Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Closing Date: 29-Apr-2024
Job Description
Background Information – Job-specific
Background:
The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organisations. With over 6,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, where they need it. By implementing around 1,000 projects for our partners at any given time, UNOPS makes significant contributions to results on the ground, often in the most challenging environments.
Background Information – Job-specific
Established in 2009, Ethiopia Multi-country office (ETMCO) sub-region currently consists of an established Operation Centre in Addis Ababa which manages a portfolio of engagements in four (4) Horn of Africa countries (Ethiopia, Djibouti, Sudan and South Sudan). ETMCO focuses on Infrastructure, Procurement, Project Management, HR and Transactional Services, and Fund Management services across a wide range of sectors including Health, Education, Agriculture, Resilient infrastructure, among others.
Our goal is to support countries, help people in need and enable our partners through delivering on our mandate of infrastructure, procurement and project management in the countries in the Horn of Africa.
The primary role of ETMCO Programme Team is to provide the MCO with the structures, tools and techniques needed to ensure that it has the right programmes and projects in place, that operational and change priorities are balanced, the governance and decision making is facilitated and it has the resources and capability to deliver them consistently well.
The functions and services of the Programme Team include:
- Strategic Oversight/Portfolio Support: Applying and evidence-based approach to project oversight, early warning, corrective actions, and mainstreaming lessons into business planning
- Delivery Support: Doing Projects the Right Way with specific emphasis on in-depth, full project cycle management, from starting up new projects, to substantive closure. Providing guidance to Project Managers and their teams in delivering projects according to policy and best practice
- Best Practices: Doing Projects Consistently and well through mentoring, coaching and developing the project management team’s capacity to deliver successful and impactful projects
Through these functions and services, the Programme Team aims to ensure that project management policies, processes and methods are followed and practiced according to the organization standards, while acting as the overall Project Assurance capacity within the business unit on behalf of senior management. The Project Manager (Transactional) strongly contributes to moving the office towards achieving its mission-focused goals and objectives.
The Project Manager (Transactional) manages projects in the Ethiopia Country Office Transactional Unit team. The selected candidate will work under the direct supervision of the Senior Portfolio Manager to ensure that projects meet their intended outcomes, are implemented to the highest standard of project management practices, and meet partner satisfaction.
Functional Responsibilities
The Project Manager (Transactional) is responsible for:
- the day-to-day operations of the project and provides services to the different donors, partners and beneficiaries. 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 Project Manage 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 organisation’s performance and delivery goals.
- 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) outputs are capable of meeting the business cases for both UNOPS and the partners.
Summary of functions:
- Project Delivery and Performance
- Procedures
- Monitoring and reporting
- Stakeholder engagement
- Quality assurance
- Knowledge management and innovation
- Personnel management
- Implement the approved plan (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 project life span.
- Liaise with any external suppliers or account managers
- Manage acceptance and delivery of work packages
- Monitor project progress ensuring that work packages are being executed properly
- Accept goods, services or works delivered by suppliers.
- Lead contract management duties including supplier performance evaluation.
- Identify, and anticipate in a timely manner, potential risks and issues and advises mitigating measures to senior management/ Project Board so that maximum benefit to partner(s) and other stakeholders is achieved
- Identify and report to the supervisor potential business opportunities for UNOPS
- Comply with all organizational policy and specifically the Project Management Manual
- Prepare/adapt all relevant plans for approval by the Project Board.
- Manage the reporting obligations defined in the Legal Agreement(s) and in the Implementation Plan
- Draft the requirements definitions for procurement processes. Approving requisitions and requests for non-purchase order payments; Evaluating submissions received, if appointed to the evaluation team.
- Ensure maintenance of the project files and lessons learned are recorded
- Ensure the development and implementation of project financial management guidelines and control mechanisms, in conformity with UNOPS rules and regulations.
- 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 expenditures against the budget (based on accurate financial reports)
- Where the Project Manager 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.
- For project closure purposes, provide a formal handover of the project to the closure manager
- Support project audit activities, including planning, preparation and coordination during the audits and follow up on audit observations/recommendations.
