Infrastructure Advisor

The UNOPS Africa Regional Office, based in Nairobi, Kenya, oversees the delivery of over 250 projects across 40 countries, with a focus on fragile and conflict-affected settings. Supported by more than 1,000 personnel across five multi-country offices—spanning North, West, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Horn of Africa—the office advances national priorities through strategic initiatives in Climate Action, Health, Infrastructure, Peace and Security, Middle-Income Country Support, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The Regional Office provides strategic leadership, operational support, and oversight in key areas including Partnerships, Communications, Management and Oversight, Infrastructure and Project Management, Health and Safety, and Security. By promoting excellence in project delivery, fostering knowledge sharing, and driving continuous improvement, the office contributes to sustainable infrastructure, transparent resource management, and a better quality of life for communities across the continent.

Based in Dakar, Senegal, the West Africa Multi-Country Office (WAMCO) delivers high-quality project management, infrastructure, and procurement services across 16 countries in West Africa and the Sahel, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Togo. Aligned with UNOPS’ mission, WAMCO supports partners in peacebuilding, humanitarian assistance, and sustainable development. WAMCO’s portfolio spans key sectors such as health, climate change, renewable energy, agriculture, water and sanitation, environment, infrastructure, justice, and peace and security. Notable projects include the construction of pre-preschools for early childhood development in Senegal (in partnership with KOICA and UNICEF), capacity-building for national agencies on disaster risk reduction and resource management, and the development of rural mini-grid electrification systems in Sierra Leone. Through these initiatives, WAMCO contributes to inclusive growth and the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the region.

Job Specific Context

The Infrastructure Advisor will be a key member of the UNOPS Programme/PMO team, providing strategic guidance, technical oversight, and advisory support to all infrastructure projects across multiple offices. The Infrastructure Advisor will ensure projects adhere to UNOPS standards, governance frameworks, and performance objectives, while enabling effective coordination, knowledge sharing, and portfolio-level decision-making.

This position is based in the WAMCO ’s largest office in Dakar, Senegal, and reports to the Head of Programme. The incumbent will work closely with the WAMCO management team, Programme/PMO, Partnerships, and Country Teams, Project Managers, as well as with the Regional Office and UNOPS Headquarters Infrastructure and Project Management Group (IPMG).

The role is instrumental in shaping the Infrastructure and Project Management strategy, supporting a shift from reactive monitoring to predictive oversight and proactive assurance. Its core mandate is to strengthen performance monitoring, portfolio risk analysis, and quality assurance, thereby enhancing governance, predictability, and efficiency in the delivery of results across the sub-regional portfolio.

The incumbent will promote alignment of projects with the Project, Programme and Portfolio Management (P3M) service delivery framework, the Risk Management Framework (RMF), and other relevant IPM principles, guidelines, and practices. 

Functions / Key Results Expected

1. Project Delivery and Performance

• Provide strategic leadership and advisory support to ensure effective governance, performance, and risk management across the WAMCO infrastructure portfolio.

• Provide guidance for the consistent application of UNOPS governance, risk, and performance management standards across all high-risk and high-value projects and programmes.

• Advise on the design and implementation of portfolio monitoring systems, performance metrics, and predictive indicators to proactively identify risks, systemic trends, and significant deviations, enabling timely and evidence-based decision-making by Senior Management and Country Teams.

• Lead initiatives to improve processes, operational efficiency, and management controls, fostering accountability and enhancing overall portfolio delivery performance.

• Ensure portfolio performance and governance reporting provides senior management with actionable insights, supporting proactive risk mitigation and the achievement of strategic objectives.

• Recommend and advise on corrective actions, including Back-on-Track interventions, for projects and programmes at risk, ensuring alignment with corporate policies, regional priorities, and strategic objectives.

• Provide technical advice to Project Acceptance Committee (PAC) meetings, review and approval of new infrastructure projects.

2. Infrastructure Project Technical Support and Design Management

• Provide strategic technical advisory and coordination support to infrastructure Project Managers across the full project lifecycle, from feasibility and design to construction and handover, ensuring compliance with UNOPS standards, quality requirements, and performance objectives.

• Advise Project Managers on planning, coordination, and monitoring of construction and rehabilitation activities to ensure timely, cost-effective, and high-quality project delivery.

• Provide guidance on the development, implementation, and oversight of Quality, Health, Safety, and Environmental (QHSE) plans, ensuring alignment with UNOPS policies and international standards.

• Support the PMO and Project Managers in consolidating technical data and project information for internal and external reporting, providing actionable insights for decision-making at portfolio and senior management levels.

• Prepare periodic portfolio-level reports for the Head of Programme and PMO, summarizing progress, quality, QHSE compliance, and key risks including delays, cost overruns, variations, or technical issues.

• Advise Project Managers in conducting feasibility studies, needs assessments, and preliminary investigations, including supervision of external consultants, and review recommendations to inform strategic decisions on project scope and prioritization.Provide technical oversight and guidance in the preparation of tender dossiers, ensuring the completeness and quality of technical documentation including drawings, Bills of Quantities (BoQs), specifications, and applicable standards.

