Senior Project Manager

The Senior 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 Senior 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 Senior 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 Senior Project Manager is responsible to create the Implementation Plan, use the Project Initiation Documents (PID), Legal Agreement and have 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). Success of the project(s) and hence Senior Project Manager will be based on the defined Success Criteria. 

The senior project manager for Implementation projects will be managing project(s) which 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.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Summary of functions:

• Project Delivery and Performance
• Procedures
• Monitoring and reporting
• Stakeholder engagement
• Quality assurance
• Knowledge management and innovation
• Personnel management

Project Delivery and Performance :

• Responsible for the overall management, quality, supervision and timely completion of the project deliverables according to the project work plan
• Develop, complete and update relevant plan(s) including, but not limited to, the implementation plan and procurement plan
• 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 project activities
• Manage the production of the required outputs, taking responsibility for overall progress and use of resources and initiating corrective action where necessary
• Verify and validate the specifications for all equipment, furniture, IT equipment and systems and vehicles items, provide alternative solutions where appropriate, adjustment of items/quantities
• Develop procurement packages for all items including full specifications, quantities, estimated cost, potential sources and timeline
• Ensure that quality of work packages and deliverables complies with the quality requirements defined in the Implementation Plan
• Ensure that relevant items have been tested and commissioned
• Ensure that training has been provided for the beneficiary entity staff on the operation of the equipment and basic troubleshooting
• Liaise with external suppliers, contractors, the donor, the beneficiary and any other stakeholders as needed to ensure project success
• Manage acceptance and delivery of work packages
• Monitor project progress ensuring that work packages are being executed properly
• Control project and work packages changes
• Accept goods, services or works delivered by suppliers
• Lead contract management duties including supplier performance evaluation
• 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 partnerships’ opportunities for UNOPS.

Procedures :

• Comply with all organizational policy and specifically those related to project management, procurement and finance
• 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
• Draft the requirements definitions for procurement processes. Approving requisitions and requests for non-purchase order payments; Evaluating submissions received, if appointed to the evaluation team.
• Ensure maintenance of the project files and lessons learned are recorded
• Ensure the development and implementation of project financial management guidelines and control mechanisms, in conformity with UNOPS rules and regulations.
• 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/recommendation.

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 and take 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, harrasement, 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.

Education/Experience/Language requirements:

Education:

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent), preferably in Engineering, Supply Chain, Procurement, Project Management, or Business Management or relevant field.
• Bachelor’s Degree inEngineering , Supply Chain, Procurement, Project Management, or Business Management or relevant field in combination with two (2) additional  years  qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experince: 

• A minimum of seven (7) years of experience working in multi-sectoral complex projects/programmes is required;
• A minimum of five (5) years experience working on procurement-related activities in healthcare and/or education sector is required;
• Proven capacity to interact with a variety of stakeholders, including governmental and non-governmental partners, other UN agencies and international donors is required;
• Experience in managing teams is required;
• Experience in writing reports and writing technical documents is an asset;
• Knowledge of quality assurance methodologies is an asset;
• Working experience in Jordan will be a strong asset. Previous experience working in the Middle East will also be an asset

Language: 

• Fluency in spoken and written English is required;
• Fluency in spoken and written Arabic is required;