Job Description
This is an excellent opportunity to lead and manage support services within a dynamic international organization, contributing to the successful implementation of projects in the Caribbean region. The position offers a challenging and rewarding work environment, with opportunities for professional growth and development in operations management, financial oversight, and human resources management.
About the Barbados Country Office
The Barbados Country Office is designed as a strategic vehicle to support Caribbean nations in the implementation of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS), helping Caribbean leaders drive a global agenda on climate justice and financing.
The region, a complex archipelago of 13 sovereign states and numerous dependent territories, faces disproportionate vulnerabilities to economic shocks, natural disasters, and the accelerating impacts of climate change. In direct response to these challenges, UNOPS has designated operations in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) as a corporate priority for its 2026–2029 Strategic Plan.
The Barbados Country Office’s primary mandate is to Speed Up and Scale Up engagements across 17 Caribbean SIDS, ensuring that partner expectations are met with agility and precision. Through dedicated operational presence, UNOPS Barbados Country Office will streamline complex regional logistics and foster stronger collaboration with sovereign governments and financial institutions in the Caribbean.
The Barbados Country Office will focus on, high-value solutions that address the specific priorities of the Caribbean SIDS, including:
- Economy (Economic Resilience, Disaster Risk Reduction, Energy Transition)
- Nature and Climate (Climate Action and Support, Biodiversity Action, Ocean Conservation and Sustainable Use)
- Human Capital (Secure Safe and healthy societies, Productive populations, Gender equality and women’s empowerment)
- Infrastructure (Resilient infrastructure in Rule of Law, Health, Transportation, Education, etc.)
- Improve countries project management capabilities as well as implementation capacity and project formulation to access just finance.
Job Specific Context
The Support Services Manager will oversee and manage all operational and support functions for the Barbados Country Office, ensuring compliance with UNOPS rules, regulations, and policies. This role is critical for providing effective and efficient support services to projects and activities, including HR management, finance, procurement, logistics, administration, and ICT services. The incumbent will also support project planning, financial management, and human resources management, contributing to the overall success and efficiency of the office.
The Support Services Manager is responsible for the effective and efficient management of all operational and support functions for the Barbados Country office and associated projects across the Caribbean Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) , ensuring compliance with UNOPS rules, regulations, and policies. The incumbent will provide leadership and guidance to support teams, oversee financial management, procurement, HR, and ICT services, and contribute to the overall success of project delivery.
1. Operations Management
- Manage the Operations/Support Services of the Office, namely HR Management, Finance, Procurement, Logistical, Administrative and ICT Services - facilitating effective, efficient and consistent support service provision to projects and all activities under the Office.
- Support the Country Manager in establishing the management targets. Monitor their achievement.
- Collaborate with relevant colleagues to identify the need, determine cost and proactively plan all Office support services.
- Monitor and supervise all aspects of operations to ensure compliance with corporate strategies, UNOPS rules, regulations, policies, and standards of accountability, ethics and integrity and achievement of results. Ensure proper implementation of standards and operating procedures.
- Monitor the effectiveness of support services to ensure optimum client service and satisfaction. Drive timely readjustment and improvements of the operations.
- Seek relevant input in support, from e.g. HoSS in place for the Multi Country Office, IPAS, and Practice Groups.
- Act as a focal point for any internal/external audit exercise.
- Supervise the security-related matters and ensure full compliance with UNOPS security standards and procedures. Implementation of the Business continuity plan.
2. Project Planning and Coordination Support
- Provide assistance and support to the project budget preparation, revisions and work planning.
- Provide input into the early stages of project engagements.
- Provide advice on goal setting, targets and performance standards for projects and recommend tools for monitoring, evaluation and auditing.
- Provide advice on project cost sharing, deployment of funds and closure.
- Closely liaise with the Head of Support Services for the Multi-Country Office, in order to optimise service delivery and address any issues.
