Technical Specialist

UNOPS supports the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner.

Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices, always satisfying or surpassing our partners’ expectations.

With over 7,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, wherever they need it.

A flexible structure and global reach means that we can quickly respond to our partners' needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale. 

With more than 20 years of experience in the country, the UNOPS Afghanistan office supports national reconstruction and development efforts by providing projects with goods and services - from stand-alone, one-off solutions to long-term management and capacity development support.  Based in Kabul, UNOPS Afghanistan has regional offices in most parts of the country. The team implements projects in support of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy, in a wide range of sectors including infrastructure, education, environment and agriculture, and governance and rule of law. UNOPS in Afghanistan is responsible for implementing a number of projects on behalf of the Government of Afghanistan and the aid donor community. The Afghanistan Operational Center (AFOC) has been set up as an organizational mechanism to deliver a range of projects for which UNOPS has been designated as the Implementing Agency/Consultant.
Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) is financing rural road construction and rehabilitation in Northern provinces of Afghanistan under the Rural Access Improvement Project (RAIP).

The Road Maintenance Management System (RMMS) has been designed by RAIP for use at the Provincial level of Afghanistan as a comprehensive system of data collection and analysis for annual maintenance planning and sustainable management of the rural road network. This will be completed by creating a complete set of rural road network inventory for at least the 4 RAIP-mandated provinces including its length and condition and a system for its continuous updating, for prioritizing the road links and for assessing the appropriate maintenance interventions required during the preparation of an Annual Road Maintenance Plan (ARMP). The Road Maintenance Management System will assist the Afghan Ministry of Public Works (MPW) and Ministry of Rehabilitation and Rural Development (MRRD) in framing the necessary national policies, procedures and training needed to implement a road asset management program at the national level too. In short term, RMMS will serve as the planning and monitoring system for RAIP-IV, MPW and MRRD in the road sector at both provincial and central levels. A road management system with basic functions in operation will be a prerequisite for future annual budget allocations for the roads sector.

The input of an international technical specialist (hereafter called ‘the consultant’) on Roads Operation & Maintenance (O&M) for maximum 3 months is required for the development of Manuals and Assessment Report/s i.e. 1) Methodologies for roadway structures’ condition surveys for different kind of structures, including bridges and steel bridges, 2) Assessment methods for emergency preventive maintenance and treatment options, and 3) Report on assessment of existing capacity and prepare a capacity building plan for MPW and MRRD personnel on O&M of road equipment and installation of steel bridge in Afghanistan. In addition, the consultant shall study the existing sector knowledge, capabilities and available resources, and assess the ‘capacity gap’ for roads O&M within MPW.

The consultant will work under the overall supervision of the RAIP-IV Project Manager, Training Manager and capacity building Technical Advisor, and in consultation with the UNOPS Programme Manager- Horizontal Infrastructure. The overall responsibility of the consultant shall be (but not be limited) as follows:

• Study and gather information on the efforts carried out by different funding sources in the roads O&M sector within MPW,
• Consult with MPW, MRRD and key actors actively working on Road O&M
• Prepare a comprehensive manual on methodologies for roadway structures’ condition surveys for different kind of structures, including bridges and steel bridges,
• Prepare a comprehensive manual on assessment methods for emergency preventive maintenance and treatment options,
• Submit such manuals submitted to UNOPS, MPW and MRRD for review, incorporate  resulting feedback and comments, and proceed to finalize  the manuals,
• Assess the existing road operation and maintenance related equipment in available in MPW and provide recommendation/s to utilize them,
• Assess the existing road construction and O & M related digital machinery (grader, excavator, loader, dump truck and snow cleaning machine) and make recommendation how to build capacity within MPW for their uses.
• Assess the condition and operational requirements of existing steel bridges (Bailey Bridges) in use by MPW and provide recommendation/s for training MPW staff and/or designated / supporting contractors in their installation and management at site.
• Deliver a presentation on the manuals to MPW and MRRD officials/engineers,
• Submit the manuals for review/acceptance to UNOPS who will then seek  Sida acceptance, and
• Submit the report on capacity-assessment and capacity-building plan of steel bridges and roads O&M equipment for MPW.

• Advanced University Degree (Master’s) in Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering or equivalent in the related field. A First Level University Degree (Bachelor’s) in a relevant field with additional 2 years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the Master’s Degree requirement;
• Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible experience in the area of road maintenance management;
• Demonstrated experience in implementing road maintenance management systems for public works agencies, with an emphasis on road asset management. Demonstrated experience in developing and delivering to public works officials, engineers, and technicians road maintenance management training, including: using selected software packages, pavement condition survey and evaluation, and data collection.
• Extensive experience in establishing and training road maintenance management teams;
• Development and management of road maintenance management projects in developing countries is an asset.
• Proven ability to advocate and provide policy advice related to road maintenance management issues.
• Previous involvement with international Development Partners in this field is an asset;
• International work experience in the humanitarian and/or development sector is an asset;
• Fluency in English is essential.

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.