Senior Project Manager

From 2002 to date, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through its Ministry of Health has been benefiting from the GAVI fund. This support has entered its third funding phase, with a funding cycle from 2020-2025 with a value of USD 99,999,999. This multi-year support from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) has been used to support the implementation of National Health Development and the Global Immunization plans. These two plans aim to improve immunization services with equity in the vision of Universal Health Coverage “National Health Development Plan” in the world and particularly in the DRC.

The third phase of funding, like the previous phases, will contribute to the implementation of immunization for children aged 0 to 12 months and to Strengthening the Health System (National Health Development Plan: (PNDS) for five years (2020-2025).

Additionally, the third phase of the GAVI fund supported the DRC Ministry of Health, but with the focus of RSS3. 

The key five objectives of this funding phases include:

1. Vaccine Management (Effective vaccines management from 71% in 2019 to at least 80% in 2025.

2. Ensure increased efficiency of the supply chain at all levels by increasing the composite score of effective delivery of vaccination services, vaccine preventable diseases and adverse events following immunization surveillance in 100% of health areas by 2024.

3. Improve the management of immunization data and surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases with a reduction in the gap between administrative data and those of surveys to less than 15 points.

4. Improve the administrative and financial governance of the health system, including capacity building of human resources, by 2025.

5. Strengthen the role of 90%of community participation bodies supported, to fight the brakes on demand for vaccination for target children and pregnant women, by 2024.

UNOPS has been requested to support the implementation of objectives: 1 and 3. Therefore, UNOPS will be the contracting authority for the following activities:

For objective 1 of the RSS3 Program: “Increase the efficiency of the supply chain at all levels by increasing the composite score of the Effective Management of Vaccines (EVM) from 71% in 2019 to at least 80% in 2024”.

For objective 3 of the RSS3 Program: “Improve the management of vaccination data and surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases with the reduction of the gap between administrative data and those of surveys to less than 15 points”. 

Through Gavi’s Equity Accelerator Fund Project, the objective is to help reduce the number of zero-dose children – who receive no basic vaccines – by 35% by 2025. 2 Warehouse Management sites are also planned for better management and transport logistics of vaccines. 

As part of GAVI’s RSS3 project, UNOPS CDMCO has been entrusted with technical and logistical support to the Ministry of Health through the Extended Program for Vaccination in the DRC (EPI). For this, UNOPS will need to recruit a Senior Project Manager Expert for managing these multidisciplinary projects in logistics, vaccine, management of cold chain equipment, infrastructure, green energy, fund management, warehouse management.

The Senior Project Manager would also manage multi-donor support to the vaccination programme: The last Mile funding by the Japanese Government with procurement, logistics, green energy installations etc.

Senior Project Manager  is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the project(s) and provides services to the different donors, partners and beneficiaries.Senior Project Manager acts on behalf of the Project Board to manage the project on an ongoing basis during the Implementation Stage. The main responsibility of a Senior Project Manager  is to ensure that the project outputs are delivered within the specified project tolerances of time, cost, quality, scope, risk and benefits. He/she is expected to meet the organization’s performance and delivery goals.

Senior Project Manager has the authority to assign, as per the Project Plan, work packages to Team Managers and approve deliverables produced by them.

Senior Project Manager  is responsible for creating the Implementation Plan, using the Project Initiation Document (PID), Legal Agreement and having a thorough understanding of the terms, conditions, and the respective roles and responsibilities of the partners/stakeholders, to ensure the project(s) outputs are capable of meeting the business cases for both UNOPS and the partner(s). Success of the project(s) and hence of the Senior Project Manager  will be based on the defined Success Criteria.

• Advanced University degree (Master’s or equivalent) in business management, pharmacy, engineering, supply chain management, health, logistics or related fields is required.

• First level University degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in business management, pharmacy, engineering, supply chain management, health, logistics or related fields in combination with two (2) additional years of relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

• Prince 2 Practitioner Certification is desired.

• MSP Certification is desired within 6 months of hire.

• Health, safety, security and environmental understanding (HSSE) is desired.
  
  
  

• A minimum of seven (7) years of donor project management experience in the area of immunization management, cold chain maintenance, supply chain management, primary health care, infrastructure, solar energy, performance based budgets or related areas is required.
  
  

• Experience in monitoring and evaluation with knowledge of the expanded Immunization/ vaccination program, in particular aspects related to Immunization supply chain and logistics is mandatory.

• Experience in developing countries is an asset.

• Experience in UN system organizations preferably in a developing country is desirable.

• Fluency in French is required.
• Fluency in English is required. 

1. Contract type : International Individual Contract Agreement (IICA)
2. Contract level : IICA3 ( ICS11) 
3. Contract duration:  Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.’

• 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 which 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.