Senior Project Manager (Waste Management Infrastructure)

Since opening in 2019, the UNOPS Austria Multi-Country Office (AUMCO) in Vienna has served as a hub for operations across 12 countries in South-East Europe, Türkiye, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia. AUMCO delivers technical expertise, operational support, and sustainable infrastructure solutions for governments, donors, and international financial institutions. Flagship initiatives include Blueing the Black Sea—a GEF and World Bank partnership to reduce pollution and promote sustainable development—and Türkiye’s post-earthquake recovery programme, enhancing protective services for women and children. In Albania, projects revitalise cultural heritage and advance digital justice, while in Kosovo, new university infrastructure supports higher education. In Georgia, AUMCO facilitates the Eastern Partnership European School and strengthens rule of law and digital health access. Across Central Asia, activities range from health system strengthening in Uzbekistan to hazardous waste management in Tajikistan. AUMCO also supports UNOPS’ global Water, Environment, and Climate portfolio, reinforcing its role as a regional and thematic centre of excellence.

Under the GEF funded project 9421 “Demonstration of non-thermal treatment of DDT wastes in Central Asia”, led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and with ) with UNEP’s GEF Unit as Implementing Agency (IA) and UNEP’s Europe Office as Executing Agency (EA) and UNOPS as technical implementation, tendering and procurement partner, the dedicated UNOPS project aims to strengthen national and regional capacities for managing hazardous waste — particularly DDT and other persistent organic pollutants (POP) — following the guidelines of the Basel and Stockholm Conventions. In specific, UNOPS will be working on the design and construction of containment works in selected sites in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as well as on the procurement of related goods and services for the sites, in order for POP waste to be bio-remediated as project output. 

The Senior Project Manager (Infrastructure) is responsible for the effective delivery and day-to-day management of this project, which involves the construction of physical assets, technical outputs, or both. The Senior Project Manager serves as the focal point for coordination with donors, partners and beneficiaries, ensuring alignment with contractual commitments and UNOPS performance standards. Acting on behalf of the Project Board, the Senior Project Manager ensures that project outputs are delivered within agreed tolerances of time, cost, scope, quality, risk, and benefits. The Senior Project Manager reports to the Head of Programme, AUMCO.

1. Project Delivery and Performance

• Develop, complete and update the project implementation plan.
• Implement the approved plan (including establishment of milestones) within tolerances set by the Project Board, including the development of infrastructure designs and coordinating design reviews.
• Embed sustainability dimensions, including social and gender considerations, and environmental and economic aspects, into the  project life span.
• Manage the production of required outputs, taking responsibility for overall progress and use of resources while initiating corrective action where necessary.
• Ensure that quality of work packages and deliverables comply with the quality requirements defined in the implementation plan.
• Liaise with external suppliers or account managers to ensure quality and timely delivery of outputs. Manage acceptance and delivery of work packages.
• Monitor project progress, control project variances (if any), and manage changes.
• Identify, anticipate and advise senior management and the project board on mitigating measures against project risks to ensure that benefits to partners and other stakeholders are maximized.
• Identify and report potential opportunities for UNOPS to the supervisor

2. Procedures

• Comply with the organization’s policies and standards, and ensure project information is kept updated in project management systems.
• Be aware of applicable local laws and regulations, and ensure adherence. This includes international regulations and standards, where applicable, as well as technical standards.
• Prepare and adapt all relevant plans for approval by the project board, and manage baselines
• Manage the reporting obligations defined in the implementation plan and legal agreements.
• Maintain project documentation in an orderly manner for accessibility and audit support when needed.
• Understand and apply the UNOPS financial rules and regulations. Be accountable for the use of delegation of authority (where applicable) and ensure compliance with relevant policies and standards of ethics.
• Provide 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.

