Senior Project Manager

 

Overview
Direct and manage infrastructure projects in Ecuador.

You have:

An advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) is required. Preferably in the areas of Civil Engineering, Road Engineering, Bridge Engineering, or Architecture.
Minimum 07 years of experience as Infrastructure Project Manager.
A minimum of 02 years is required for road infrastructure projects.
Project Management Certificate (PRINCE2 Practitioner and/or PMI) is required.
Fluency in the Spanish language is required.
Intermediate level of English desirable.
Complete the UNOPS PMM, UNOPS PMM Infra Perspective, and One Unops Projects courses within 3 months of signing the contract.
Contract
This is an IICA-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as International Individual Contractor Agreements . It is normally internationally recruited only . It’s an external contract. It usually requires 7 years of experience , depending on education. More about IICA-3 contracts .

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Details
Background Information – Job-specific
The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is a United Nations agency responsible for infrastructure, procurement, and project management (General Assembly Resolution 65/176 of 2010). Our mission is to help people improve their lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development. UNOPS’ three priority areas are:

i) Sustainable infrastructure: UNOPS designs, builds, repairs, and maintains infrastructure in some of the world’s most challenging environments. Its activities focus on infrastructure development in transport, education, and health, among other areas.

ii) Public Procurement: UNOPS is a central procurement resource for the United Nations system and Governments. It emphasizes efficient, transparent, and sustainable delivery of goods and services.

iii) Project management: UNOPS manages more than a thousand humanitarian, development and peacebuilding projects each year for various partners, ensuring quality, effectiveness and results that meet the highest standards.

UNOPS’s work seeks environmental, social, and economic sustainability, which contributes to progress in equity and the common good in the countries where it operates, thus promoting the improvement of the living conditions of the most needy. UNOPS is present in 23 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Its services, products, and technical assistance comply with the public administration principles of transparency, equity, integrity, free competition, impartiality, morality, effectiveness, efficiency, and respect for national institutions.

About Our Culture:

Our work contributes to building the foundation for countries and communities to achieve peace and sustainable development, guided by our values: Inclusion, Integrity, Humility, and Humanity.

UNOPS celebrates diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunities. UNOPS encourages qualified female candidates, as well as qualified candidates from underrepresented groups in the UNOPS workforce, to apply. These groups include individuals from racialized or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.

Local context:

The multi-country office manages projects in Peru and Ecuador and is therefore expanding its portfolio to countries in the Andean region (Ecuador and Bolivia). The Senior Project Manager will be responsible for infrastructure implementation projects for the Government of Ecuador, with the possibility of implementing projects in the remaining countries of the Andean region. The areas in which UNOPS works in the Andean region are: water and sanitation, public transportation, health infrastructure, medical equipment procurement, ambulances, and general goods procurement.

UNOPS has implemented various projects in Ecuador for the procurement and contracting of goods such as trolleybuses and ambulances, building a strong relationship with various development agents. Furthermore, among the population and users, there is a positive perception of the services UNOPS provides and how it is contributing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in Ecuador.

Project information:

The UNOPS Andean Region Multi-Country Office develops projects in Ecuador, in the city of Quito. To execute these projects, it has support teams in Lima and specialized technical staff assigned to each project. This position is responsible for a project portfolio with a special focus on improving traffic through new road infrastructure projects, rehabilitation of existing roads, and the acquisition of mechanical equipment. This will involve negotiations with various stakeholders, such as project beneficiaries and the public entities involved.

Functional Responsibilities
The Senior Project Manager is responsible for the daily operations of the project and provides services to the various donors, partners, and beneficiaries. The Senior Project Manager acts on behalf of the Project Board to manage the project continuously during the Implementation Phase. The primary responsibility of a Senior Project Manager is to ensure that project results are delivered within the specified tolerances for time, cost, quality, scope, risk, and benefits of the project. He or she is expected to meet the organization’s performance and delivery objectives.

The Senior Project Manager has the authority to assign work packages to Team Managers according to the Project Plan and approve the deliverables produced by them.

The Senior Project Manager is responsible for creating the Implementation Plan, utilizing the Project Initiation Document (PID), the 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 deliverables meet the business cases for both UNOPS and the partners. The success of the project(s) and, therefore, of the Project Manager/Senior Project Manager will be based on the defined Success Criteria.

