Job Description

UNOPS Horn of Africa Multi- Country Office (HAMCO) is recruiting for this position: Project Management Officer based in Juba, South Sudan.

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.

UNOPS Horn of Africa Multi Country Office (HAMCO) activities range from tailor-made administration, operations, human resources and logistics support for implementation of development and humanitarian projects, infrastructure and procurement management services; and advisory services on effective procurement, supply and financial management as well as project and programme management.

Since 2016, HAMCO has implemented a strategy to establish itself as the preferred partner for development projects. This strategy aims to enhance visibility, achieve balanced growth, foster organizational development, and increase operational excellence. Consequently, HAMCO is undertaking a range of management projects across Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Djibouti, collaborating with diverse donors and partners. These projects encompass services from advisory and transactional support to facilitating the construction of various infrastructures, including roads, hospitals, power plants, and industrial zones. All projects and their sub-projects will be executed in partnership with the Governments of Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Djibouti, as well as other international and non-governmental organizations within these countries.

The primary role of Project Management Office (PMO) - Officer is to provide the South Sudan Office under HAMCO 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 core function of the Project Management Office (PMO) - Officer is to equip the South Sudan Office, with the requisite frameworks, instruments, and methodologies. This ensures the establishment of appropriate programs and projects, the harmonious alignment of operational and transformational imperatives, the facilitation of governance and decision-making processes, and the availability of resources and capabilities to consistently achieve successful delivery

The functions and services of the PMO include:

Planning/Portfolio Support: Ensuring UNOPS South Sudan Office is focused on doing the right projects by supporting management decision-making.
Delivery Support: Ensuring UNOPS South Sudan Office is doing projects the right way, through the effective delivery of the programme and projects.
Best Practices: Applying UNOPS standards in project management, project controls, schedule management and contract assurance encouraging consistent working practices and ensuring appropriate application.

The primary role of PMO is to:

Assist that corporate project management policies, processes and methods are followed and practiced according to the organization standards
Support the South Sudan Programme Leadership Team in improving local office working practices particularly in the areas of Planning, Schedule Management, Project Control Metrics and Contract & Risk Assurance.
Provide overall Project Assurance capacity within the business unit on behalf of the Country Manager and Project Executive.

The PMO contributes to facilitating the UNOPS South Sudan Office toward achieving its mission-focused goals and objectives.

Functional Responsibilities

Development & Planning
Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting
Stakeholder Engagement
Quality Assurance
Knowledge and innovation Management

Development and planning

Provide support to project management teams in facilitating the implementation of appropriate standards and best practices in line with UNOPS policies and procedures.
Assist in coordinating the development, consolidation and tracking progress of other Units’ plans;
Support PMs and PMSOs with the establishment, monitoring and delivery of business and programme level strategies, plans, targets, indicators and work plans, verifying budgets against forecasts, ensure this is done properly
Assist projects in the development of Gender Action Plan; and monitor that the plans are followed through.
Develop and establish resource tracking systems for use within the PMO, complementary to UNOPS' online tools, to ensure effective planning, forecasting and tracking of delivery across the South Sudan Office.
Assist project team to identify and anticipate potential risks and issues in a timely manner, and escalate to the HoP and management team as necessary.
Work closely and support the project team in project setup, implementation and closure activities.
Establish standards and monitor the use of configuration management systems in the South Sudan Office.
Monitor and ensure that projects have project implementation plan, HR plan, procurement plan, quality management plans, stakeholder engagement plan, and the plans are properly followed through.