3. Monitoring and Reporting 

• Include a results framework and M&E plan in the project implementation plan with clearly defined indicators and agreed targets, ensure regular monitoring and tracking of project results.
• Prepare and issue regular project and financial reports in accordance with partner and UNOPS requirements for reporting.
• Regularly review project status and evaluate performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule, and quality)
• Maintain diaries and progress reports as required by UNOPS standard operating procedures.
• Provide routine oversight and analysis of delivery data within the dashboard system.
• Ensure all project team members track and regularly update milestones and targets for the duration of the project life span.
• Ensure full traceability and chain of custody for all contaminated soil, debris, and pure pesticide waste, from the site of origin to the final disposal cell at Vakhsh and Suzak A Landfills, including all necessary weighing and documentation certificates.  

4. Stakeholder Engagement

• Develop stakeholder engagement strategies and plans. Actively engage stakeholders, take feedback, and adjust as necessary. 
• Establish solid working relationships with the project board (executive, senior users and senior suppliers); clients; and key stakeholders.
• Enable formulation of project communication plans and monitor effectiveness of project communications.
• Coordinate stakeholder engagement and communication, ensuring effective timing and interdependency management of communications. Ensure stakeholders are aware of project activities, progress, and exceptions, and are in a position to accept handover outputs.
• The PM will coordinate and oversee the implementation of the Ambient Environmental Monitoring framework (including air quality and odor monitoring) and manage structured engagement with nearby communities to mitigate potential off-site effects and manage local perception. 
• The PM will serve as the principal UNOPS representative to the GEF 9421 Project Steering Committee

5. Quality Assurance

• Work with internal stakeholders to ensure projects comply with audit requirements.
• Work with procurement/ purchasing personnel to ensure effective interface with suppliers’ quality systems.
• Coordinate quality reviews of project documents and deliverables. 
• Provide quality control for management outputs (e.g. project documents, reports, etc)

6. Knowledge Management and Innovation

• Actively interact with other project managers and the wider project management (PM) community, 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 shared in a timely and appropriate manner. 
• Provide feedback to corporate practice groups on policy and systems, when needed.
• Provide feedback to functional groups  on policies and related guidance to support the continuous improvement of UNOPS policy framework. 

7.Personnel Management

• Organise and structure the project team, ensure clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Provide regular guidance and direction, as needed, and support the team in effectively performing their tasks. 
• Lead and motivate the project management team, and manage performance.
• Ensure performance reviews are conducted fairly, accurately, and on time.
• Select, recruit, and train project teams as required, taking gender parity and diversity objectives into account.
• Ensure safety and security for all project personnel in compliance with the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) standards

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) preferably in civil, water, electrical, mechanical, structural or other applicable engineering disciplines with 9 years of relevant experience OR

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above or related fields with 7 years of relevant experience is required

Desired

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

Required

• Relevant experience in implementing and managing infrastructure projects delivered by Design and Build Contract, preferably for the development of toxic / hazardous waste management sites including  site wide infrastructure such as roads, fencing power, water etc.), all or some in developing countries, post-conflict environments, or emergency contexts.
• Relevant experience of minimum of 7 years implementing and managing large-scale infrastructure in environmental remediation projects specifically involving Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) or highly hazardous waste, in compliance with the Basel and Stockholm Conventions. 
• Experience in defining technical and design requirements and Employers Requirements is required.
• Experience in drafting the technical specifications and design parameters for hazardous waste containment facilities is required
• Knowledge of infrastructure quality assurance methodologies and tools is required.
• Experience in the provision of critical quality control for specialized environmental construction is required.
• Experience in managing infrastructure project risks in a multi-stakeholder context is required
• Experience in managing hazardous material risk including stakeholder alignment 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.
• Experience in contract management e.g. managing contracts for specialized, high-value, and technical construction works or remediation services is desired. 
• Experience in supporting the development of procurement strategies is desired.
• Knowledge of FIDIC contracts is desired.
• Experience of planning and applying high-risk health and safety procedures in contaminated sites is desired
• Previous UNOPS experience in project management is desired.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• 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. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• 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. 
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• 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.