Senior Driver
Djibouti
- Organization: UNOPS - United Nations Office for Project Services
- Location: Djibouti
- Grade: NULL
-
Occupational Groups:
- Administrative support
- Logistics
- Transport and Distribution
- Closing Date: 2025-12-01
General Information
Job Highlight
About the Region
The UNOPS Middle East Region (MR) provides strategic leadership, performance oversight, and support to UNOPS operations across Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and the State of Palestine. MR is responsible for positioning UNOPS as a key development partner in the region through high-level engagement with regional bodies, UN coordination mechanisms, development banks, donors, and intergovernmental organisations. By fostering strategic partnerships and promoting operational excellence, the region supports country teams in delivering sustainable solutions to complex development, peace, and humanitarian challenges
About the Country/Multi-Country Office
Established in 2004, the UNOPS Amman Multi-Country Office (MCO) provides strategic and operational support to partners across Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and the Gulf countries. The MCO delivers solutions that address development, peace, and humanitarian challenges through infrastructure, procurement, project management, and human resources services. Working in close collaboration with national governments, UN agencies, and donors, the office supports efforts to advance the Sustainable Development Goals. Its portfolio includes large-scale operations focused on improving essential services, strengthening national systems, and enhancing resilience in complex and fragile settings.
About the Project Office
The ongoing conflict in Yemen has precipitated a severe humanitarian crisis. In 2025, around 19.5 million people are in dire need of assistance. Of these, 15 million are women and children. In order to facilitate commercial cargo arriving to the Red Sea ports not under the control of the Government of Yemen, namely Ras Isa, Saleef, and Hodeida, the Government of Yemen requested the UN Secretary-General to establish the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen (UNVIM). UNVIM was established in December 2015 and has been operating from Djibouti since 5 May 2016. UNVIM was designed, operationalized and is managed by UNOPS on behalf of the Government of Yemen and the concerned Member States, with the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) serving as the UN Secretariat lead.
By building confidence among commercial shippers and enabling them to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people, UNVIM plays a crucial role in supporting the resilience of the Yemeni economy, while helping to deter efforts to smuggle illicit cargo under UNSCR 2216.
Job Specific Context
The ongoing conflict in Yemen has precipitated a severe humanitarian crisis. In 2025, around 19.5 million people are in dire need of assistance. Of these, 15 million are women and children. In order to facilitate commercial cargo arriving to the Red Sea ports not under the control of the Government of Yemen, namely Ras Isa, Saleef, and Hodeida, the Government of Yemen requested the UN Secretary-General to establish the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen (UNVIM). UNVIM was established in December 2015 and has been operating from Djibouti since 5 May 2016. UNVIM was designed, operationalized and is managed by UNOPS on behalf of the Government of Yemen and the concerned Member States, with the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) serving as the UN Secretariat lead.
By building confidence among commercial shippers and enabling them to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people, UNVIM plays a crucial role in supporting the resilience of the Yemeni economy, while helping to deter efforts to smuggle illicit cargo under UNSCR 2216.
Role Purpose
The Senior Driver is responsible for providing safe and reliable transportation services to UNOPS personnel, consultants, and experts on mission. In addition, the incumbent assists with clerical tasks and performs messenger services as required.
Functions / Key Results Expected
Driving Services
- Provide safe, reliable and timely transportation of authorized personnel and, where applicable, cargo or hazardous goods.
- Facilitate airport transfers, including assistance with customs and immigration formalities.
- Deliver and collect mail, documents and other items as required.
- Conduct radio checks and maintain communication as instructed.
Vehicle Use and Maintenance
- Ensure proper and cost-effective use of vehicles by maintaining accurate daily logs and contributing to vehicle maintenance planning and reporting.
- Perform routine vehicle checks (e.g. oil, water, battery, brakes, tires, etc), carry out minor repairs, and arrange for major repairs as necessary.
- Keep vehicles clean, roadworthy, and fully equipped at all times.
- Ensure availability and safekeeping of all required documents and supplies, including insurance, logs, maps, office directory, first aid kit, and spare parts.
- Take immediate action in line with organizational rules and regulations in the event of an accident.
Messenger and Clerical Functions
- Ensure timely and accurate delivery of mail, documents and packages to UN agencies, government offices, embassies, NGOs and courier services.
- Manage documents requiring protocol clearance from ministries, embassies and other institutions. Collect documents destined for UNOPS offices.
- Support office administration by binding and preparing documents for filing, maintaining registers, and handling routine clerical tasks.
- Facilitate visa, customs, and other personnel-related formalities as required.
Administrative, Procurement and Logistics Support
- Support the organization of meetings, workshops, field missions and conferences by assisting with logistical arrangements and documentation.
- Assist procurement processes by collecting quotations, making bill payments and collecting procured supplies.
- Facilitate the delivery of procured items, conduct pre-delivery inspections, and ensure handover to relevant offices and partners.
- Manage shipment processes, including customs clearance, inspections, loading/unloading and coordination with government offices.
- Ensure completion and submission of Receiving Inspection Reports (RIRs) and Goods Receiving Notes (GRNs) following partner verification of shipments.
Skills
Competencies
Education Requirements
Required
- Secondary school (or equivalent) with 3 years of relevant experience OR
- Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 0 years of relevant experience is required.
- Driver’s training with a valid driver’s licence is required.
Experience Requirements
Required
- Relevant experience is work in safe driving, defensive driving and minor vehicle repair.
- Knowledge of driving rules and regulations is required.
Desired
- Experience of working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country is desired.
- Experience in development or humanitarian contexts is desired.
Language Requirements
| Language | Proficiency Level | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| French | Fluent | Required |
| English | Intermediate | Desirable |
Additional Information
- Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
- Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
- Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. 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. 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.
- For more details about the contract types, please click 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.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.