Monitoring and reporting

Ensure regular project and corporate reports are issued in accordance with client, donor and corporate guidelines and standards
Facilitate implementation of corporate standards, initiatives and requirements across the South Sudan Office in coordination with the HAMCO PMO team lead.
Regularly review project status and monitor progress through output tracking tables, assist and advise PMs for any irregularities observed.
Assess projects’ health against key performance indicators (scope, cost, schedule, quality and risk); and escalate issues in a timely manner
Monitor project documentations are complete and up to date including plans and progress reports are maintained as required by UNOPS standard procedures.
Ensure timely UNOPS internal reporting requirements
Coordinate the effective preparation and organization of office, portfolio and project level quarterly assurance,
Assist in the coordination of organizational risks and issues management at the business unit level and advise South Sudan Office management on mitigating and remedial actions. Provide risk and issue management support to programs and project teams.
Provide routine oversight and analysis of delivery and project closure data, supporting the PMO team lead in the development of quarterly and periodic analysis, as well as tracking of business unit, operational, and project level issues, risks and lessons learned within the dashboard and other UNOPS systems, as required.
Ensure that all projects have a result framework and dashboard for monitoring outputs and activities.
Within the context of monitoring and evaluation, ensure all projects submit and regularly update specific milestones and targets for the duration of projects' life-cycles, and track progress.
Monitor the Health, Safety, Social and Environmental (HSSE) country focal has prepared HSSE plans and reported periodically
Monitor and review project’s monthly progress reports; and identify cross-cutting issues that require action and follow up.

Quality assurance

Work with internal audit and finance to ensure the programme complies with audit requirements.
Support the operations units and personnel to ensure alignment with programme and project needs/requirements.
Contribute towards full compliance with UNOPS standards for corporate/ programme/ project management.
Coordinate quality reviews of programme/project documents, plans and reports. Provide quality control for management products (project documents, reports, etc.) as and where required.
Assist the Project Manager, Project Coordinator and PMO team lead in supporting key stakeholders to continuously identify and improve operational processes relevant to project implementation.
Assist knowledge management efforts through documentation of best practices, regularly organizing and facilitating lessons learnt and closure workshops
Implement capacity building activities for the project team on identified gaps.

Stakeholder Engagement

Ensure that all projects has a dedicated stakeholder management and communication plan
Assist the PM in the stakeholder profiles and facilitate the formulation of stakeholder engagement strategies .
Enable the formulation of programme and project communications plans.
Coordinate stakeholder engagement and communication, ensuring effective timing and interdependency management of communications across programmes and projects.
Coordinate internal programme/project communications.
Monitor the effectiveness of programme/project communications.

Knowledge Management & Innovation

Support the South Sudan and HAMCO Programme Leadership Team in improving local hub working practices particularly in the areas of:
- Planning & Schedule Management.
- Performance Monitoring through enhanced Project Control Metric Regime and Performance Management Interventions to facilitate enhanced project and programme levels of service.
- Contract & Risk Assurance.
Ensure routine and effective capacity building activities are conducted in order to build the long-term and sustainable capacity of national staff.
Participate in, and advocate PMs' participation in, relevant Communities of Practice.
Actively interact with PMs and the wider PM community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices in the Knowledge System.
Provides feedback to Practice Leads on policy and supporting guidance working to achieve continuous improvement of UNOPS policies.
Contributes to the oversight of lessons learned procedures, ensuring that lessons learnt are shared in a timely and appropriate manner .

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education:

A Master’s Degree in Project Management, Business Administration, International Relations or related fields is required.
A first-level university degree (Bachelor's Degree) in combination with 2 years Project Management, Business Administration, International Relations or related fields may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Certification:

PRINCE2 Practitioner Certification is highly desirable.
MPS certification (Foundation and/or Practitioner) is an advantage.

Experience:

A minimum of two (2) years of relevant and progressive professional experience, specifically in the field of Project Management with experience of successful implementation and/or oversight of programmes and projects is required.
A minimum of two (2) years experience working in a Project Management Office (PMO) environment is required.
A minimum of two (2) years experience with data analysis, management reporting and project management tools and information management systems is required.
Detailed knowledge of UNOPS’ project management tools, UNOPS financial and procurement rules and regulations, and financial management tools, is an added advantage.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in writing, reading and oral English is required.
Knowledge of one or more additional official UN languages is an advantage.

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.

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: Local Individual Contractor Agreement (LICA)
Contract level: LICA/ICS -8
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

Additional Information

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.
UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse 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.
This is a local position. As such, it is only open to South Sudanese nationals only

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. 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.
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.