HSSE Senior Associate

Uzbekistan Office currently manages a portfolio of USD 414.7 million contributing to Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG3) - Good Health and Well-being - implementing the following projects:. The COVID-19 Emergency Response Project (CERP) – Strengthening pandemic resilience by upgrading over 150 Sanitary-Epidemiological Committee facilities. The project encompasses infrastructure improvements and upgrades across 45 national and regional laboratories, procurement of diagnostic and laboratory equipment, establishment of an ICT-based national epidemiological surveillance system, and comprehensive capacity building for medical personnel. Support to Development of Oncology Services Project – Enhancing access to quality cancer care by equipping the new National Oncology Center in Tashkent and 13 regional hospitals with advanced medical, diagnostic, radiological, and ICT equipment. The project also supports establishing a national Cancer Registry and providing specialized training for healthcare professionals. Kashkadarya Healthcare Infrastructure Project – Advancing healthcare reform through feasibility studies, technical designs, and the construction and equipping of two modern multidisciplinary hospitals in Karshi and Beshkent to meet national and international standards. Procurement of medical equipment for the new Multidisciplinary Medical Center in Tashkent Project - Equipping the New Multidisciplinary Medical Center with modern medical and diagnostic equipment and operationalizing it through trained medical staff 

Through these efforts, UNOPS supports Uzbekistan in strengthening its health systems and delivering improved quality of care for its citizens. 

This position is advertised in Tashkent but may be offered in Karshi and Beshkent.

The incumbent ensures full coordination with the Lead Construction Management Engineers, Site Engineers and other project team members. The HSSE Senior Associate  is expected to support the implementation of the project activities through the provision of technical expertise and the application of best practices in the project implementation.

1. HSSE Support to Construction Management 

• Support the day-to-day supervision and management of HSSE activities on-site. 

• Monitor and take action, communicate and report potential HSSE issues, delays, and/or cost overruns related to HSSE compliance. Monitor the project construction work to ensure full compliance with the approved Health, Safety, Social and Environmental (HSSE) plans, UNOPS standards, and national legislation. 

• Assess the work activities of contractor/s regarding HSSE compliance and make recommendations for progress and interim payments, ensuring HSSE deliverables are met. 

• Verify and inform that works are consistent with the project technical specifications and approved HSSE documentation, and inform promptly of eventual deviations. 

• Provide guidance to the contractor and assist in resolving site HSSE problems, as necessary. 

• Support the Management of Construction Contracts regarding HSSE requirements, in collaboration with supervisors and the Project Manager. 

• Prepare and/or update health, safety, social and environmental management plans, review them on a regular basis and keep them up to date at all times. 

• Prepare relevant risk assessments, method statements, checklists, and permits. etc. as they related to Health, Safety and Social Environment on site. 

• Oversee and enforce Health, Safety and Social Environment compliance on sites. 

• Inspect work sites and the work of personnel on a regular basis to identify issues or non-conformity, and enforce necessary actions where unsafe acts or processes that seem dangerous or unhealthy are detected. 

• Oversee installations, maintenance and disposal of substances, plant and equipment etc. to ensure they are done in conformity with applicable laws and industry best practice. 

• Participating in progress review and project coordination meetings, reporting on HSSE matters. 

• Performing other relevant duties as assigned by the Supervisor or Project Manager. 

2. HSSE Support to Technical Documentation 

• Support the design management process for office infrastructure projects by ensuring that HSSE requirements are incorporated into the design documentation and design reviews. 

• Coordinate and provide input to the work of the Design Consultant in design development and documentation related to HSSE. Support in developing the work plan for construction, ensuring HSSE requirements are integrated into the time, scope, quality, and budgetary requirements. 

• Support in the preparation of project/contracts-related documentation such as periodic progress reports, site monitoring reports, stakeholder meeting minutes, engineer’s instructions and variation orders, contractor’s bills review reports, certifications, client hand over documents and contracts close-out reports, specifically providing HSSE-related input. 

• Maintain project documentation, including site safety inspection registers, site diaries, instructions to contractor registers related to HSSE, incident/near-miss registers, and HSSE training records. 

• Assist in developing and implementing the Health, Safety, Social and Environmental Plans according to UNOPS’ rules and regulations. Coordinate the development of HSSE policies, systems, procedures and guidelines. 

• Ensure full and accurate health and safety training records are documented. 

• Prepare quality management templates and support the monitoring of the quality of the works, ensuring quality checks include HSSE aspects as per the UNOPS Quality Management System. 

