Design Engineer

The Asia Pacific Regional Office, based in Bangkok, Thailand, provides strategic leadership and oversight for UNOPS operations across 17 countries, ensuring high performance, operational excellence, and alignment with organizational goals. Operations currently span Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Pacific Islands. Across these countries, we work closely with key stakeholders to strengthen partnerships and maximize impact through five main operating units: Afghanistan (AFCO), Myanmar (MMCO), South Asia Multi-Country Office (SAMCO), East Asia and Pacific Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO), and the Asia Regional Health Cluster (ARHC). Through these entities, we provide agile, client-focused service delivery across diverse sectors - including infrastructure, health, procurement, and project management - supporting the implementation of sustainable development solutions across the region.

UNOPS Myanmar is one of UNOPS leading offices in Asia, acting as fund manager for three of the largest development programmes in the country. In addition, UNOPS Myanmar is Principal Recipient for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Myanmar and Cambodia, and for the Global Fund’s Regional Artemisinin-resistance Initiative targeting drug resistant malaria in the Greater Mekong sub-region. UNOPS provides procurement, infrastructure and project management services to a wide range of organizations in the country, including the Government of Myanmar, international development partners, other UN agencies, NGOs and INGOs. UNOPS Myanmar plays a critical role in ensuring that the quality of services provided to its partners meets stringent requirements of speed, efficiency and cost effectiveness.

The Community Resilience Project is implemented with a project duration of 4 years, starting in the latter half of 2025. The project aims to help targeted communities in 6 states to cope with and recover from the various on-going crises in the country, and to prepare for and strengthen their ability to withstand future shocks. The project will strengthen the capacity of vulnerable communities to address short- to medium-term development priorities through training, facilitation support, community-based infrastructure, and livelihoods assistance provided through block grants.

The project will be managed by UNOPS and delivered through a network of experienced Implementing Partners (IPs), through two components. The first component will finance the repair or renovation of small-scale, climate-resilient social and economic infrastructure (roads or irrigation canals, water and sanitation structures) and basic livelihoods support (seeds and tools for agriculture production, community revolving funds, and basic training). All needs will be identified through a participatory process. It also includes emergency top-up grants to the targeted townships in the event of a natural disaster or crisis. The second component will support capacity strengthening of the communities, which includes training and assistance in participatory problem analysis and planning, household and community vulnerability mapping (including climate change and disaster risks), simple financial management and procurement procedures, application of simplified environmental and social risk standards, inclusion of women and marginalized groups, and technical training and guidance.

Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Programme Manager, the Design Engineer is responsible for ensuring the technical feasibility and quality of community-prioritized infrastructure through consistent design review, appropriate designs, drawings, specifications, and cost estimates that reflect local conditions and community capacity. This position will provide technical guidance and oversight to partners, while integrating climate resilience, disaster risk reduction, and environmental considerations into sub-project designs.

Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Programme Manager, the Design Engineer is responsible for ensuring the technical feasibility and quality of community-prioritized infrastructure. This involves consistent design review, developing appropriate designs, drawings, specifications, and cost estimates that reflect local conditions and community capacity. The position provides crucial technical guidance and oversight to partners, while integrating climate resilience, disaster risk reduction, and environmental considerations into sub-project designs, thereby contributing directly to the timely, technically sound, and quality implementation of infrastructure sub-projects.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) preferably in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management or related fields with 4 years of relevant experience OR

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above or related fields with 2 years of relevant experience is required.

Desired

• Design related certification is desired.

Required

• Relevant experience is work in building construction, site supervision or infrastructure project management or similar fields.

• Experience in quality control, monitoring and reporting within construction projects is required.

• Demonstrable proficiency in the use of collaboration and productivity tools (e.g. G-Suite, etc) and web-based management systems is required.

Desired

• Experience of working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country is desired.

• Experience in development or humanitarian contexts is desired.

• Experience in project documentation, report writing and technical communication is desired.

• 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.
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• 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.