Dutystation: Juba, South Sudan
Functional responsibilities
Summary of functions:
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
Ensure 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.
Ensure 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.
The Project Management Office (PMO) - Senior Officer directly impacts on achievement of project results by assisting the Head of Programme to implement effective project management methods and strategies, reduce risks, cut costs and improve success rates. This consequently reinforces the visibility and image of the UNOPS as an effective service provider in project services and management and strengthens its competitive position as a partner of choice in sustainable development and project services.
Education/Experience/Language requirements
Education:
A Master’s Degree in Project Management, Business Administration, International Relations, or a related field is required.
A combination of a Bachelor’s Degree with an additional two (2) years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the Master’s 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 progressively responsible professional experience in the field of project management, with a proven track record in the successful implementation and/or oversight of programmes and projects, is required.
A minimum of two (2) years of experience working in a Project Management Office (PMO) environment is required.
A minimum of two (2) years of experience in data analysis, management reporting, project management tools, and information management systems is required.
Detailed knowledge of UNOPS project management tools, financial and procurement rules and regulations, and financial management tools is an added advantage.
Language:
Fluency in written, spoken and reading English is required.
Knowledge of one or more additional official UN languages is an advantage.
TOGETHER, WE BUILD THE FUTURE
UNOPS – an operational arm of the United Nations – supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by successfully implementing its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world.
Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development.
We are proud of our people and embrace diversity and are committed to equal employment opportunities. Our workforce brings together approximately 160 nationalities, represented by over 5,000 UNOPS personnel as well as some 7,800 personnel recruited on behalf of our partners. Spread across 80 countries from a range of backgrounds, and languages and have different gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities.
We encourage women and candidates from underrepresented groups in UNOPS to apply. These include candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.