3. Monitoring and Reporting
- Prepare and issue regular project and/or financial reports in accordance with Partner and UNOPS requirements for reporting.
- Regularly review project status, evaluating performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule and quality).
- Maintain diaries and progress reports as required by the organization’s standard procedures.
- Provide routine oversight and analysis of delivery data within the dashboard system.
- Ensure all project team members track and regularly update milestones and targets for the duration of projects’ life span.
4. Stakeholder Engagement
- Manage stakeholder mapping and facilitate the formulation of stakeholder engagement strategies.
- Manage engagement with project stakeholders across local authorities, central government and other humanitarian actors to establish strong working relationships.
- Prepare communication to stakeholders and respond to stakeholder enquiries.
- Establish solid working relationships with the Project Board (Executive, Senior Users and Senior Suppliers), client and key stakeholders.
- Enable the formulation of project communications plans. Coordinate internal project communications. Monitor the effectiveness of project communications.
- Coordinate stakeholder engagement and communication, ensuring effective timing and interdependency management of communications. Ensure stakeholders are aware of project activities, progress, exceptions and are in a position to accept handover outputs.
5. Personnel Management
- Lead and motivate the project management team (as needed).
- Ensure that behavioural expectations of team members are established
- Ensure that performance reviews are conducted fairly, accurately and timely
- Select, recruit and train the team as required and take into account gender parity and diversity objectives.
- Ensure safety and security for all project personnel and comply with UNDSS standards
- Create, foster and role model a culture of respect and zero tolerance for discrimination, abuse of authority, harrasment, sexual harassment and sexual exploitation and abuse. Ensure accountability for actions and perform duties in accordance with protection mechanisms and action plans, as expected by UNOPS policies, standards and commitments.
- Encourage routine and effective capacity building activities are 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 Practise Groups on policy, supporting guidance with an aim towards continuous improvement of UNOPS policies
7. Personnel Management
- Lead and motivate the project management team
- Ensure that behavioural expectations of team members are established
- Ensure that performance reviews are conducted fairly, accurately and timely
- Select, recruit and train a team as required and take into account gender parity and diversity objectives.
- Ensure safety and security for all project personnel and comply with UNDSS standards
- Create, foster and role model a culture of respect and zero tolerance for discrimination, abuse of authority, harassment , sexual harassment and sexual exploitation and abuse. Ensure accountability for actions and perform duties in accordance with protection mechanisms and action plans, as expected by UNOPS policies, standards and commitments.
The Project Manager (Transactional) directly impacts on achievement of project results by adhering to project management methods and strategies, reducing risks, cutting costs and improving success rates. This consequently reinforces the visibility and image of UNOPS as an effective service provider in project services and management and strengthens its competitive position as a partner of choice in sustainable development and project services.
Education/Experience/Language requirements
Education:
- Advanced University Degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent) in Project Management, Business Management, Development Studies, Procurement/Supply Chain Management or other relevant disciplines is required.
- A first University Degree (Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent) in Project Management, Business Management, Development Studies, Procurement/Supply Chain Management in combination with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the education requirements outlined above.
Certification:
- Certification in Project Management (PRINCE2 Foundation, PRINCE2 Foundation PMI or equivalent) is an asset.
Experience:
- A minimum of two (2) years progressive demonstrated experience in a Project/Programme Management role in the delivery of development projects is required;
- Working knowledge of project management software tools and applications is an asset;
- Demonstrated experience managing multidisciplinary teams is an asset;
- Experience in developing and successfully implementing stakeholder engagement plans is a distinct advantage.
- Past experience with procurement of goods/services is a distinct advantage;
- Knowledge of the UN system and familiarity with UNOPS procedures is an advantage;
- Strong Writing and reporting skills are an asset.
- Experience in risk management is an asset.
- Strong problem-solving skills are an asset.
- Experience in the use of google software packages (Google Doc, Sheets and Slides) and experience in handling web-based management systems is an added advantage.
Language Requirements:
- Fluency in written, reading and spoken English is required.
- Fluency in written, reading and spoken Amharic language is required.