Construction Management 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.

Since 1999, the Central Africa Multi-Country Office (CAMCO), headquartered in Kinshasa, DRC, has partnered with UN agencies, international organizations, and governments in 15 Central African nations. CAMCO provides fund management, technical assistance, and capacity-building across critical sectors—infrastructure, health, education, governance, procurement, and environmental protection—while working with national and local authorities to secure local ownership and sustainable impact. The diverse portfolio spans rural-community empowerment, road rehabilitation, and peace consolidation in the DRC and CAR through Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) programmes, alongside wide-ranging procurement and human-resource services. Recent initiatives include drinking-water systems in Cameroon, mining-sector capacity-building, health-system support in the DRC, and infrastructure development in Madagascar, funded by a broad array of international partners. Together, these projects advance regional stability, resilient infrastructure, and improved livelihoods throughout Central Africa.

Since 1999, UNOPS has been a committed partner in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), delivering fund management, technical support, capacity building, and project management services. In collaboration with the Government, UN agencies, and international partners, UNOPS advances sustainable development across key sectors, including infrastructure, health, education, governance, procurement, and environmental protection. A strong focus on local ownership ensures that projects are implemented in a way that builds national capacity and empowers communities. UNOPS supports peace and security through technical assistance to MONUSCO and contributes to environmental preservation by managing regional initiatives such as CAFI and FONAREDD, working closely with Indigenous communities. In the health sector, efforts include the construction of health centers in Kwango (KOICA) and national health system support through the RSS3 initiative (GAVI). UNOPS also leads agricultural infrastructure development and food security efforts through the PNDA project (World Bank) and supports governance and stabilization through the multi-donor Coherence Fund, alongside humanitarian HR services for UNHCR.

The UNOPS multi-country office covers fifteen countries (DRC, Central African Republic, Burundi, Madagascar, Cape Verde, Comoros, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, and Sao Tome and Principe) and has an active portfolio of over 300 million dollars, featuring numerous infrastructure projects.

The National Agricultural Development Program (PNDA), funded by the World Bank, aims to increase agricultural productivity and improve market access for farmers in regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo. This project includes a sub-component primarily aimed at improving rural access roads to unlock the production and trade potential of smallholder farmers in the program area. The Program has selected UNOPS to implement its road rehabilitation activities in 4 territories across targeted provinces, namely: the territories of Luiza and Dibaya in Central Kasai province, and the territories of Mweka and Luebo in Kasai province.

The Construction Management Engineer provides technical expertise and oversight in the planning, implementation and supervision of infrastructure construction projects. The Engineer ensures that all works are executed to the required quality standards, within the defined budget, and on schedule. The role encompasses construction supervision, quality management, contract administration, health and safety enforcement, and capacity building, contributing to the delivery of resilient, safe and sustainable infrastructure aligned with UNOPS and donor/partner standards. 

Construction Management 

• Oversee and manage day-to-day site construction activities to ensure compliance with project specifications, approved drawings, and contractual obligations.
• Monitor work progress and contractor performance to ensure timely, cost-effective and high-quality delivery of outputs.
• Identify and report potential delays, risks and cost overruns. Recommend and implement approved corrective actions.
• Supervise construction works as per contractual provisions, verifying consistency with Bills of Quantity (BoQs) and approved schedules.
• Review and assess contractors’ progress payment claims, variation orders, and extension requests for accuracy and compliance.
• Maintain proper documentation of project activities, including progress reports, site records, and meeting minutes.
• Represent UNOPS (as delegated by supervisor) in site meetings, coordination fora, and stakeholder consultations.
• Ensure effective communication and coordination with contractors, suppliers and project stakeholders to address technical and operational issues promptly. 

Quality Management 

• Enforce compliance with UNOPS quality standards and project-specific quality assurance plans.
• Conduct regular inspections and testing of materials, equipment and works to ensure conformity with design specifications and quality benchmarks.
• Review and verify contractor quality control procedures, inspection reports, and material certifications.
• Prepare and monitor quality control documentation, including inspection checklists, test logs, and non-conformance reports.
• Provide technical guidance to contractors and field personnel to ensure continuous improvement in construction quality and adherence to specifications

Health, Safety, Social and Environment (HSSE) Management

• Lead the implementation of UNOPS HSSE management systems at the project site, ensuring compliance with organizational and local regulations.
• Conduct regular safety inspections, toolbox talks, and risk assessments to identify and mitigate hazards.
• Promote environmental sustainability and integrate ‘’green construction’’ practices across project activities.
• Ensure contractors’ personnel receive adequate training and supervision on occupational safety, environmental management, and emergency preparedness.
• Monitor and report on incidents, near misses and corrective actions, maintaining a culture of accountability and prevention

Monitoring, Reporting and Progress Control

• Track project progress against work plans, milestones and performance targets, providing accurate updates to stakeholders.
• Prepare detailed weekly and monthly reports covering progress, quality, health and safety, environmental, and financial aspects.
• Support the preparation of Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs), contract close-out documentation, and project completion reports.
• Maintain comprehensive site records, including daily logs, inspection reports, correspondence and photographic evidence.
• Participate in project review meetings, ensuring timely follow-up on actions and decisions.

Knowledge Building and Sharing

• Support the organization, facilitation and delivery of training and learning sessions on project management and construction management.
• Participate in knowledge-sharing initiatives and Communities of Practice (CoPs), contributing insights and lessons learned.
• Conduct research on infrastructure- and project management-related topics and contribute to the drafting of reports, summaries and briefing notes.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Civil Engineering, Construction Management or related fields with 2 years of relevant experience OR
• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above or related fields with 0 years of relevant experience is required.

Desired

• A globally or nationally recognized professional certificate in Administration is desired.

Required

• Relevant experience is work in building construction, site supervision or infrastructure project management or similar fields.
• Experience in quality control, monitoring and reporting within construction projects is required.
• Demonstrable proficiency in the use of collaboration and productivity tools (e.g. MS Office, G-Suite, etc) and web-based management systems are 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 project documentation, report writing and technical communication 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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• 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.