Biomedical Engineer

The UNOPS Africa Regional Office, based in Nairobi, Kenya, oversees the delivery of over 250 projects across 40 countries, with a focus on fragile and conflict-affected settings. Supported by more than 1,000 personnel across five multi-country offices—spanning North, West, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Horn of Africa—the office advances national priorities through strategic initiatives in Climate Action, Health, Infrastructure, Peace and Security, Middle-Income Country Support, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The Regional Office provides strategic leadership, operational support, and oversight in key areas including Partnerships, Communications, Management and Oversight, Infrastructure and Project Management, Health and Safety, and Security. By promoting excellence in project delivery, fostering knowledge sharing, and driving continuous improvement, the office contributes to sustainable infrastructure, transparent resource management, and a better quality of life for communities across the continent.

Based in Nairobi, UNOPS East and Southern Africa supports sustainable development across 14 countries, including Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Tanzania, Zambia, Zanzibar, and Zimbabwe. Since 1995, UNOPS has expanded its footprint in Kenya, delivering services in project management, infrastructure, procurement, and financial management. Across the region, the office implements diverse, partner-funded initiatives that respond to national priorities. In Mozambique, this includes delivering specialized equipment (EU), supporting health services (UNICEF), promoting agro-processing (KOICA), and advancing peacebuilding efforts through a Multi-Donor Fund. UNOPS also supports agricultural input distribution and the Northern Crisis Recovery Project, both funded by the World Bank. In Malawi, efforts include developing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centres in partnership with the EU and the British Council. These initiatives reflect UNOPS’ commitment to strengthening national capacities, enhancing service delivery, and supporting progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the region.

The Technical Services Unit (TSU) is a multidisciplinary unit based in Nairobi that serves projects globally. It is a business unit for the Multi-Country Office, operating under the Director for the East and Southern Africa Office (ESAMCO). The TSU is responsible for multidisciplinary design, assessments, advisory work, and managing relationships with external technical stakeholders. Retainer personnel work from home. Core Services:The TSU currently provides the following services in English and French:

• Design services for infrastructure works to Project Managers.
• Consulting services, including assessments, feasibility studies, and advisory services for a wide range of infrastructure types.
• Multidisciplinary design review services for projects designed externally.

Personnel and Reach:The TSU currently comprises 17 permanent and over 90 retainer personnel, including:

• Architects, civil engineers, structural engineers, mechanical engineers, and electrical engineers.
• Quantity surveyors, GIS specialists, and CAD technicians.
• Specialist infrastructure advisors for areas such as dams, ICT, safeguards, and biomedical works.
• Support personnel.

Current or imminent projects are located in Niger, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, CAR, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Zambia, and Mozambique. Additionally, the unit supports projects outside Africa, such as those in Haiti, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Papua New Guinea. 

Current Requirement:The team seeks to expand its pool of Biomedical Engineering Retainers. The Biomedical Engineer (retainer) will be called upon on an ad-hoc basis to support various healthcare projects, including desktop and site assessments, technical development and review of equipment specifications, procurement support, and design support.

The team is looking to expand its pool of Biomedical Engineering Retainers, and the Biomedical Engineer (retainer) shall be called on on an ad-hoc basis to support various projects in desktop and site assessments, technical development and or review of specifications for equipment, procurement support and design support on health care projects.

Under the overall supervision of the TSU Lead Architect, the Biomedical Engineer will give his/her technical expertise as required to provide high quality and professional engineering support in activities related to the research, procurement, commissioning and installation of medical equipment.

1. Technical support to biomedical procurement

• Review and prepare technical medical specifications and requirements accurately and in harmony with overall requirements, including the appropriate application of UNOPS procurement governance framework. 
• Check the schedule of the requirements, conditions, evaluation criteria and precise submission requirements from the bidders before the bid solicitation for biomedical equipment to be procured.
• Prepare estimates for medical and laboratory equipment. 
• Evaluate technical specifications for medical and laboratory equipment, including components, products, apparatus and services together with the expected quality of workmanship in close coordination with TSU and the Procurement team.
• Determine compliance of bids in accordance with the technical requirements detailed in the invitation bid.
• Participate in scheduled site visits if required

2. Technical support to assessments

• Participate in the review and analysis of existing health equipment and installations (field assessments) at various sites - Review documentation provided by stakeholders for accuracy, suitability and context

3. Technical support to design

• Participate in meetings and work closely with the design team and medical experts to identify locations and dimensions for equipment to facilitate better and efficient patient and process flows.
• Prepare drawings showing proposed locations and installations for the medical equipment.
• Assist in producing bills of quantity for tender purposes, together with estimates for medical equipment.
• Participate in scheduled site visits for inspection during implementation.
• Witness the testing, commissioning of the installed equipment, the training of end users and review shop drawings from contractors.
• Develop a comprehensive maintenance plan for the installed equipment.

4. Administrative and knowledge sharing

• Keep files and records of the biomedical design process and decisions made.
• Using the UNOPS TSU online folder structure and chosen platform (google suite), deliver and file all documents.
• Participate in knowledge sharing activities to capture best practice and lessons learned. An agreed task order including the scope, deliverables and the maximum time duration will be agreed upon by the Technical Services Unit and the Biomedical Engineer prior to commencement of each and every assignment. He/she is responsible for ensuring timeous delivery of services as defined in the task order

Required

• A Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering or a closely related field from a recognized university.

  
  

Desired

• An advanced degree in Biomedical Engineering is desired.

Required

• A minimum of 4 years of professional experience in medical equipment specification, procurement and maintenance for candidates with a Bachelor’s degree, or a minimum of 2 years for those with a Master’s degree.

Desired

• Previous experience in developing countries and knowledge of the East African context.

• Experience of successfully working with a variety of health sector stakeholders, particularly governments and development partners is an asset.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• 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. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click 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.