• Support Project Managers in defining and managing design requirements, timelines, and deliverables for design services (concept, preliminary, and final stages), ensuring high-quality outputs and timely submission to UNOPS Headquarters for review.

• Provide strategic technical input to procurement and project teams during tender preparation and bid evaluation, ensuring alignment with project objectives, technical standards, and UNOPS best practices.

3. Construction Oversight and Assurance

• Provide strategic oversight and technical assurance for construction activities across infrastructure projects, ensuring alignment with approved scope, quality standards, cost parameters, and delivery schedules.

• Oversee and assure the application of effective quality, quantity, and schedule controls across infrastructure projects, ensuring consistency with approved designs, contracts, and implementation plans.

• Monitor compliance of construction works with technical specifications, contractual requirements, and applicable standards, and advise Project Managers on corrective measures in the event of deviations or performance risks.

• Provide advisory support to Project Managers on the overall management of works implementation, contributing to timely completion, cost control, and achievement of required quality outcomes.

• Conduct targeted spot checks and high-level reviews of construction progress, supervision arrangements, and quality assurance mechanisms to support on-time delivery and early identification of implementation risks.

• Support Project Managers in the preparation and quality review of key project and contract documentation, including progress and site monitoring reports, stakeholder meeting records, engineer’s instructions, variation orders, payment certifications, contractor claims assessments, handover documentation, and contract close-out reports.

4. Monitoring and Reporting

• Provide strategic oversight and advisory support to ensure robust monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of infrastructure projects, enabling informed decision-making and proactive portfolio management.

• Support the integration of results frameworks and M&E plans into project implementation strategies, ensuring clearly defined indicators, measurable targets, and alignment with UNOPS and partner requirements.

• Provide high-level oversight of project performance, regularly reviewing scope, cost, schedule, and quality criteria, and advising Project Managers and senior management on risks, deviations, and corrective actions.

• Ensure timely, accurate, and comprehensive reporting of project and financial performance, delivering actionable insights to UNOPS management, partners, and stakeholders.

• Maintain oversight of project data management, dashboards, and progress tracking systems to ensure accurate and up-to-date information for portfolio-level decision-making.

• Guide project teams to consistently track, update, and report milestones and targets throughout the project lifecycle, fostering accountability, transparency, and results-focused management.

• Analyze trends across projects to identify systemic issues, potential bottlenecks, and opportunities for efficiency improvements and risk mitigation.

5. Quality Assurance and Risk Management

• Provide strategic oversight and advisory support to ensure that infrastructure projects consistently achieve UNOPS quality, compliance, and risk management standards, while promoting best practices across the portfolio.

• Advise and support internal stakeholders to ensure projects comply with audit, regulatory, and corporate quality requirements, integrating risk management principles into project planning and execution.

• Collaborate with procurement, supply chain, and project teams to ensure alignment between project delivery and suppliers’ quality management systems, mitigating potential risks to project outcomes.Coordinate and oversee quality and risk reviews of key project documents, deliverables, and technical outputs, ensuring completeness, accuracy, and adherence to UNOPS standards.

• Provide high-level quality assurance for management outputs, including project reports, monitoring data, and dashboards, ensuring that insights are actionable and support informed decision-making.

• Identify portfolio-level quality and risk trends, advise on mitigation measures, and recommend improvements to project delivery processes, governance structures, and accountability mechanisms.

• Foster a culture of proactive risk management and continuous improvement across the infrastructure portfolio.

6. Knowledge Management and Innovation

• Provide strategic leadership to foster a culture of learning, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement across infrastructure projects and the broader project management community.

• Promote a learning environment within project teams by encouraging knowledge sharing, mentoring, and capacity-building initiatives to strengthen long-term project and organizational capability.

• Facilitate engagement with Project Managers and the wider UNOPS project management community to capture and disseminate lessons learned, case studies, and best practices.

• Monitor emerging trends, tools, and good practices in infrastructure and project management, and proactively apply insights to enhance project delivery and advisory support.

• Ensure timely documentation and sharing of lessons learned to support evidence-based decision-making and organizational knowledge retention.

• Provide strategic feedback to corporate practice and functional groups on policies, systems, and operational guidance to support the continuous improvement of UNOPS frameworks, standards, and processes.

• Champion innovative approaches and solutions that enhance efficiency, quality, and sustainability across the project portfolio.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Civil Engineering, Architecture or related field with 9 years of relevant experience OR

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in the above-mentioned areas or related field with 7 years of relevant experience. 

Desired

• Project management certification from a globally recognised institute (for example PRINCE2® Foundation) is desired.

• AutoCAD certification is desirable.

Required

• A minimum of 7 years of experience (or more, depending on academic credentials) in civil engineering construction management is required.

• A minimum of 5 years of experience in project management is required.

• Experience with quality assurance methodologies is required. 

• Experience in documenting business / functional requirements and performing process mapping/ redesign is required. 

Desired

• Work experience in post-conflict/ fragile environments is desired.

• Experience working in multicultural environments or UN system organisations in a developing country is desired.

• Experience in development or humanitarian contexts is desired.

• Experience in IT systems relevant to the advisory function, with an ability to implement (if needed) as per the requirements, 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. 
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• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
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