Project Management Support - Officer

The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) brings together diverse expertise to help partners deliver impact worldwide. With hubs in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, and expert teams operating globally, GPO leads multi-regional initiatives that advance sustainable development, climate action, and peacebuilding - including in some of the world’s most challenging environments. By leveraging our collective expertise and global networks, GPO supports UNOPS’ strategic priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals across more than 130 countries. We work closely with major global partners - including governments, international financial institutions, and UN agencies - to deliver a wide range of services, such as project management, fund management, hosting services, and HR support.

The Regional Office for Eastern Africa operates across a diverse geographic area comprising 14 countries, organized into three subregions. The East African region includes Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda. The Horn of Africa subregion consists of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia. The Indian Ocean Islands encompass Seychelles, Comoros, Mauritius, and Madagascar. Together, these subregions represent a broad and dynamic operational landscape marked by varied political, socio‑economic, environmental, and humanitarian contexts that inform the Office’s strategic and programmatic priorities.

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.  UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects.  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.  

The Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development operations. It was formed by combining the following portfolios: Grants Management Services (GMS), UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio (DSIP). It provides Services to partners' programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serving partners headquartered in New York. The SDC has a footprint of approximately 125 countries.

UNOPS has signed a Global Agreement with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to operationally support the implementation of their mandate through the provision of Human Resources services.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), an office under the UN Secretariat, was established in 1997 to assist member states in their efforts to combat illicit drugs, crime, and terrorism, and is one of the partners under UNTSS. 

Headquartered in Vienna, Austria, UNODC operates globally to support the development and implementation of policies and programmes that address a wide range of issues, including drug trafficking and abuse, organized crime, corruption, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, cybercrime, and terrorism prevention. Through research, policy advice, capacity-building, and technical assistance, UNODC works to strengthen justice systems, promote international cooperation, and uphold the rule of law and human rights in the fight against transnational threats.

Under the overall supervision of the Regional Representative of UNODC, the direct supervision and technical guidance of the Regional Adviser, HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care, Southern Africa (ROSAF), and the UNODC Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section (PTRS), the National Programme Officer will be responsible for providing on-going technical guidance and provide support for implementing Investment Area 1 – Promoting People’s Health Through Balanced Drug Control of the Regional Programme Framework with a specific focus on the implementation of evidence-based tools on prevention, treatment and rehabilitation for people who use drugs and with drug use disorders. 

Furthermore, the National Programme Officer will support South Africa in its efforts to promote balanced drug policies based on internationally agreed frameworks, norms and standards. The National Programme Officer will support South Africa’s efforts to address drug demand reduction, harm reduction, HIV and drug use disorders as multifactorial health conditions and to implement evidence-based drug use prevention and evidence-based treatment and care strategies, in line with the UNODC/WHO International Standards on Drug Use Prevention and the UNODC/WHO International Standards for the Treatment of Drug Use Disorders, including for populations with special clinical care needs, and based on scientific evidence, international human rights principles, and  the international rules such as the three Drug Control Conventions and other Rules.

This position is situated within the framework of UNODC global project GLOK32 – Partnerships for prevention of drug use, treatment, care and rehabilitation of drug use disorders, and access to controlled medicines while preventing diversion and non-medical use. The National Programme Officer will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the South African segment of GLOK32, in close coordination with UNODC ROSAF and UNODC PTRS. The activities will focus on advanced quality assurance mechanisms for treatment services and systems for drug use disorders, treatment and care for people with drug use disorders in contact with the criminal justice system, and conducting research related to illicit drug trafficking and the emerging drug challenges.

*UNODC and UNOV are currently undergoing a global reclassification exercise of all their LICA positions. This process may impact the final LICA level and the fee associated with this LICA assignment. The LICA level indicated in this vacancy announcement is therefore indicative and subject to change. The contract may be issued, or as the case may be re-issued, with a different LICA level. The fee on issuance of the contract may not reflect the standard LICA fee level 1/1. The fee may be adjusted during, or following, the completion of the reclassification exercise, but will not be lower than the fee indicated in the initial contract.