3. Procurement and Logistics
- Supervise the Office procurement processes, including tendering processes and evaluation and supplier selection, to ensure viable procurement solutions that meet operational needs and compliance with UNOPS procurement procedures, regulations and standards of accountability, ethics, integrity and performance.
- Establishment of a shortlist of suitable contractors/suppliers, and the preparation and issue of local tenders. Evaluation of bids or proposals received and of recommendations for contract awards.
- In consultation with relevant colleagues, review, administer and issue contracts, agreements/amendments.
- Provision of guidance on all logistics, asset management and procurement matters. Oversee the logistics of goods and equipment on project sites to confirm delivery and safe warehousing.
- Establishment and management of a vehicle pool for providing transportation services as required by the Office, as well as to meet logistical needs.
- Development and implementation of a vehicle management and maintenance system in accordance with UNOPS vehicle management policy and procedures.
- Repair and maintenance for all equipment, including EDP equipment, communications equipment, vehicles and generators, etc.
- Building management and maintenance activities.
4. Financial Management
- Support the Country Director in the preparation of the Office’s financial plan and budget. Ensure timely revisions and reallocation of funds.
- Oversee the Support Services finance unit and ensure compliance with the UNOPS/Financial Rules & Regulations and Finance procedures.
- Monitor, track and control expenditure to ensure optimum and appropriate use of financial resources.
- Ensure the availability of required financial reports and exception reports, including investigating anomalies to resolve problems, reporting or recommending any action required to relevant stakeholders.
- Supervise the timely review, posting and closure of accounts. Certify/verify accuracy and compliance with the standards of the accountability framework. Submit/prepare mandated report on financial status.
- Supervise all financial services (accounting, cash management, payments, etc.), ensuring timeliness and compliance with standards of accountability and performance.
- Monitor the Management Budget expenditures for the Office and ensure that LMDC (Locally Managed Direct Cost) is properly recovered, billed and spent in accordance with the applicable procedures.
5. Human Resources Management
- Oversee the Support Services HR Unit.
- Ensure the Office complies with corporate human resources policies, procedures and that all corporate HR initiatives are correctly implemented.
- Support the Country Director in planning personnel required for the optimal administration of the office and for the delivery of the Office portfolio.
- Oversee all human resource services/processes, including recruitment, salary administration and compensation, performance review, training and development, ensuring compliance with human resource rules, regulations, procedures and standards of performance and ensuring that hiring managers actively seek to create diverse teams in terms of gender and geography.
- Promote and support a learning culture by empowering individuals and teams to identify critical learning needs and plan/provide easy access to learning opportunities to maintain personnel competency and flexibility. Definition of training plans for personnel involved in the delivery of support services.
- Foster a positive work environment, respectful of both men and women, and ensure that the highest standards of conduct are observed.
6. Administration and Information Technology (ICT)
- Manage the timely and efficient delivery of all administrative services (e.g. centralised project admin, premises and asset management, organisational and personnel security, travel and IT).
- Full compliance of operations of the Country with UNOPS rules, regulations and policies, on administrative matters and supervision of the administrative team.
- Maintenance of a secure, reliable infrastructure environment for ICT and adequate planning for disasters and recoveries, supervision of the ICT Associate.
- In close collaboration with HQ and HoSS for the Multi Country Office, support the maintenance of a secure and reliable ICT environment, including adequate plans for disaster recovery.
- Manage the acquisition, maintenance, inventory, recording, verification and protection of project and administrative facilities/assets, including IT infrastructure, equipment and servers.
- Identify opportunities for leveraging the use of IT to enhance business operations and efficiency, and to facilitate knowledge management and information sharing.
7. Knowledge Management
- Knowledge building and sharing with regard to management and operations in the Office, synthesis of lessons learnt/best practices, and sound contributions to UNOPS knowledge management initiatives.
- Development of tools and platforms for operations and data management, ensuring information and knowledge sharing with colleagues, clients and partners.