The Senior Project Manager will report to the Program Manager or Director of the Peru-Ecuador Multi-Country Office and will be physically located in Quito. They will work in coordination with the finance, procurement, and human resources support team located in Lima, Peru, and will also be advised by the regional infrastructure team.

Function Summary:

Project delivery and performance
Procedures
Monitoring and reporting
Stakeholder engagement
Quality assurance
Knowledge and innovation management.
Personnel management

Project delivery and performance
Develop, complete, and update the execution plan(s).
Execute the approved plan (including milestones) within the tolerances established by the Project Board.
Incorporate sustainability dimensions, including social and gender inclusion, and environmental and economic aspects, into the life of the project.
Manage the production of required results, taking responsibility for overall progress and use of resources and initiating corrective actions when necessary.
Ensure that the quality of work packages and deliverables meets the quality requirements defined in the Execution Plan.
Establish links with any external vendor or account manager.
Manage the acceptance and delivery of work packages.
Monitor project progress, ensuring that work packages are being executed correctly.
Control changes to projects and work packages.
Accept goods, services or work delivered by suppliers.
Lead contract management functions, including supplier performance evaluation.
Identify and anticipate potential risks and issues in a timely manner and advise senior management/project board on mitigation measures to maximize the benefits for partners and other stakeholders.
Identify and inform the supervisor about potential business opportunities for UNOPS.
Procedures – Comply with all organizational policies, specifically the Project Management Manual. – Prepare/adapt all relevant plans for approval by the Project Board. – Manage reporting obligations defined in the Legal Agreement(s) and the Implementation Plan. – Develop definitions of requirements for procurement processes. Approve non-PO requisitions and payment requests; Evaluate received proposals, if appointed as a member of the evaluation team (if applicable). – Ensure the maintenance of project files and the recording of lessons learned. – Ensure the development and implementation of project financial management guidelines and control mechanisms, in accordance with UNOPS rules and regulations. – Manage budgets, cash flow, and obligations to ensure delivery of deliverables and timely receipt of payments to contractors and staff. – Understand and manage UNOPS overhead, allocable charges, and related corporate charges applicable to the project. – Understand unique UN structures and appropriately budget staff. – Manage expenditures against budget (based on accurate financial reporting). – Where responsibilities are not delegated to the Project Manager, the Project Manager will retain those responsibilities and will oversee and instruct/request others to meet relevant commitments and disbursements. – For project closure purposes, formally hand over the project to the Closure Manager. – Support project audit activities, including planning, preparation, and coordination during audits and follow-up on audit observations/recommendations.

Monitoring and Reporting – Prepare and issue periodic project and/or financial reports in accordance with partner and UNOPS reporting requirements. – Periodically review project status, assessing performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule, and quality). – Maintain progress diaries and reports in accordance with the organization’s standard procedures. – Perform routine monitoring and analysis of delivery data in the scorecard system. – Ensure that all project team members regularly monitor and update achievements and objectives throughout the project lifecycle.

Stakeholder Engagement – Develop stakeholder profiles and facilitate the development of stakeholder engagement strategies. – Establish strong working relationships with the Project Board (executives, senior users, and senior vendors), clients, and key stakeholders. – Facilitate the development of project communication plans. Coordinate internal project communications. Monitor the effectiveness of project communications. – Coordinate stakeholder engagement and communication, ensuring effective management of communications timelines and interdependencies. Ensure stakeholders are aware of project activities, progress, and exceptions and are able to accept handover outcomes.

Quality Assurance – Work with internal stakeholders to ensure projects meet audit requirements. – Work with the procurement team to ensure effective interface with suppliers’ quality systems. – Coordinate quality reviews of project documents and deliverables. – Control the quality of management deliverables (project documents, reports, etc.)

Knowledge Management and Innovation. – Promote routine and effective capacity development activities to develop sustainable, long-term staff capacity. – Actively interact with other project managers and the wider project management community to share case studies, lessons learned, and best practices. – Contribute to the oversight of lessons learned procedures, ensuring that lessons learned are shared in a timely and appropriate manner. Participate in relevant Communities of Practice. – Research and record lessons learned throughout the project lifecycle. – Provide input to Practice Groups on supporting policies and guidelines with the aim of continuously improving UNOPS policies.

