Lead Site Supervisor

Background Information – Sierra Leone

UNOPS has been established in Sierra Leone since 2000 and currently has 55 personnel in country, operating out of 3 main locations – in Freetown (with frequent visit to sites and other district) and home based.

During the last 15 years, UNOPS has delivered a variety of infrastructure projects nationwide, particularly in the fields of health and security infrastructure, and has procured a variety of vehicles, non-medical health related items and medical equipment.

Current projects include:

• Infrastructure Programme for Isolation Units; Construction of screening and isolation units for government hospitals under the Ebola Emergency Response Project (EERP) (with funding from the World Bank) and medical waste management and WASH (with funding from DFID) in support of the Ministry of Health.
• Procurement of non-health items and services to contribute to the Global Fund Programme in Sierra Leone, for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM)
• Construction of the new Administrative Headquarters of the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU) in Freetown, Sierra Leone for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

In Sierra Leone, the Rural Renewable Energy Project (RREP), a DFID-funded project, is collaborating with the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) to supply up to 5 MW of sustainable renewable electricity in rural communities through installations of at least 94 solar mini-grids to be operated and managed by private sector partners.

The implementation of the project is developed around five Work Packages (WP):

Work package 1 / 1+:  6kWp solar photovoltaic (PV) generation plants at 54 Community Health Centres (CHCs) were installed between April and July 2017. These generation plants were then extended into small mini-grids with a capacity between 16kW and 36kW and distribution networks installed which will eventually connect all other public institutions and households in 50 of these communities. All 50 mini-grids are installed and ready for operation as of October 2018.

Work package 2: aims to bring the country’s photovoltaic (PV) power generation capacity up to 5MW by attracting the private sector to invest in the mini-grid market while drawing on the lessons of WP 1/1+. WP2 will install mini-grids in additional 40 communities with >36kW systems (up to max. 200kWp) using sustainable business and delivery models developed by the private sector.

Private sector operators have been selected through a competitive tender process, and will take on operation and maintenance of WP1/1+ mini-grids and co-invest in the development of the WP2 sites. The operators will be responsible for the last mile connection to identified customers and the in-house wiring of customer homes.

Work package 3: provides Technical Assistance (TA) and institutional capacity building to the Ministry of Energy, the Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission, other relevant government agencies as necessary, as well as to private sector companies selected to operate WP1 sites and co-invest in and operate WP2 sites.

Work Package 5: This work package focus majorly on the Monitoring and Evaluation function. An M&E Plan including Impact Evaluation design will be developed for learning and accountability.

Work Package 6: Private sector development. Through this work package, RREP seeks to develop a private sector engagement and strengthening strategy, underpinned by a keen understanding of local market systems, to promote productive use economies in mini‐grid catchment areas; supporting both the commercial viability of the privately operated mini‐grids.

In its two years of implementation, RREP has installed 50 mini-grids. These installations will be expanded in capacity throughout the life of the project to 2020, with 44 additional installations. The RREP mini-grid sites are poised to be hubs of new and improved economic activities generating better employment opportunities and incomes and fostering greater social and economic welfare for communities. 

The Lead Site Supervisor is part of the UNOPS supervision team and is required to manage and coordinate the day to day activities of contractors. He/she will be expected to build the capacity of UNOPS site supervisors and the contractor’s personnel. This may include, for example, demonstrating to tradesmen best practice techniques for key technical trades.  The Lead Site Supervisor will therefore have extensive practical experience performing practical construction activities and of supervising works to ensure that both UNOPS Quality Assurance requirements are being met, and that the Contractor carries out his Quality Control functions effectively. 

He/she will be based on site, under the direct supervision of the Construction Manager with an oversight supervision of the Infrastructure team lead.

1. General construction
2. Reporting
3. Knowledge management
4. Job Specific 

2.    Reporting

• Ensure accurate and timely reporting of progress and conditions on site through daily site record.
• Prepare and submit to the construction  manager weekly or monthly (or as requested) report within 5th day of the week-end, summarizing progress of contractor activities, quality control issues, resourcing and scheduling issues, and any other pertinent facts as required.
• Produce any appropriate documentation identified by the Construction Manager in a professional and accurate manner.

