Senior Project Manager (Infrastructure)

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 1999, the Central Africa Multi-Country Office (CAMCO), headquartered in Kinshasa, DRC, has partnered with UN agencies, international organizations, and governments in 15 Central African nations. CAMCO provides fund management, technical assistance, and capacity-building across critical sectors—infrastructure, health, education, governance, procurement, and environmental protection—while working with national and local authorities to secure local ownership and sustainable impact. The diverse portfolio spans rural-community empowerment, road rehabilitation, and peace consolidation in the DRC and CAR through Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) programmes, alongside wide-ranging procurement and human-resource services. Recent initiatives include drinking-water systems in Cameroon, mining-sector capacity-building, health-system support in the DRC, and infrastructure development in Madagascar, funded by a broad array of international partners. Together, these projects advance regional stability, resilient infrastructure, and improved livelihoods throughout Central Africa.

The Senior Project Manager (Infrastructure) is responsible for the effective delivery and day-to-day management of infrastructure projects, which may involve the construction of physical assets, technical outputs, or both. These projects span a range of sectors, including (but not limited to) education, health, transportation, irrigation, and port infrastructure. The Senior Project Manager serves as the focal point for coordination with donors, partners and beneficiaries, ensuring alignment with contractual commitments and UNOPS performance standards. Acting on behalf of the Project Board, the Senior Project Manager ensures that project outputs are delivered within agreed tolerances of time, cost, scope, quality, risk, and benefits.

Project Delivery and Performance

• Develop, complete and update the project implementation plan.
• Implement the approved plan (including establishment of milestones) within tolerances set by the Project Board, including the development of infrastructure designs and coordinating design reviews.
• Embed sustainability dimensions, including social and gender considerations, and environmental and economic aspects, into the project life span.
• Manage the production of required outputs, taking responsibility for overall progress and use of resources while initiating corrective action where necessary.
• Ensure that quality of work packages and deliverables comply with the quality requirements defined in the implementation plan.
• Liaise with external suppliers or account managers to ensure quality and timely delivery of outputs.Manage acceptance and delivery of work packages.
• Monitor project progress, control project variances (if any), and manage changes.
• Identify, anticipate and advise senior management and the project board on mitigating measures against project risks to ensure that benefits to partners and other stakeholders are maximized.
• Identify and report potential opportunities for UNOPS to the supervisor.

Procedures

• Comply with the organization’s policies and standards, and ensure project information is kept updated in project management systems.
• Be aware of applicable local laws and regulations, and ensure adherence. This includes international regulations and standards, where applicable, as well as technical standards.
• Prepare and adapt all relevant plans for approval by the project board, and manage baselines
• Manage the reporting obligations defined in the implementation plan and legal agreements.
• Maintain project documentation in an orderly manner for accessibility and audit support when needed.
• Understand and apply the UNOPS financial rules and regulations. Be accountable for the use of delegation of authority (where applicable) and ensure compliance with relevant policies and standards of ethics.
• Provide a formal handover of the project to the closure manager when applicable.
• Support project audit activities, including planning, preparation and coordination during audits and follow-up on audit observations/ recommendations.

Monitoring and Reporting

• Include a results framework and M&E plan in the project implementation plan with clearly defined indicators and agreed targets, ensure regular monitoring and tracking of project results.
• Prepare and issue regular project and financial reports in accordance with partner and UNOPS requirements for reporting.
• Regularly review project status and evaluate performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule, and quality)
• Maintain diaries and progress reports as required by UNOPS standard operating 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 the project life span.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Develop stakeholder engagement strategies and plans. Actively engage stakeholders, take feedback, and adjust as necessary.
• Establish solid working relationships with the project board (executive, senior users and senior suppliers); clients; and key stakeholders.
• Enable formulation of project communication plans and monitor 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, and exceptions, and are in a position to accept handover outputs.

Quality Assurance

• Work with internal stakeholders to ensure projects comply with audit requirements.
• Work with procurement/ purchasing personnel to ensure effective interface with suppliers’ quality systems.
• Coordinate quality reviews of project documents and deliverables.
• Provide quality control for management outputs (e.g. project documents, reports, etc)

Knowledge Management and Innovation

• Actively interact with other project managers and the wider project management (PM) community, share case studies, lessons learned and best practices.
• Stay abreast with latest updates and good practices of the profession, participate in training and learning activities for self to advance proficiency and competency.
• Ensure lessons learned are shared in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Provide feedback to corporate practice groups on policy and systems, when needed.
• Provide feedback to functional groups on policies and related guidance to support the continuous improvement of UNOPS policy framework.

Personnel Management

• Organise and structure the project team, ensure clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Provide regular guidance and direction, as needed, and support the team in effectively performing their tasks.
• Lead and motivate the project management team, and manage performance.
• Ensure performance reviews are conducted fairly, accurately, and on time.
• Select, recruit, and train project teams as required, taking gender parity and diversity objectives into account.
• Ensure safety and security for all project personnel in compliance with the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) standards.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in civil, water, electrical, mechanical, structural or other applicable engineering disciplines with 9 years of relevant experience OR
• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above with 7 years of relevant experience is required.

Desired

• Project management certification (e.g. PRINCE2, PMI, PEng, CEng, etc) is desired.

Required

• Relevant experience is work in implementing and managing infrastructure projects (e.g. roads, dams, bridges, irrigation, health, windmills, solar power, ports, etc.), all or some in developing countries, post-conflict environments, or emergency contexts.
• Experience in defining technical and design requirements is required..
• Knowledge of infrastructure quality assurance methodologies and tools is required.
• Experience in managing infrastructure project risks in a multi-stakeholder context 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 contract management is desired.
• Experience in supporting the development of procurement strategies is desired.
• Knowledge of FIDIC contracts is desired.
• Experience of planning and applying health and safety procedures is desired.

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• 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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