Personnel Management – Lead and motivate the project management team. – Ensure behavioral expectations for team members are established. – Ensure performance appraisals are conducted fairly, accurately, and in a timely manner. – Select, recruit, and train staff as needed, taking into account gender parity and diversity objectives. – Ensure the safety of all project staff and comply with UNDSS standards. – Create, promote, and model a culture of respect and zero tolerance for discrimination, abuse of authority, harassment, sexual harassment, and sexual exploitation and abuse. Ensure accountability for actions and perform duties in accordance with safeguards and action plans, as expected by UNOPS policies, standards, and commitments.

For more detailed information about the job duties, please refer to the attached terms of reference.

Education/Experience/Language requirements
Education – An advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) is required, preferably in the areas of Civil Engineering, Road Engineering, Bridges, or Architecture. – A university degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent), preferably in the areas of Civil Engineering, Road Engineering, Bridges, or Architecture, combined with an additional two years of experience will be considered in the absence of a Master’s degree. – A certificate in Project Management (PRINCE2 Practitioner and/or PMI) is required. – You must complete the UNOPS PMM, UNOPS PMM Infra Perspective, and UNOPS Projects courses within three months of contract signing.

Experience: – A minimum of 7 years of experience (or more depending on the degree) as an Infrastructure Project Manager is required. – A minimum of 2 years of experience in road infrastructure projects is required.

Desirable:

Experience in construction projects that include bridges and/or overpasses is desirable.
Experience in the construction of road projects in urban areas is desirable.
Experience in project management at UNOPS is desirable.
Experience providing advisory services on road infrastructure will be valued.
Experience as a consultant or executor of complex projects/programs will be valued.
Language – Fluency in Spanish is required. Intermediate English is desirable.

Work Environment: – This role is primarily performed from the UNOPS Ecuador Office, based on an in-person schedule, with visits to the office five times a week. The office does not have employee parking.

Motivation Letter

While your resume showcases your skills, experience, and education, we are also eager to learn more about your interests and motivations. Therefore, we invite you to upload a motivation letter with your application for the position. Don’t forget to share in your letter your motivation for joining the UNOPS team in the advertised position, including your interests and skills. We would also like to know your perspective on the United Nations values: Inclusion, Integrity, Humility, and Humanity. For more information on UN Values, see the attached Values ​​and Behaviors Framework.

***Please upload your academic diplomas or transcripts with your application***

Competencies ES
Develops and implements sustainable operational strategies, thinks long-term, and considers the external context to shape the organization’s structure. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future activities and decisions on other parts of the organization. Demonstrates an understanding of the impact their role has on all stakeholders and always puts the beneficiary first. Develops and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner to others (where applicable). Evaluates data and procedures to reach logical and pragmatic decisions. Adopts an impartial and rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to the problem-solving process. Effectively establishes a course of action for themselves and/or others to achieve a goal. Actions result in the successful completion of the task with special attention to quality in all areas. Identifies opportunities and takes the initiative to act. Understands that the responsible use of resources maximizes the impact we can have on our stakeholders. Treats all individuals with respect, responds tactfully to differences, and encourages others to do the same. Upholds ethical and organizational standards. Maintains high standards of trust. Is a role model for diversity and inclusion. Is open to change and flexible in a fast-paced environment. Adapts perspective to changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on past experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvement. Expresses ideas or facts clearly, concisely, and openly. Communication indicates consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Listens actively and proactively shares knowledge. Manages conflict effectively by overcoming differences of opinion and seeking common ground. Acts as a positive role model who contributes to team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For Personnel Managers only: Using appropriate leadership styles, acts as a positive leadership role model, motivating, directing, and inspiring others to succeed.

Contract type, level and duration
Contract Type: ICA – Individual Contractor Agreement

Regular Monthly Contract: This contract is based on a regular monthly contract, meaning that continuous service delivery is required throughout the contract period, with payments due at the end of each calendar month.

Contract Level: ICS 11 – IICA 3 (International Candidates) .

Contract Duration: Permanent contract, linked to project duration, funding, and satisfactory performance. Duty Station: Quito, Ecuador (Family Duty Station). The position is located in a family-friendly workplace.

UNOPS is an inclusive employer, and we encourage applications from women and men regardless of ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We are committed to promoting equitable representation.

Work-life balance: UNOPS values ​​its employees and recognizes the importance of maintaining a balance between professional and personal responsibilities. We have a work-life balance policy and offer several flexible scheduling options.

Upon request, UNOPS seeks to accommodate candidates with special needs.

For more information about the ICA contract, please visit the following link: https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx