Project Manager

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.

UNESCO Construction project is under the implementation stage and the project duration is 27 months (15 months project duration and 12 months Defects Notification period).

The overall objective of the UNESCO Construction Project is to construct the office spaces and accommodation units for UNESCO in the Four Seasons Plot within the UNOCA compound, Kabul.

The main activities for the project are Design and Construction of 17 accommodation units of 833 Sq.m, 34 office units of 1176 Sq.m, and a parking lot accommodating 7 armoured vehicles. The Project Board Executive will direct the project on a quarterly basis; the Project Manager will manage it on an ongoing basis, while Team Managers complete their planned work packages and their deliverables. Project Board meetings will be held between UNESCO and UNOPS when necessary to update on the progress of the work during the implementation stage. The Project Team will be comprised of one international Project Manager and 2 National staff members - Project Support Assistant and Site Engineer.

AFOC is seeking the recruitment of a qualified Project Manager (PM) to be based in Kabul. The PM is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the project and provides services to different donors, partners, and beneficiaries. He/she is expected to meet and exceed the organization's performance and delivery goals.

1. Purpose and Scope of Assignment

The PM is responsible to produce/read the project initiation documents, Legal Agreement and have a thorough understanding of the terms, conditions, and the respective roles and responsibilities of the partners/stakeholders to ensure the project’s products are capable of meeting the business cases for both UNOPS and UNESCO. The PM is responsible for all aspects of the project life cycle. S/he must be able to apply, with delegated autonomy, the below duties and responsibilities:

1. Functional Responsibilities

1. Stakeholder Management:

●      Reporting to the Head of Programme (HOP), establish a solid working relationship with the project board (Executive, Senior Users, and Senior Suppliers), client and key stakeholders

●      Manage communications and ensure stakeholders are aware of project activities, progress, exceptions and are in a position to accept handover products

●      Advise the client on issues that may impact the achievement of their outcomes (including issues of sustainability and post project requirements such as maintenance)

●      Manage the information flows between the Project Board/AFOC Director and the project

1. Delivery and Performance:

●      Develop and maintain project plans

●      Implement approved project plans (including the establishment of milestones) within tolerances set by the Project Board

●      Embed sustainability dimensions including social and gender inclusion, environmental and economic aspects into the project’s life cycle.

●      Manage the production of the required products, taking responsibility for overall progress and use of resources and initiating corrective action where necessary

●      Liaise with any external suppliers or account managers

●      Authorize Work Packages

●      Advise the Project Board, AFOC Director and HOP of any deviations from the plan

●      Identify and manage risks so that maximum benefit to client and stakeholders is achieved

●      Manage and review product quality and ensure products are accepted

●      Monitor and evaluate the performance of service providers

●      Identify and report potential business opportunities for UNOPS to his/her supervisor

●      Identify and report threats to UNOPS internal business case to a supervisor

1. Procedures:

●      Follow the Project Management Cycle instructions and ensure all organizational policy is complied with (Organizational Directives and Administrative Instructions)

●      Prepare/adapt the following plans for approval by the Project Board: 

I. Project Initiation Documentation;

II. Stage/Exception Plans and relevant Product Descriptions

●      Prepare the following reports:

                         i.         Highlight Reports

                       ii.         End-Stage Reports

                      iii.         Operational Closure Checklist

                      iv.         End Project Report

                       v.         Handover Report

●      Maintain the following:

i. Electronic Blue File;

ii. Procurement, HR and Finance files as required.

●      Ensure all expenditures comply with UNOPS Financial Rules and Regulations (FRR).

●      Manage budgets, cash flow and obligations to ensure that deliverables are met and payments to contractors and personnel are received on time.

●      Understand and manage UNOPS overheads, allocable charges, and related corporate charges as they apply to the project.

●      Understand the unique structures of the UN and budget appropriately for personnel.

●      Manage and remain accountable for expenditures against the budget (based on accurate financial reports).

●      Where the PM has no delegation as a committing officer, s/he retains these responsibilities and will monitor and instruct/request others to carry out the relevant commitments and disbursements.

D. 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.

●      Provide feedback to Practice Leads on policy, supporting guidance with an aim towards continuous improvement of UNOPS policies

●      Complete lessons learned as per reporting format.

●      Incorporate lessons learned from others as per planning format.

       E. Personnel Management:

●      Lead and motivate the project management team.

●      Ensure that behavioral expectations of team members are established.

●      Ensure that performance reviews are conducted.

●      Identify outstanding staff and bring them to the attention of the AFOC Director

●      Have a thorough understanding of UNOPS personnel contract modalities (including ICA and Staff).

●      Select, recruit and train the team as required by the project plan.

●      Perform the Team Manager role, unless appointed to another person(s).

●      Perform Project Support role, unless appointed to another person or corporate/programme function.

●      Ensure safety and security for all personnel and comply with UNDSS standards.

       F. Core Values and Principles:

●      Understand and respect UNOPS sustainability principles

                         I.         Look for ways to embed UNOPS sustainability principles in day to day project management

                       II.         Seek opportunities to champion gender equality at the workplace

                      III.         Champion and communicate the project’s sustainability aspects with key stakeholders

●      Understand and Respect National ownership and capacity

                         i.         Understand the principles of the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness and mainstream them into the project plans

                       ii.         Seek opportunities to recruit qualified local staff

                      iii.         Look for ways to build the capacity of local counterparts

●      Partnerships and Coordination: Understand the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and UNOPS, and the project’s place in the UN system

                         i.         Strive to build strong partnerships and effective coordination among relevant project actors

                       ii.         Accountability for results  and the use of resources

                      iii.         The project management processes are designed to deliver maximum accountability, transparency, and results. If a project or processes is not in line with this, it is the responsibility of the PM to raise the issue with  a supervisor

●      Excellence

                         i.         Contribute to innovation and the adaptation of best practice standards of sustainability and quality.

Additional Requirements

1. Monitoring and Progress Controls

Afghanistan

Contract type: International ICA Contract level: IICA-2
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 

• 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
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• 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.