Project Management Support - Senior Officer

The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) brings together diverse expertise to help partners deliver impact worldwide. With hubs in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, and expert teams operating globally, GPO leads multi-regional initiatives that advance sustainable development, climate action, and peacebuilding - including in some of the world’s most challenging environments. By leveraging our collective expertise and global networks, GPO supports UNOPS’ strategic priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals across more than 130 countries. We work closely with major global partners - including governments, international financial institutions, and UN agencies - to deliver a wide range of services, such as project management, fund management, hosting services, and HR support.

Not Required - part of GPO/NYPO

This position is located in the UNODC Border Management Branch (BMB) Maritime Team with duty station in Dhaka, Bangladesh, within the UNODC Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA). The incumbent will work under the overall supervision of the ROSA Representative and under the direct supervision of the Regional Programme Coordinator of the Global Maritime Crime Programme (Indian Ocean East), in coordination with the Asia Regional Coordinator of the Border Management Branch (BMB).

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. UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects. 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 organizations.

The Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development operations. It was formed by combining the following portfolios: Grants Management Services (GMS), UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio (DSIP). It provides Services to partners' programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serving partners headquartered in New York. The SDC has a footprint of approximately 125 countries.

UNOPS has signed a Global Agreement with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to operationally support the implementation of their mandate through the provision of Human Resources services The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1997 to assist member states in their efforts to combat illicit drugs, crime, and terrorism, is one of the partners under UNTSS.

Headquartered in Vienna, Austria, UNODC operates globally to support the development and implementation of policies and programmes that address a wide range of issues, including drug trafficking and abuse, organized crime, corruption, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, cybercrime, and terrorism prevention. Through research, policy advice, capacity-building, and technical assistance, UNODC works to strengthen justice systems, promote international cooperation, and uphold the rule of law and human rights in the fight against transnational threats.

UNODC and UNOV are currently undergoing a global reclassification exercise of all their LICA positions. This process may impact the final LICA level and the fee associated with this LICA assignment. The LICA level indicated in this vacancy announcement is therefore indicative and subject to change. The contract may be issued, or as the case may be re-issued, with a different LICA level. The fee on issuance of the contract may not reflect the standard LICA fee level 1/1. The fee may be adjusted during or following the completion of the reclassification exercise, but will not be lower than the fee indicated in the initial contract.

The Project Management Support Senior Officer supports the effective implementation, coordination, and monitoring of maritime security, border management, law enforcement, and criminal justice programme activities in Bangladesh to ensure successful delivery of results within scope, time, cost, and quality parameters. The role provides technical, analytical, and operational support in programme planning, execution, and reporting; contributes to risk management, stakeholder engagement, and performance monitoring; and ensures timely coordination with national counterparts, partners, and relevant UNODC units. Through proactive client focus and problem-solving, the Project Management Support Senior Officer helps drive efficient programme delivery and achievement of results in line with organizational priorities and donor expectations.

1. Project Delivery and Performance

• Support the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of UNODC maritime security, law enforcement, and criminal justice development programmes and projects in close coordination with national counterparts, including relevant ministries, maritime law enforcement agencies and the justice sector.
• Reviews and edits relevant documents and reports, including project proposals, terms of reference for recruitments and/or procurement, concept notes, meeting minutes, agendas, presentations, and inputs for publications, in accordance with United Nations and donor specific visibility regulations.
• Keeps constant communication with donors and other United Nations programmes in the country on project implementation for an impactful delivery of activities in line with the needs of the government.
• Work alongside Admin and Finance Associate(s)/Officer(s) for the effective planning and execution of capacity building programmes in Bangladesh.
• Support the design, planning and implementation of capacity-building activities, training programmes, workshops and regional meetings on maritime security, law enforcement cooperation and criminal justice responses.
• Participate in field missions and represent BMB Asia Maritime Team in events and workshops.
• Contribute to the delivery of other UNODC activities in Bangladesh and the wider region as required.

2. Monitoring, Reporting and Quality Assurance

• Monitor and analyse programme and project progress, identify implementation challenges, and recommend corrective actions.
• Provide translation, proofreading and quality assurance of programme and technical documents as required.
• Support programme budgeting, reporting and preparation of financial and donor-related documentation, including workplans, progress reports and related submissions.

3. Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination

• Support internal and external communication, including documentation and dissemination of programme results and liaison with stakeholders.
• Facilitate coordination and communication with maritime authorities, law enforcement agencies, criminal justice institutions and other national and international stakeholders to support effective programme implementation.
• Establish and maintain partnerships with relevant government agencies and stakeholders to support effective and sustainable project design, planning, implementation and evaluation.
• Provide logistical, administrative and technical support for meetings, conferences, and events including identifying and proposing participants, preparation of agendas, background documents, training material and presentations.

4. Knowledge Building and Sharing

• Provide substantive support for policy coordination and evaluation functions, including the review and analysis of emerging maritime issues and trends, participation in data collection, evaluations or research activities and studies.
• Support research activities by collecting, analyzing, and presenting relevant data and information from diverse sources.
• Prepare briefs, draft concept notes and other managerial products to support programme design, development and resource mobilization efforts.
• Assists in identifying problems and issues to be addressed and recommends corrective actions.

Required

• An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in law, criminology, political sciences, public administration, international relations, security studies or relevant social or political area with focus on criminal justice and/or law enforcement issues is required.

OR

• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in similar fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree

Required

• Relevant experience is experience in programme administration or coordination in the areas of rule of law, criminal justice, maritime law enforcement or maritime security at the national level is required.
• Experience supporting activities related to maritime crime or transnational organized crime is required, such as capacity-building, technical assistance, policy support, legal or operational coordination, training delivery, or development of guidance materials.
• Experience planning, organizing or coordinating capacity-building activities with government counterparts is required. This may include workshops, training programmes, conferences, tabletop exercises, consultations or similar activities.
• Experience liaising with national authorities, law enforcement agencies, justice institutions, or other government stakeholders is required.
• Excellent command of Microsoft 365 software packages (Outlook, SharePoint/OneDrive, Office, Excel, PowerPoint) is required.

Desired

• Experience working with, or supporting activities involving, South Asian countries is highly desirable in the areas of rule of law, criminal justice, maritime law enforcement or maritime security.
• Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts, and approaches of the relevant aspects in maritime crime and maritime security in the Indian Ocean region is highly desirable.
• Experience supporting monitoring and evaluation, including preparation of activity reports, participant feedback analysis, lessons learned, SWOT analysis or outcome summaries, is desirable.
• Familiarity with UNODC’s mandate, particularly the Global Maritime Crime Programme, is desirable.

• 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.