• Prepare meeting agendas, minutes, etc., as required, in English and Uzbek and/or Russian, and provide translations, as required, particularly for HSSE-related meetings. 

3. Reporting 

• Provide weekly and monthly reports detailing all project matters including quality, health and safety, environmental and financial, as well as any issues relating to possible delays, cost overruns, variations and any other matter as agreed with the Lead Construction Management Engineer. 

• Prepare reports on incidents (including near misses) and compile statistical information to present to upper management on HSSE matters. 

• Provide data and information about project work for reporting purposes, focusing on HSSE performance. 

• Monitor closely and report on the design services’ progress, including all HSSE-related issues encountered. 

• In alignment with the Lead Construction Management Engineer, collect and document the Project quality register, issue register, risk register and lessons learned log in the time frame stipulated by the Project’s strategic documents, specifically ensuring HSSE risks and lessons are captured. 

• When required, working with the procurement team in the preparation and evaluation of bids, ensuring HSSE requirements are adequately addressed, and writing tender reports. 

• Provide regular reports to the Project Manager on relevant health and safety activities. 

4. Stakeholder and Personnel Management 

• Maintain close collaboration with the implementing partners, suppliers and contractors at the site and have regular meetings with them to keep abreast of the progress of the HSSE performance and construction activities. 

• Advise and instruct project staff, contractors, consultants and other stakeholders on various safety, health, social and environmental related matters related to project implementation. 

• Support the Lead Construction Management Engineer in managing the team of Associate Engineers/Architects, providing technical support and guidance on HSSE. 

• Support the Project Manager in raising awareness on health and safety issues among project staff, consultants, contractors and other stakeholders and within UNOPS in general, working closely with the UNOPS QA/QC Section. 

• Establish an HSSE Committee, manage and devise the agenda for, chair and formulate & distribute minutes for the Health & Safety Committee meetings. 

• Participate in regular site meetings to report on relevant health & safety matters and to provide necessary advice. 

5. Knowledge sharing and management 

• Contribute to the project evaluation process; highlight HSSE challenges associated with the project and feedback into a continuous improvement cycle. 

• Support the training and ensure knowledge transfer to national/contractor personnel including advice on good construction and engineering practices, environmental management practices, and appropriate health and safety standards during construction. Contribute towards the capacity building of local contractors subject to Health and Safety and Social Environment by providing training and briefing on specific toolbox talks. 

• Initiate, organize and conduct HSSE training for UNOPS project team, contractors, consultants and other stakeholders. Establish and conduct a structured programme of health & safety training (including a well-developed induction program) for project staff, contractors, consultants and other stakeholders. 

• Contribute to disseminating and sharing best practices and lessons learned for development planning and knowledge building. Participate in the relevant Communities of Practice, actively interact with other Engineers and the Engineering community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices on the Knowledge System. 

• Provide feedback to Practice Leads on policy, supporting guidance with an aim towards continuous improvement of UNOPS policies. 

Specific HSSE Responsibilities: 

• Conduct risk assessment and enforce preventative measures on HSSE. 

• Record and investigate incidents (including near misses) to determine the cause and to propose improvements to processes in the future. 

• Ensure a safe workplace environment is maintained at all times without risk to the health and safety of everyone including workers, UNOPS staff, other stakeholders and the general public. 

• Ensure that all Health & Safety policies, procedures, rules and regulations are adhered to and are regularly reviewed, updated and communicated. 

• Ensure the contractor meets its statutory obligations in all areas pertaining to health, safety and welfare at work, including statutory training and reporting. 

• Ensure that safety inspections, risk assessments, working procedures are managed, and contractors and employees are aware of their responsibilities in relation to health and safety issues. 

• Establish a full programme of documented HSSE inspections, audits and checks. 

• Keep up to date with all aspects of relevant health, safety & welfare at work legislation and communicate relevant changes to the stakeholders. 

• Any other tasks assigned by the Project Manager. 

Required

• Secondary school (or equivalent) with 7 years of relevant experience OR

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 3 years of relevant experience is required.

Desired

• Additional certification in the Health and Safety subject matter is an advantage.

Required

• Relevant experience is work in project engineering and building construction management. 

• At least one (1) year of experience in implementing works under complex quality, safety and environmental management plans 

Desired

• Experience in full-time site HSSE management directing engineering technical trade staff.

• Experience in the UN system.

Fluency in Russian and/or Uzbek is required.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
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• 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. 
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