Job Description
Lead and manage impactful infrastructure projects from inception to delivery, ensuring success across diverse sectors.
Project Information:
The project aims to promote social and economic development at the local level by creating sustainable infrastructure that meets the needs of the local population In October 2023, Herat Province was struck by four significant earthquakes, each with a magnitude of 6.3. This natural disaster has left over 275,000 individuals in dire need of humanitarian aid across more than 380 villages. More than 10,000 houses have been completely destroyed, 20,000 severely damaged, and over 17,000 moderately damaged. Around 40% of the earthquake’s total damage has affected non-residential buildings, including health facilities, schools, government offices, and private sector structures. The quakes have impacted nine districts with Injil and Zinjadin districts bearing the brunt of the devastation. This destruction severely hampers access to critical services for the affected population. The project will have an Inception period of four months, during which the project will be refined. In addition, UNOPS will identify small-scale quick interventions to implement during the inception phase. Outputs may include shelter and housing rehabilitation, enhancement of health centers, restoration of drinking water supplies, reconstruction of market structures, rehabilitation of small canals and irrigation systems, retaining walls and flood protection, rehabilitation of pavements such as village footpaths, potholes, drainage, etc. focusing mainly on cash for work implementation modalities, restoration and improvement of primary/ community-based education facilities, technical capacity building of communities and job creation. The focus will be on the restoration of services to meet basic human needs through rehabilitation efforts that take into consideration safety requirements, earthquake resilience, and the principles of building back better, while being mindful of the local cultural context. Any reconstruction needs to contribute to jobs creation in the communities. Procurement of essential supplies and equipment, including energy solutions such as generators and renewable energy systems, may be included, to guarantee people’s access to basic services UNOPS will implement the works, wherever possible, using local suppliers, companies and NGOs or directly by the community through procurement of goods and services, grants and cash for work. UNOPS will take responsibility for the activities, providing supervision to ensure quality, management of E&S risks and impacts, and fiduciary control.
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.
