Mechanical Engineer (Retainer)

Background Information - Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka UNOPS in Sri Lanka is based in Colombo and is responsible for helping the Government of Sri Lanka and partner organizations deliver social and economic rehabilitation in areas affected by the 2004 tsunami and decades of armed conflict. UNOPS in Sri Lanka helps partners achieve their project goals in sectors including physical infrastructure, the environment and poverty mitigation.

UNOPS has supported Sri Lanka’s development since 1998, expanding operations in 2005 to support the post-tsunami response and reconstruction process. Within the organization’s mandate in project management, infrastructure, and procurement, UNOPS Sri Lanka implements customized socio-economic development projects that benefit vulnerable people and develop national capacities. Achievements in Sri Lanka include the development of sustainable and climate-resilient infrastructure, procurement services & capacity building, and project management in education, fisheries, roads, health, water supply systems; flood control and sanitation, and integrated solid waste management sectors. UNOPS works closely with Government counterparts and communities to ensure increased ownership, sustainability, and accountability of Projects.

UNOPS Sri Lanka facilitated over $22 million worth of procurement of COVID-19 protection equipment and services in partnership with the World Bank, the Government of Japan, and the United Nations Multi-Partner Trust Fund. Currently, UNOPS is conducting about $5 million pharmaceutical procurement to strengthen the Sri Lanka health system and support the people in need.

The Mechanical Engineer will be responsible for quality control in implementation of the Mechanical Engineer works while keeping the project progress and will report to the Project manager on a regular basis and especially when issues and project risks have to be escalated. He/she is expected to meet and exceed the organizations performance and delivery goals and provide services to the different donors, partners and beneficiaries.

The Mechanical Engineer shall have a thorough understanding of the terms, conditions, and the respective roles and responsibilities of the partners/stakeholders to ensure the project products are capable of meeting the business cases for both UNOPS and the client.

Under the overall guidance and direction of the Project Manager (PM), the Mechanical Engineer will provide mechanical engineering expertise to the project by contributing to ensure the mechanical systems are designed and constructed in accordance with local and international policies, guidelines, standards and specifications applicable, for the new building to be constructed and the old buildings to be rehabilitated under the project. The Mechanical Engineer will carry out mechanical designs and supervise construction work in accordance with industry acceptable and applicable energy efficiency principles, policies and standards. Specific responsibilities and duties include, but are not limited to:

Determine, review and establish the local and international policies, standards and specifications required for mechanical engineering work related to building construction and refurbishment for the project.

Liaise with the stakeholders to identify their needs so that the design will incorporate their requirements to the extent it is feasible and practicable.

Provide input and review mechanical designs carried out by external consultants/contractors for the new building to be constructed under the project working with the teams of Architects and designers.

Carry out inspections of the buildings to be refurbished, assess the current situation with the mechanical systems, and design suitable upgrades/replacement of existing mechanical systems to meet the local and international standards and specifications applicable, and in consultation with all stakeholders.

Prepare detailed mechanical engineering design documentation including drawings, specifications and scope of work reports to be included in construction tender documents.

Prepare quality control and quality assurance documentation related to mechanical engineering work for new buildings and buildings to be refurbished.

Assist the Construction Engineer and the Project Manager in the preparation of bidding documents for the new building as well as the buildings to be refurbished.

Supervise on-site work carried out by contractors closely on a day to day basis to ensure quality of the work is monitored and controlled as per specification requirements.

Prepare and submit professionally prepared progress reports to the Project Manager at intervals agreed upon.

Ensure safety and health of everyone involved in the project and general public by identifying risks and threats, planning, implementing and maintaining internationally acceptable safety standards in all aspects, at all stages of the project.

Ensure all design and construction of mechanical work is carried out in accordance with and in compliance with industry standards and international best practice energy efficiency principles, standards, guidelines and specification.

Assist the Project Manager in the preparation of various project reports where necessary.

Provide expert advice to all stakeholders including contractors, Project Manager, project staff, clients and donor agencies on Mechanical engineering related work where required.

Perform any other tasks as may be assigned.

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent professional qualification.

At least 4 years experience in design and construction of mechanical systems, specially air conditioning and heating systems, related to building construction.

A minimum 2 years experience in air conditioning and heating system design for new buildings and for building refurbishments.

Ability to produce mechanical drawings and design documentation using AutoCAD or similar software.

Proficient in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and experience in handling web-based management systems.

Knowledge of UNOPS/UN rules and regulations preferred.

Languages:

Excellent knowledge of both written and oral English required.

Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.

Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions

For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.

For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.

All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.