Lead projects that drive partner goals, ensuring successful delivery within set tolerances and fostering strong stakeholder relationships.
Against this background, UNOPS EAPMCO Pacific is hiring a Project Manager who has biomedical engineering experience to oversee a project to procure medical items for the Republic of Marshall Islands, not only in the capital city but also in another city on another island, which requires close coordination and collaboration with the various stakeholders and timely implementation. The Ministry of Health is also keen to provide capacity development from the viewpoint of the procurement capacity assessment and inventory management for the supply. The Project Manager is strategically important and is expected to demonstrate UNOPS’s strong performance for the further diversification of the services.
The Project Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the project(s) and provides services to the different donors, partners, and beneficiaries. The Project Manager acts on behalf of the Project Board to manage the project on an ongoing basis during the Implementation Stage. The main responsibility of a Project Manager is to ensure that the project outputs are delivered within the specified project tolerances of time, cost, quality, scope, risk, and benefits. He/she is expected to meet the organization’s performance and delivery goals.
The Project Manager is responsible for creating the Implementation Plan, using the Project Initiation Documents (PID), Legal Agreement, and having a thorough understanding of the terms, conditions, and the respective roles and responsibilities of the partners/stakeholders to ensure the project(s) outputs are capable of meeting the business cases for both UNOPS and the partner(s). The success of the project(s) and hence the Project Manager will be based on the defined Success Criteria.
The project manager for Implementation projects will be managing project(s) whose ultimate goal is to provide implementation services that contribute to the achievement of partners’ goals. The variety of projects is quite diverse and can range from management of grants, development of strategies to delivery of training or providing technical assistance. While the complexity of those projects may vary, maintaining high standards in terms of quality, health, safety, and sustainability is always expected.
Depending on the nature and configuration of the project, the project manager might be executing technical studies, reviews, designs, supervision, or operation and maintenance services of one or several physical infrastructure assets, in one or multiple sites. Depending on the implementation modality, it may involve large volumes of procurement of goods, services, and HR services.
UNOPS operates in complex contexts where resources might be scarce, local capacity low, and where professional judgement and experience in these environments are of utmost importance.
The Project Manager (Implementation) is responsible for planning, organizing, and leading the project from Initiation to Closure. The Project Manager ensures effective delivery and oversight of projects, while implementing the services in scope and contributing towards the achievement of partners’ goals and objectives. Acting on behalf of the Project Board, the Project Manager ensures that project outputs are delivered within agreed tolerances of time, cost, scope, quality, risk, and benefits. The incumbent possesses and applies a deep understanding of Project planning, implementation, monitoring, and control, while managing stakeholder expectations. and ensuring delivery is as per the terms of the Legal Agreement. The Project Manager serves as the focal point for coordination with donors, partners, and beneficiaries, ensuring alignment with contractual commitments and UNOPS performance standards.
Under the direct supervision of the Pacific Small Islands Developing States Advisor, the Project Manager will be responsible for the following:
Develop, complete, and update implementation plan(s)
Implement the approved plan (including the establishment of milestones) within tolerances set by the Project Board.
Embed sustainability dimensions, including social and gender inclusion, environmental and economic aspects into the project life span.
Manage the production of the required outputs, taking responsibility for overall progress and use of resources, and initiating corrective action where necessary.
Ensure that the quality of work packages and deliverables complies with the quality requirements defined in the Implementation Plan.
Liaise with any external suppliers or account managers
Manage acceptance and delivery of work packages
Monitor project progress, ensuring that work packages are being executed properly
Control project and work packages changes
Identify and anticipate in a timely manner, potential risks and issues, and advises mitigating measures to senior management/ Project Board so that maximum benefit to partner(s) and other stakeholders is achieved
Identify and report to the supervisor potential business opportunities for UNOPS
Procedures
Comply with all organizational policy and specifically the Project Management Manual
Prepare/adapt all relevant plans for approval by the Project Board.
Manage the reporting obligations defined in the Legal Agreement(s) and in the Implementation Plan
Ensure maintenance of the project files, and that lessons learned are recorded
Manage budgets, cash flow, and obligations to ensure that deliverables are met and payments to contractors and personnel are received on time.
Understand and manage UNOPS overheads, allocable charges, and related corporate charges as they apply to the project
Understand the unique structures of the UN and budget appropriately for personnel
Manage expenditures against the budget (based on accurate financial reports)
Where the Project Manager has no delegation as a committing officer, s/he retains these responsibilities and will monitor and instruct/request others to carry out the relevant commitments and disbursements.
For project closure purposes, provide a formal handover of the project to the closure manager
Support project audit activities, including planning, preparation, and coordination during the audits, and follow up on audit observations/recommendations
Monitoring and reporting
Prepare and issue regular project and/or financial reports in accordance with Partner and UNOPS requirements for reporting.
Regularly review project status, evaluating performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule, and quality).
Maintain diaries and progress reports as required by the organization’s standard 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 projects’ life span
Stakeholder engagement
Develop stakeholder profiles and facilitate the formulation of stakeholder engagement strategies
Establish solid working relationships with the Project Board (Executive, Senior Users, and Senior Suppliers), client, and key stakeholders
Enable the formulation of project communications plans. Coordinate internal project communications. Monitor the 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, 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 staff to ensure effective interface with suppliers’ quality systems
Coordinate quality reviews of project documents and deliverables
Provide quality control for management outputs (project documents, reports, etc.)
Knowledge management and innovation
Encourage routine and effective capacity-building activities are conducted in order to build the long-term and sustainable capacity of staff.
Actively interact with other Project Managers and the wider PM community to share case studies, lessons learned, and best practices
Contribute to the oversight of lessons learned procedures, ensuring that lessons learnt are shared in a timely and appropriate manner. Participate in the relevant Communities of Practice
Research and logging of lessons learned throughout the project life span.
Provide feedback to Practice Groups on policy, supporting guidance with an aim towards continuous improvement of UNOPS policies
Personnel Management
Lead and motivate the project management team
Ensure that behavioural expectations of team members are established
Ensure that performance reviews are conducted fairly, accurately, and timely.
Select, recruit, and train team as required, taking into account gender parity and diversity objectives.
Ensure safety and security for all project personnel and comply with UNDSS standards
Create, foster, and role model a culture of respect and zero tolerance for discrimination, abuse of authority, harassment, sexual harrasement and sexual exploitation and abuse. Ensure accountability for actions and perform duties in accordance with protection mechanisms and action plans, as expected by UNOPS policies, standards, and commitments.
United Nations Office for Project Services
