Mechanical Engineer

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 Nairobi, UNOPS East and Southern Africa supports sustainable development across 14 countries, including Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Tanzania, Zambia, Zanzibar, and Zimbabwe. Since 1995, UNOPS has expanded its footprint in Kenya, delivering services in project management, infrastructure, procurement, and financial management. Across the region, the office implements diverse, partner-funded initiatives that respond to national priorities. In Mozambique, this includes delivering specialized equipment (EU), supporting health services (UNICEF), promoting agro-processing (KOICA), and advancing peacebuilding efforts through a Multi-Donor Fund. UNOPS also supports agricultural input distribution and the Northern Crisis Recovery Project, both funded by the World Bank. In Malawi, efforts include developing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centres in partnership with the EU and the British Council. These initiatives reflect UNOPS’ commitment to strengthening national capacities, enhancing service delivery, and supporting progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the region.

The Technical Services Unit (TSU) engages in multidisciplinary design, peer review, assessments and advisory work, and manages relationships with other technical stakeholders.

The Unit is based in Nairobi, but services projects across the globe.  Retainer personnel are home based.  The Technical Services Unit (TSU) currently provides design services for infrastructure works to Project Managers in addition to consulting services such as assessments, feasibility studies and advisory services on a wide range of infrastructure types.  The team also offers multidisciplinary design review services for projects designed elsewhere.  The unit offers these multidisciplinary services in English and French.

The TSU currently has 17 permanent and 90+ retainer personnel including architects, civil engineers, structural engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, quantity surveyors, GIS and specialist infrastructure advisors (for dams, ICT, safeguards, biomedical works inter alia) and CAD technicians as well as support personnel.  Current projects are underway / imminent in Niger, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, CAR, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Zambia and Mozambique. In addition, the unit supports a range of projects outside Africa, for example in Haiti, Ukraine, Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea.

The TSU is a business unit for the Multi-Country office and comes under the direction of the Director for East and Southern Africa Multi Country Office (ESAMCO).

The team is looking to expand its pool of Mechanical Engineering Retainers, and the Mechanical Engineer (retainer)  shall  be called on on an ad-hoc basis to support various projects in desktop and site assessments, technical design development and or review of technical documentation for proposed installations, procurement support and design support on a range of projects.

1. Purpose and Scope of Assignment 

The incumbent will be responsible for the following substantive tasks. The tasks would include the following but not limited to:

• Conduct site assessments of mechanical components of works

• Recommend sustainable and cost effective solutions

• Carry out analysis using own software and report on results

• Collaborate with other disciplines and provide comprehensive design, drawing, specification and bills of quantity information to UNOPS standards to be included in contract documentation

• Provide technical support in tender evaluations of mechanical works

• Site visits to monitor of installation of the mechanical services on projects

• Review the design of mechanical services of projects;

• The consultant will work from home, providing all engineering software and hardware required and be prepared to travel to any site in or around the countries as required and as UNDSS permits.

An agreed task order including the scope, deliverables and the maximum time duration will be agreed upon by the Technical Services Unit and the Mechanical Engineer prior to commencement of each and every assignment. He/she is responsible for ensuring timeous delivery of mechanical services as defined in the task order

2. Monitoring and Progress Controls

Technical tasks: 

• Conduct comprehensive site assessments and desk reviews and collate data into high quality reports with associated recommended actions and budgets

• Conduct mechanical systems analysis using own software to clearly inform or support design solutions where required

• Prepare accurate and energy and water efficient designs that are practically implementable.  

• Provide technical input to procurement specifications and analysis of tender returns to support the procurement team

• Produce comprehensive and accurate mechanical bills of quantity, maintaining up to date rates for estimating purposes 

• Verify technical specifications of mechanical products, apparatus, services and associated quality material

• Liaise with contractors regarding testing of installed mechanical equipment in order to verify their quality as being an integral part of both design and manufacture. 

• Check and approve material and equipment incorporated in the works.

• Measure, check, and record the executed works against payment requests submitted contractors and review measurement sheets for the periodic payment of the work. 

• Liaise with the UNOPS Electrical Engineer on electrical engineering consultants commissioned to support designs works for construction.

• Produce high quality and accurate Mechanical Engineering design reports, drawings, specifications, bills of quantity

• Prepare estimates and prices for new project development works.

• Prepare Snag List for final project checking, prior to handover. 

• Manage and supervise final commissioning and handover documents to clients.

• Ensure as-built drawings and maintenance manuals for the finished materials used in the works.

3.  Administrative and knowledge sharing

• Keep files and records of the design process and decisions made.

• Using the UNOPS TSU online folder structure and chosen platform (google suite), deliver and file all documents 

• Participate in knowledge sharing activities to capture best practice and lessons learned.

An agreed task order including the scope, deliverables and the maximum time duration will be agreed upon by the Technical Services Unit and the Biomedical Engineer prior to commencement of each and every assignment. He/she is responsible for ensuring timeous delivery of services as defined in the task order

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Mechanical Engineering or related fields with 4 years of relevant experience OR

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in  Mechanical Engineering or related fields with 2 years of relevant experience is required

• Full member status registration with a recognized professional engineering body is required

Required

• Required minimum 4 years’ experience in analysis, preparing designs, specifications, BOQs, site monitoring and coordination of mechanical engineering installation works, such as:

  • Air conditioning and ventilation systems;

  • Water supply and drainage systems;

  • Firefighting systems;

  • Lift installations;

  • Gas distribution systems;

• Ability to work to meet tight schedules in a busy environment and varied cultural context.

• Good team player attitude.

• Ability to perform with professionalism, integrity and commitment to project demands.

• Ability to work under pressure and meet strict deadlines.

• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.

• Excellent written and spoken English and French.

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.

• 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. 
• 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.