In addition, UNOPS will be responsible to provide the targeted facilities with priority medical equipment and supplies, as well as strengthening capacities through conducting training and awareness raising activities.

Functional Responsibilities

The Project Management Support Officer will work under the direct supervision of the Deputy Project Manager (DPM) ensuring smooth coordination between the Technical Assistance Team and the Project Team. He/she will be responsible for keeping track of activities, and procurement requests, as well as managing the day-to-day ad hoc concerns that may arise. He/she is expected to support ensuring internal UNOPS assurance procedures and compliances

Summary of functions:

1. Project Implementation
2. Financial and procurement management
3. Project monitoring and reporting (Delivery and Performance):
4. Stakeholder management, coordination and liaison
5. Knowledge management and innovation

1. Project Implementation

• Preparation and maintenance of project files, including internal and external project reports.
• Coordinate information flows and oversees change controls, risk registers and issue management by establishing document control procedures
• Coordinate assigned delivery of work packages and take responsibility for progress.
• Coordinate and liaise with the Project Manager on the implementation progress.
• Identify and escalate to the Deputy Project Manager of any deviations from the plan and update plans.
• Work with the Project manager to identify and manage risks.
• Maintain and update implementation plans
• Identify continuous improvement and lessons learned

2. Financial and procurement management

• Maintain all supporting project financial documents for audit and review processes.
• Support the Deputy Project Manager to ensure accurate data entry into UNOPS ERP system (OneUNOPS) and OneUNOPS Projects – as appropriate.
• Monitor project budget and financial expenditure and all administrative procedures in line with the work-plan.
• Facilitating processing of direct payments and advance requests and preparing project budget revisions.
• Manage the preparation of financial reports; including developing financial monitoring and reporting formats as per UNOPS requirements.
• Monitor budgets, cash flow and reporting on expense obligations to ensure that deliverables are met.
• Conduct financial analysis to manage and calculate financial shortfalls and over-expenditures.
• Conduct budget revisions and initiate corrective actions when necessary.
• Coordinate vendor communications, meetings, and reports as necessary

3. Project monitoring and reporting (Delivery and Performance):

• Support implementation of approved project plans (including the establishment of milestones) under the guidance of the Deputy Project Manager.
• Provide substantive inputs for the development of project strategies and schedules and manage work packages.
• Managing information flow by keeping, circulating and archiving detailed project notes and records.

• Support the Deputy Project Manager in maintaining the following:

  • Electronic Blue File,
  • Procurement, HR and Finance files as required by UNOPS policies
• Maintain the following records: Quality Register, Configuration Item Records and all other registers/logs delegated by the Deputy Project Manager
• Supervise, monitor and evaluate the performance of service providers delivering to project priorities.

4. Stakeholder management, coordination and liaison

• Establish a solid working relationship with the project board (Executive, Senior Users and Senior Suppliers), client and key stakeholders.
• Supports the Deputy Project Manager in communication between the project and the donor.
• Manage communications with stakeholders and ensure stakeholders are aware of project activities, progress, and exceptions and are in a position to accept handover products.
• Supports the Deputy Project Manager to advise the client on issues that may impact the achievement of their outcomes (including issues of sustainability and post-project requirements such as maintenance)

5. Knowledge management and innovation

• Encourage routine and effective capacity-building activities to be conducted in order to build the long-term and sustainable capacity of staff.
• Actively interact with other Project Managers and the wider PM community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices
• Contribute to the oversight of lessons learned procedures, ensuring that lessons learnt are shared in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Participate in the relevant Communities of Practice
• Research and logging of lessons learned throughout the project life span.
• Provide feedback to Practice Groups on policy, supporting guidance with an aim towards continuous improvement of UNOPS policies

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 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.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, International Relations, or other relevant discipline is preferred.
• Master’s Degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, International Relations, or another relevant discipline will be an asset.

Work Experience

• A minimum of two (2) years of relevant and progressive professional experience, specifically in the field of Project/Programme Management, and or Operations Management with a focus on monitoring, reporting, development and coordination is required.
• Experience in collecting and processing data to produce high-level statistics and charts is an asset;
• Experience and demonstrated skills in generating and compiling high-quality reports is an added advantage.
• A proven track record with at least 2 years of experience in coordination is an asset.
• Experience in the use of Google Suite applications as well as experience in handling web-based management systems is desirable.
• Experience and proven knowledge of UNOPS/UN rules and regulations in HR Management, Procurement, Finance and Administration is an asset.
• Relevant experience working in developing/post-conflict countries is an asset.

Languages

• Fluency in both English and Arabic is required

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: ICA contractual modality Contract level: LICA 8 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: 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.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and it is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, or disability.
• This is a local position open to nationals.
• Sana'a is a non family duty station.
• 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
• 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 (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, 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 recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.