Project Management Support Senior 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.

Not Required - part of GPO/NYPO

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.

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.

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 ROEA Programme Management Officer, as well as the Law Enforcement Expert, Drug Control and Crime Prevention Office.

The overall objective of the Project Management Support Officer is to ensure the successful delivery of programmatic and substantive input to programme/project planning and activities and provide effective support to office operations. Accurately prepares reports. Consistently applies appropriate policies, guidelines and procedures. Effectively and in a timely manner, liaises and interacts with colleagues and concerned parties internally and externally.

1. Project Delivery and Performance

• Contribute to the development, execution and updating of detailed implementation plans and work plans for AML/CFT projects, ensuring that all project outputs are delivered on time, within budget, and to required quality standards.

• Provide logistical and operational support for missions, workshops, training, outreach activities and dialogues, including the preparation of concept notes, agendas, presentations and other relevant materials.

• Integrate sustainability, social inclusion, and gender equality considerations into project activities and implementation.

• Support full implementation of Health, Safety, Social and Environmental (HSSE) standards across all activities, as applicable.

• Conduct or participate in field missions to monitor implementation, support national counterparts and project partners, and facilitate timely delivery of project activities.

• Support the organization and coordination of consulting assignments, in collaboration with legal experts, national counterparts and other relevant stakeholders.

1. Monitoring, Reporting and Quality Assurance

• Coordinate the timely preparation and submission of narrative and financial reports, ensuring compliance with UNOPS and donor/partner standards. 

• Track project progress against scope, schedule, cost and quality indicators, providing early warning on deviations and proposing corrective actions. 

• Conduct regular reviews of project data, milestones, activities and performance indicators to assess delivery status. 

• Maintain monitoring tools and support data collection, analysis and presentation of information to facilitate evidence-based decision-making. 

• Provide quality assurance for project deliverables, reports and documentation submitted by donors, partners and project counterparts. 

• Support the preparation of project monitoring and evaluation materials, implementation reports, activity evaluation reports and impact assessment documents. 

• Support internal and external audits, ensuring that relevant documentation and processes meet compliance standards.

1. Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination

• Build and maintain productive relationships with national and local authorities, donors, partners, grantees, project beneficiaries and other key AML/CFT stakeholders, including relevant Kenyan and Ethiopian stakeholders.

• Facilitate regular communication and coordination among programme teams, national counterparts and project partners to ensure timely implementation of activities.

• Support the organization of steering committee meetings, technical workshops, capacity-building activities and stakeholder consultations.

• Ensure stakeholders are informed of project progress, activities and results through timely and accurate information.

• Provide substantive support for policy coordination and evaluation functions, including the review and analysis of emerging AML/CFT issues and trends and participation in evaluations, research activities and studies.

1. Knowledge Building and Sharing

• Support the organization, facilitation and delivery of training and learning sessions on AML/CFT and related subjects, including the preparation of presentations, concept notes, agendas and training materials.

• Participate in knowledge-sharing initiatives and Communities of Practice (CoPs), contributing insights, lessons learned and good practices.

• Conduct research on project management and AML/CFT-related topics and contribute to the drafting of research papers, analytical notes, proposals, reports, studies, briefing notes and publications relevant to the projects.

• Support the development of guidelines, policies, measures, terms of reference, operational plans and other project-related documentation.

• Design and support the development of data collection tools, analysis and presentation of information, and preparation of conclusions and recommendations for project outputs and programmatic development.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in criminology, law, political sciences, sociology or related discipline with 4 years of relevant experience OR

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in criminology, law, political sciences, sociology or related discipline with 2 years of relevant experience is required.

Desired

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

Required

• Relevant experience is defined as experience in project management or related areas, including AML/CFT-related programmes or projects.

• Demonstrable proficiency in the use of collaboration and productivity tools (e.g. MS Office, G-Suite, etc.) and web-based management systems.

Desired

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

• Experience in development or humanitarian contexts.

• 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.