Lead Construction Management Engineer

The Asia Pacific Regional Office, based in Bangkok, Thailand, provides strategic leadership and oversight for UNOPS operations across 17 countries, ensuring high performance, operational excellence, and alignment with organizational goals. Operations currently span Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Pacific Islands. Across these countries, we work closely with key stakeholders to strengthen partnerships and maximize impact through five main operating units: Afghanistan (AFCO), Myanmar (MMCO), South Asia Multi-Country Office (SAMCO), East Asia and Pacific Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO), and the Asia Regional Health Cluster (ARHC). Through these entities, we provide agile, client-focused service delivery across diverse sectors - including infrastructure, health, procurement, and project management - supporting the implementation of sustainable development solutions across the region.

The South Asia Multi-Country Office (SAMCO) supports UNOPS operations across six countries: Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. SAMCO delivers a broad range of services and technical expertise in climate change, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), infrastructure, procurement, human resource management, and fund management. Each country office is staffed with local technical experts and maintains strong partnerships with national governments, ensuring context-specific solutions and effective project implementation.

Important note on duty stations

This recruitment covers multiple duty stations including Colombo within Sri Lanka. The final duty stations will be confirmed upon the launch of the relevant project.

The Construction Management Lead Engineer provides technical leadership across all stages of infrastructure delivery - from planning and design review to supervision, quality assurance and handover. The incumbent oversees engineering teams, contractors and consultants to ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, to specification and in compliance with UNOPS’ quality and health, safety, social and environment (HSSE) standards.

Planning and Implementation

• Lead the planning and technical implementation of infrastructure activities in alignment with UNOPS standards and project objectives.
• Conduct and oversee site investigations, including topographic surveys, geotechnical assessments and feasibility studies.
• Review and validate design documentation, drawings, technical specifications and tender dossiers to ensure quality, constructability and compliance with regulations.
• Provide expert technical advice to the project manager and stakeholders on all engineering-related matters.
• Contribute to developing detailed project work plans, identifying dependencies, and defining clear milestones, deliverables and risk mitigation strategies. 

Construction Supervision and Quality Management 

• Lead and coordinate day-to-day supervision of contractors and consultants to ensure compliance with approved designs, contracts and technical specifications.
• Implement and monitor Quality Assurance/ Quality Control (QA/QC) systems and procedures. Conduct inspections and verify construction outputs.
• Ensure consistent application of UNOPS health, safety, social and environment (HSSE) standards across all project sites and immediately address any non-compliance.
• Oversee the preparation and execution of site safety plans, method statements and risk assessments.
• Monitor progress against construction schedules and budgets, proactively identifying risks, delays and potential cost overruns and implementing approved corrective measures.
• Support the project manager in the administration of contracts and ensure adherence to FIDIC or equivalent conditions of contract.
• Facilitate stakeholder and contractor coordination meetings to ensure alignment of plans, progress and resource allocation.

Monitoring, Progress Control and Contract Administration

• Track project implementation against approved work plans, performance targets, and contractual obligations.
• Conduct regular site visits to verify progress and quality. Ensure timely certification of work completed.
• Maintain comprehensive project documentation, including daily site records, inspection reports, test results and photographic evidence.
• Support the preparation and verification of Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs), variation orders, extensions of time, and claims.
• Report any deviations from plans and specifications, and propose technical and operational solutions.
• Ensure all contract obligations are documented, monitored and met by contractors, consultants and implementing partners.

Reporting and Documentation

• Prepare detailed and timely site progress reports, summarizing contractor performance, resource utilization, safety incidents, and mitigation actions.
• Submit monthly and ad-hoc progress reports to the project manager, providing analysis of risks, constraints and opportunities.
• Contribute to project close-out documentation, including handover reports, as-built documentation, and lessons-learned summaries.
• Support HSSE reporting and investigations. Compile incident reports and provide recommendations for preventive actions.

Capacity Building and Team Building 

• Supervise junior engineers, site supervisors and other technical personnel to ensure consistent application of engineering best practices.
• Facilitate learning and capacity-building activities for UNOPS personnel, contractors and local authorities on construction supervision, HSSE and quality management.
• Foster adherence to the UNOPS Code of Conduct on-site, and ensure gender, inclusion, and sustainability principles are embedded in all project activities. 

Knowledge Building and Sharing 

• Support the organization, facilitation and delivery of training and learning sessions on project management and construction management.
• Participate in knowledge-sharing initiatives and Communities of Practice (CoPs), contributing insights and lessons learned.
• Conduct research on infrastructure- and project management-related topics and contribute to the drafting of reports, summaries and briefing notes.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Civil Engineering, Construction Management or related fields with 7 years of relevant experience OR
• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above or related fields with 5 years of relevant experience is required.

Desired

• A globally or nationally recognized professional certificate in Administration is desired.

Required

• Relevant experience is work in building construction, site supervision or infrastructure project management or similar fields.
• Experience in quality control, monitoring and reporting within construction projects is required.
• Demonstrable proficiency in the use of collaboration and productivity tools (e.g. MS Office, G-Suite, etc) and web-based management systems is required.A globally or nationally recognized professional certificate in Administration is desired.

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.
• Experience in project documentation, report writing and technical communication is desired.

• 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.

• 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.