Project Management Support - Officer

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.

Since 1995, UNOPS Somalia (SOCO), headquartered in Mogadishu and part of the East and Southern Africa Multi-Country Office (ESAMCO), has been a trusted partner to the Government of Somalia and international donors. Through the provision of project management, infrastructure, procurement, and financial services, SOCO plays a critical role in supporting national priorities in health, rule of law, security, transport, and resilience. The office has delivered impactful infrastructure projects—including the Immigration Headquarters ($6.8M), Maritime Police Headquarters ($3.7M), and regional hospitals ($20M)—and leads key national initiatives such as the Joint Police Programme ($56.4M). UNOPS also manages large-scale procurement, including over $75M in non-lethal support to security actors. Advisory support to urban resilience and crisis recovery efforts further strengthens institutional capacity, with projects valued at $8.1M, $8.8M, and $7.4M. SOCO’s integrated approach contributes to sustainable peacebuilding and development outcomes across Somalia.

The Sustainable Land Management in Puntland (SLM-P) project is an initiative funded by Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), Germany and implemented by UNOPS over a period of 48 months in Puntland State of Somalia. The project aims to strengthen the productive potential of sustainable land and water use systems by addressing the interconnected challenges of land degradation, water scarcity, climate change, and limited institutional capacity that undermine the resilience and livelihoods of rural communities.

Puntland is highly vulnerable to recurrent droughts, erratic rainfall, soil erosion, degradation of rangelands, and declining water availability. These environmental challenges have severely affected agro-pastoral livelihoods, agricultural productivity, and food security, particularly among smallholder farmers, pastoralists, women, youth, and displaced populations. The project adopts an integrated watershed-based approach that combines sustainable water resource management, ecosystem restoration, climate-resilient agriculture, and institutional strengthening to enhance long-term resilience.

The project consists of three mutually reinforcing components.

Component 1: Water infrastructure and soil conservation measures: The aim of the component is to expand and improve the infrastructure for the storage and protection of multi-use water sources, and to implement soil conservation measures. It therefore encompasses both biological and physical measures aimed at controlling surface runoff and erosion, maximizing rainwater harvesting for vegetation growth, and improving water availability. This includes measures to capture runoff, increase groundwater recharge, and utilize natural slopes for the collection and storage of water.

Component 2: Land-use, agriculture, and livestock productivity: The aim of the component is to improve land use, agriculture, livestock and water management-related skills and assets in project communities. The component thus combines activities of livestock and rangeland management practices, training and asset provision for climate-adapted agricultural techniques.

Component 3: Accompanying measures/ capacity enhancement activities: The aim of the component is to strengthen the capacities of communities and relevant government institutions for water resources and land use management.

A nine-month inception phase will establish the technical, social, environmental, and institutional foundation for implementation through comprehensive baseline studies, watershed assessments, participatory community consultations, institutional capacity assessments, and the development of detailed implementation and monitoring frameworks. The subsequent implementation phase will deliver targeted infrastructure investments, livelihood support, and capacity-building activities based on evidence-driven and community-led planning.

The SLM-P project contributes directly to Somalia’s and Puntland’s development priorities and supports several Sustainable Development Goals, including Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), Climate Action (SDG 13), Life on Land (SDG 15), and Strong Institutions (SDG 16).

The Project Management Support Officer provides operational, analytical and administrative support to ensure effective planning, implementation and monitoring of projects in line with UNOPS policies and client/partner requirements. The incumbent supports data management, reporting, procurement, financial and/or logistical activities that contribute to efficient project delivery. The role collects, validates and analyzes project data, generating insights and reports to inform evidence-based decision-making and enhance performance. The Project Management Support Officer facilitates coordination among project teams, partners and support services units, ensuring timely implementation of activities and compliance with established procedures. The incumbent may also undertake field missions to support data collection, training and stakeholder engagement, helping strengthen project systems, processes and reporting tools.

Data Management, Analysis and Reporting

• Collect, clean, structure and validate project data to ensure accuracy, consistency and reliability.
• Develop and maintain databases, dashboards and information management systems for real-time project tracking.
• Conduct statistical and qualitative analysis to identify trends, generate insights and inform decision-making.
• Support preparation of analytical and visual reports, briefs and presentations for internal and external stakeholders
• Implement automated tools and visualization systems, e.g. Power BI, Looker Studio, etc, to enhance data accessibility and interpretation.
• Ensure rigorous data quality checks and validation of data sources and tools.

Project Implementation and Operational Support

• Support project planning, budgeting and execution, ensuring adherence to UNOPS procedures and client/donor requirements.
• Prepare project documentation, including Terms of Reference (ToRs), agreements, budgets and procurement requests
• Assist in the coordination of workshops, missions, and stakeholder consultations, including travel and logistical arrangements
• Liaise with support service units on procurement, contracting and payment processes, ensuring compliance with UNOPS standards.
• Track project milestones, outputs and deliverables, and alert management to delays or risks.

Procurement, Financial and Administrative Coordination

• Support the preparation and monitoring of procurement and workshop plans, ensuring alignment with project needs.
• Conduct market research, support solicitation processes, and assist in bid evaluation and contract administration.
• Monitor project budget utilization, review financial reports, and maintain accurate documentation for audits and reporting.
• Process travel, expense claims, and related financial transactions in compliance with organizational policies.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Strategic Decision Support

• Develop and maintain monitoring systems and tools to track progress against work plans and performance indicators.
• Contribute to the development of predictive and analytical models to support strategic planning and forecasting.
• Support internal evaluations and data-driven performance reviews to assess project outcomes and impact.
• Provide timely inputs for donor and corporate reporting, ensuring analytical rigour and compliance with reporting standards

Knowledge Building and Sharing

• Support the organization, facilitation and delivery of training and learning sessions on project management.
• Participate in knowledge-sharing initiatives and Communities of Practice (CoPs), contributing insights and lessons learned.
• Conduct research on project management-related topics and contribute to the drafting of reports, summaries and briefing notes

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 2 years of relevant experience OR
• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 0 years of relevant experience is required.

Desired

• A globally recognized professional certificate or membership in Project Management is desired.

Required

• Relevant experience is work in project management or related areas.
• Demonstrable proficiency in the use of collaboration and productivity tools (e.g. MS Office, 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.

• 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.
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• 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.