Lead Civil Engineer

The Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECR), based in Geneva, is responsible for the effective management, coordination and oversight of UNOPS operations across the region. The ECR region spans the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, South Caucasus, and Türkiye, where UNOPS works with partners to achieve sustainable impact in health, education, environmental management, housing, rule of law, good governance, economic development, and social inclusion. With a wealth of experience in procurement, infrastructure, project and grant management, UNOPS in the region directly implements projects, provides technical advisory services and capacity building to advance the Sustainable Development Goals in support of national governments.

The UNOPS South East Europe Multi-Country Office (SEEMCO) supports sustainable development in Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Based in Belgrade with strong field teams, SEEMCO delivers project management, procurement, infrastructure, HR, and technical assistance to governments, donors, and international financial institutions. Partnering with national institutions, local authorities, civil society, and media, it contributes to sectors such as infrastructure, socio-economic development, social cohesion, rule of law, environment, healthcare, education, digitalisation, energy transition, and governance. Since 2000, SEEMCO has advanced the EU integration agenda, national priorities, and the Sustainable Development Goals. It also provides emergency response, recovery support, and capacity building for institutions. Funders include the EU, European Investment Bank, governments of Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro, as well as UN agencies such as UNHCR and UNEP.

The first phase of the Four Clinical Centres in Serbia (FCCS) Project is nearing completion, marking a significant step forward in the modernisation of Serbia’s national healthcare infrastructure. Since 2019, UNOPS has provided valuable technical assistance and contributed to the acceleration and completion of the reconstruction works.The remainder of 2026 will be dedicated to the completion of works at the Clinical Centre of Vojvodina, as well as to supporting the administrative closure of the Phase 1 loan agreements. 

Building on this progress, the Republic of Serbia secured funding for Phase 2 through a new Finance Contract signed with the EIB in late 2025. UNOPS also provided technical inputs that facilitated the approval of Phase 2. The Finance Contract provides the first tranche of EUR 157 million under a broader loan package for Phase 2, enabling the commencement of detailed planning and construction works.

In addition to EIB financing, the Government of Serbia will provide substantial co-financing, reaffirming the strategic importance of the project at the national level. Phase 2 will build on the results and experience gained during Phase 1 and will focus on the comprehensive reconstruction and modernization of equipment across the four designated clinical centres. UNOPS will provide technical support for the preparation and initiation of Phase 2 and may be requested to continue its technical assistance (TA) engagement thereafter.

Under the guidance and supervision of the Head of Programme, the Lead Civil Engineer is responsible for providing construction management expertise related to the infrastructure aspects of the Project.

Stakeholder Management

• Act as the UNOPS focal point for engagement with the PIU and relevant counterparts within the Ministry of Health (MoH)
• Provide direction and contribute to the preparation and consolidation of external reports used to inform the European Investment Bank (EIB), the MoH, and other key stakeholders
• Maintain professional relationships with representatives of the clinical centres, technical supervisors, and other key stakeholders
• Support communication and visibility activities, as appropriate

Delivery and performance

• Coordinate, and contribute to the activities of the UNOPS TA team supporting the PIU
• Contribute to development of plans for design and construction activities for the clinical centres in Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Kragujevac, in collaboration with thePIU
• Identify and manage risks related to construction works, including those that may affect timelines or lead to cost overruns, and ensure the identification and implementation of appropriate mitigation measures
• Escalate and/or report risks related to construction works to the PIU and ensure that high-level risks are communicated to the Ministry of Health (MoH)
• Provide technical support to the PIU for establishment of monitoring and quality control procedures, and ensure continuous support for their effective implementation.  
• Support the PIU in monitoring contractor presence and performance on project sites, including verification of Bills of Quantities (BoQ)
• Manage the engagement, performance and coordination of technical experts 
• Provide direction and contribute to the development of technical documentation for tender dossiers, including drawings, BoQs, technical specifications, and standards
• Contribute to definition of design requirements, including timelines, for the procurement of design services, covering concept, preliminary, and final design stages, where applicable
• Provide technical support to the PIU  for the preparation of tender documentation and bid evaluations for procurement of works and services, as required
• Ensure technical support is provided to the PIU in the management of contracts related to technical documentation development and construction works
• Support the PIU in the overall management of works implementation to ensure construction activities are completed on time, within budget, and in line with required quality standards
• Support the PIU in the preparation of project- and contract-related documentation, including periodic progress reports, site monitoring reports, stakeholder meeting minutes, engineer’s instructions and other relevant documents.
• Support or oversee surveying activities and engineering control of the works, as required

Procedures

• Ensure project information is kept updated in project management systems in compliance with organizational policies.
• Provide direction and contribute to development, update and implementation of project work plans and strategies
• Provide direction and contribute to preparation of financial, procurement, and human resources plans
• Ensure adherence to local laws, international regulations, and technical standards.
• Ensure compliance with the reporting requirements defined in the implementation plan and legal agreements.
• Maintain an organised documentation system to ensure accessibility and audit support.
• Support a formal handover of the project to the closure manager when applicable.
• Support project audit activities, including planning, preparation and coordination during audits and follow-up on audit observations/ recommendations

Knowledge management

• Foster a dynamic learning environment for the project team that encourages knowledge sharing and professional development
• Actively interact with other projects within the MCO, share case studies, lessons learned and best practices.
• Stay abreast with latest updates and good practices of the profession, participate in training and learning activities for self to advance proficiency and competency.
• Ensure lessons learned are identified, documented and shared in a timely and appropriate manner.

Personnel management

• Manage the UNOPS project technical team, providing regular guidance and direction to support them in effectively performing their tasks. 
• Ensure performance reviews are conducted fairly, accurately, and on time.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in civil engineering or other applicable engineering disciplines with 7 years of relevant experience OR

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in civil engineering or other applicable engineering disciplines with 5 years of relevant experience is required

Desired

• Project management certification (e.g. PRINCE2, PMI, PEng, CEng, etc) is desired.

Required

• Relevant experience is work in implementing and managing infrastructure projects.
• Experience in defining technical and design requirements.
• Experience in managing infrastructure project risks in a multi-stakeholder context.

Desired

• Experience of working within UN system or similar international organizations in a development context

• Experience in contract management

• Knowledge of FIDIC contracts

• Experience of establishing and applying Health, Safety, Social, and Environmental (HSSE) procedures

  
  

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