3.    Knowledge sharing

• Participate in project evaluation process; highlight challenges associated with the project and feedback into a continuous improvement cycle.
• Provide training and knowledge transfer to national/contractor personnel including advice on good construction practices, environmental management practices, and appropriate health and safety standards during construction.
• Support the dissemination and sharing of best practices and lessons learned for development planning and knowledge building.

4.    Job Specific

Specific duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Understand the technical specification and scope of work of each contractor that has been assigned to him/her by the Construction Manager
• Assist the site supervisor/s in the implementation of Quality Plans for the project to ensure specified quality of the work is achieved
• Administer the contracts and supervise project activities to ensure the work complies with the design and specifications.
• Check contractor's claims and submittal against its accuracy and reality, and make recommendations to the construction manager
• Verifying and revising contractor reports, proposal for changes and request for payment issued by the contractor and transmit them (for eventual approval) to the Construction Manager, together with comments, or remarks
• Ensure the strict implementation of quality control standards and procedures on the sites and report regularly to the construction manager.
• Ensure Site Supervisor/s are carrying out their duties in line with ToR and Project requirements
• Take necessary steps to ensure timely completion of contractors' work and control of project budget.
• Provide project progress reports and project briefs to the construction manager and assist him/her in compilation of data for reporting and briefings.
• Provide periodical reports for the Technical Team Leader
• Prepare and manage project documentation systematically, especially assuring the tidiness of the contractors' site registers.
• Prepare and manage project documentation systematically, especially assuring the tidiness of the contractors’ site registers.
• Take responsibility for UNOPS assets at project sites
• Ensure that the project activities are aligned with the overall project plan.
• Regularly update on the status of the project and propose workable solutions to recover from delays
• Report all errors, omissions, discrepancies and deficiencies to Construction Manager and record them on the project site register/s.
• Organizing and planning daily activities for site supervisors to follow
• Maintain daily contacts with the contractor and report any relevant issue to the construction manager/Technical team leader
• Perform other functions as may be assigned by the Construction Manager
• Cooperate with the construction manager/technical team leader to ensure he is in the condition to provide needed support to the operation
• Actively support the Construction Manager and all relevant stakeholders with the supply of data and information including, but not limited to, reports, project completion report or any related closure documents

Expect results are:

• Site supervision team organization and operational capacity
• Manage day to day site running of activities and works implementation
• Adequate quality control of the construction process
• Appropriate technical dossier for every site up to date
• Site management procedures in place and aligned with UNOPS policies
• Smooth contract implementation and limited number of issues
• Timely and qualitative reporting
• Knowledge building and knowledge sharing including appropriate archiving of documents in UNOPS ERP system and documenting of lessons learned.

• Master's Degree in Civil Engineering, Architecture or Infrastructure related field is required

• Applicants with a Bachelor’s Degree with an additional 2 years of relevant (civil or buildings) work experience will be considered. 

• Applicants with Technical/Professional Diploma Certification with an additional 4 years of relevant (civil or buildings) work experience may well be considered.

• Project Management certification (for example PRINCE2® Foundation is desirable.
• Active membership in a professional engineering body will be considered as an added advantage.
  

• Full working knowledge (written and oral) of English is required.
• Knowledge of other official UNOPS language is an asset.
  

• Demonstrates strong technical knowledge and commitment to continuous learning.
• Demonstrates results orientation and focus on solutions.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective work relationships with clients, donors and other stakeholders.
• Ability to plan work in a collaborative manner and to manage priorities
• Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve the goals of the project and in accordance with UNOPS shared goals
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
• Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure.
• Shares knowledge and experience and contributes to practice areas
• Encourages  office staff to share knowledge  and contribute to practice areas Promotes  a knowledge  sharing and learning culture in the office
• Demonstrates strong coaching/mentoring skills, regularly providing helpful feedback and advice to others in the office. 

Contract type: Local Individual Contract Agreement (LICA)
Contract level: LICA 10 / ICS 10

Contract duration: ICA On-going (Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance).’

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.