This position is located in the UNODC Regional Office for Eastern Africa (ROEA) in Nairobi (Kenya), Division for Operations (DO), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The incumbent will work under the overall supervision of the UNODC Representative of ROEA and the direct supervision of the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer heading the Criminal Justice Programme in ROEA, and the additional supervision of the Programme Officer for the project. S/he will work also in close cooperation with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and other Justice Sector actors of the Government of Kenya. 

The overall objective of the Project Management Support Officer is to ensure the successful delivery of PLEAD II (KENW60) Outcome 1: “Enhanced capacity of the criminal justice system to fight corruption.” This outcome constitutes the largest and most strategically significant component of the PLEAD II programme. It focuses on a thematic area that is both new to the project and of high priority to the Government of Kenya as well as development partners.

The incumbent will be responsible for providing support in programme management and implementation, reporting, and monitoring and evaluation, in accordance with United Nations rules, regulations, and policies for the implementation of the PLEAD II – Programme for Legal Empowerment and Aid Delivery in Kenya. Within delegated authority, the Assistant Programme Officer will undertake the following specific duties:

• Work with PLEAD II partners across 19 counties—including the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) Secretariat, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Judiciary, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Witness Protection Agency, Probation and Aftercare Service, National Police Service, and the Assets Recovery Agency—to facilitate the development, implementation, and evaluation of assigned programmes and projects. Support monitoring and analysis of programme progress; review relevant documents and reports; identify challenges and propose corrective actions; liaise with relevant stakeholders; and track follow-up actions.
• Support policy coordination and evaluation processes, including reviewing and analysing emerging issues and trends, and participating in evaluations, research initiatives and thematic studies.
• Conduct basic research and analysis and present synthesized information from diverse sources to maintain an updated knowledge base on emerging issues in anti-corruption, access to justice, efficiency and accountability within the justice sector, and the use of technology as an enabler of justice.
• Assist in conducting consulting assignments with national counterparts by planning and facilitating workshops and other interactive sessions and supporting the development of action plans to guide change management processes.
• Contribute to the preparation of various written outputs such as background papers, analytical notes, sections of reports and studies, and inputs to publications.
• Provide administrative and substantive support to consultative meetings, conferences, and related events, including proposing agenda topics, identifying and recommending participants, preparing background documents and presentations, and supporting logistical arrangements.
• Participate in outreach activities; support the development and facilitation of training workshops and seminars; and deliver presentations on assigned topics and activities.
• Participate in field missions, providing technical and administrative support, including the collection and organisation of data.
• Conduct comprehensive research and in-depth analysis to support the development and optimization of the EACC iCMS and e-learning systems, including learning and student management modules. This includes performing legal and policy analyses to guide module design.
• Undertake contextual policy analysis to inform and support joint trainings on financial investigations and virtual assets. This includes contributing to monitoring, evaluation, research, and impact reporting.
• Assist in coordinating activities related to budget funding, including programme/project preparation and submissions, progress reporting, financial statements, and the preparation of related documents such as pledging materials, work programmes, and budget reports.
• Ensure that operations, financial management, procurement, logistics, liaison, and communication activities within the programme adhere to UNODC standards and procedures.
• Support data-driven planning and decision-making by contributing to data collection and analysis, identifying trends and patterns, and preparing draft insights through graphs, charts, tables, and reports using data visualization methods.
• Carry out other similar activities within the scope and level of these ToR

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in criminal justice, criminology, law, political science, management, or other relevant discipline with 2 years of relevant experience OR

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in criminal justice, criminology, law, political science, management, or other relevant discipline with 0 years of relevant experience.

Desired

• A globally recognized professional certificate or membership in Project Management. 

Required

• A minimum of two years of progressively responsible professional experience, including relevant experience in managing programme/project activities in the areas of anti-corruption, criminal justice, crime and drug control and/or related fields. 

Desired

• Work experience in project management including design, management, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

• Experience in data analytics or related area.

• Work experience with EU funded projects and Countering Corruption Projects.

• Experience of working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country.

• Experience in development or humanitarian contexts. 

• 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. 
• 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.
• 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.