Background Information - Job-specific
The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners 'peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations. With over 6,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, where they need it. By implementing around 1,000 projects for our partners at any given time, UNOPS makes significant contributions to results on the ground, other in the most challenging environments.
The Caribbean region is facing a number of complex and interconnected challenges, including:
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Climate change: Rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and ocean acidification threaten the livelihoods and well-being of communities across the region.
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Economic vulnerability: Many Caribbean countries are highly dependent on tourism and other sectors susceptible to external shocks, making them vulnerable to economic downturns.
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Social inequalities: High levels of poverty, unemployment, and inequality persist in many Caribbean countries, exacerbating the impact of other challenges.
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Limited resources: Many Caribbean countries have limited financial and human resources, making it difficult to address these challenges effectively.
To address these challenges, a coordinated and collaborative approach is needed to strengthen resilience, promote sustainable development, and improve the lives of people in the Caribbean. This includes enhancing the capacity of regional institutions to manage and adapt to these challenges, as well as promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing among stakeholders.
The establishment of a Multi-Country Office (MCO) for the Caribbean would be a significant step towards achieving these goals. The MCO would serve as a central hub for coordinating UNOPS activities across the region, including:
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Supporting the implementation of UNOPS projects that address the region's most pressing challenges.
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Facilitating knowledge sharing and collaboration among UNOPS staff, partners, and stakeholders.
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Providing technical assistance and capacity building to regional institutions and governments.
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Mobilizing resources to support the implementation of sustainable development initiatives.
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The MCO would be guided by the principles of inclusivity, transparency, and accountability, and would work closely with regional governments, civil society organizations, and the private sector to achieve its objectives.
About Our Culture:
Our work contributes to building the foundations 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 groups underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce, to apply. These groups include people from racialized or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, as well as people with disabilities.
Functional Responsibilities
The PMO Lead reports to the Head of Programme and leads the PMO in the Eastern Caribbean States' office. This involves support to the Head of Programme in the design, establishing and managing the PMO in the Eastern Caribbean States' office, supporting senior management decision making and consistently delivering projects in the Eastern Caribbean States' portfolio, ensuring that project management policies, processes and systems are followed and applied according to the organization standards. The Portfolio Management Specialist provides overall project assurance capacity, and strongly contributes to moving the UNOPS Eastern Caribbean States' office toward achieving its strategic objectives.
The main responsibilities of the PMO Lead includes:
Delivery and Performance
- Design, set up, and manage the day-to-day operations of the Project Management Office (PMO).
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- Provide project management and strategic support to leadership and Project Managers. Assurance and Reporting
- Provide oversight for all projects, ensuring they follow UNOPS standards and tools.
Lead effective training and capacity-building activities for national staff. Actively participate in professional communities to share and gain knowledge. Staff Management
Establish clear behavioral and performance expectations for team members. Support the timely completion of performance reviews for project staff. To access the full list of roles and responsibilities, please download the terms of references attached to the announcement.
Education/Experience/Language requirements
a. Education A Masterโs Degree in Project Management, Business Administration or related field (e.g. International Relations, Engineering, among others). Project Management Certification is highly desirable (eg. PRINCE2, PMI,etc). MSP certification (Foundation and/or Practitioner) is an advantage. ***Please upload your academic diplomas or academic certifications to your application***
b. Work Experience
A minimum of at least 5 years of relevant and progressive professional experience, specifically in the field of Project Management with experience of successful implementation and/or oversight of programmes and projects is required. Strong experience with data analysis, management reporting and project management tools and information management systems Previous experience of working within a PMO environment is an advantage. Experience working in the Caribbean is considered an asset. c. Language Requirements
Full knowledge of the English language is required. Knowledge of another official UNOPS language is an asset. d. Additional Information This position requires the use of a computer to prepare reports and analyze data using Google tools. In this position, you will be required to give presentations via videoconference to report on project progress, as necessary. e. Cover Letter
While your resume shows your skills, experience and training, we are also eager to learn more about your interests and motivations. Therefore, we invite you to upload a cover letter along with your application for the position. Remember to share in the letter your motivation to join the UNOPS team in the advertised position, your interests and skills. Additionally we would like to know your perspective on the UN Values: Inclusion, Integrity, Humility and Humanity. For more information on the UN Values, see the UN Values and Behaviors Framework document.
Competencies
Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organization. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organization.(for levels IICA-2, IICA-3, LICA Specialist- 10, LICA Specialist-11, NOC, NOD, P3, P4 and above) Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.
Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles. Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role). Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries. Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements. Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving. Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground. Contract type, level and duration
Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement
Contract level: ICS 10 equivalent to IICA 2/LICA 10
Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance. This contract is established in the Regular Monthly Contract modality; continuous service provision is required during the contract period; the payments associated with the contract will be processed at the end of each calendar month.
Work life harmonization: UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options.
UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request. For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx
Additional Information
Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 11:59 pm CST.
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. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. 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.
How to apply_EN.pdf (2.5 MB)
How to send a good application_EN.pdf (549 KB)
UN Values and Behaviours.pdf (3.2 MB)