Senior Civil Engineer

Kabul

Organization: UNOPS - United Nations Office for Project Services
Location: Kabul
Grade: Mid level - LICA-11, Local Individual Contractors Agreement
Occupational Groups:
- Engineering
Closing Date: Closed

Background Information - UNOPS

UNOPS supports the successful implementation of its partners’ peace building, 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.

Background Information - Afghanistan

With more than 20 years of experience in the country, UNOPS Afghanistan focuses on providing maximum support to the Government and people of Afghanistan through delivery of projects and services in line with the government’s national priorities. The UNOPS Afghanistan Operations Centre (AFOC) serves as an organizational mechanism to deliver a range of projects for which UNOPS has been designated as the implementation agency. At present, UNOPS AFOC is implementing a number of projects in a range of sectors including infrastructure (roads, bridges, justice and security, health, and water supply) development, procurement services, HR services, capacity building, and humanitarian protection, amongst others, on behalf of the Government of Afghanistan, the international donor community, and other UN agencies.

The functional objective of UNOPS AFOC is to contribute to the achievement of the development outcomes sought by the Government of Afghanistan. The aim of UNOPS AFOC is to provide efficient and cost-effective implementation services on behalf of all our partners to support the reconstruction and development of the country. UNOPS AFOC’s mission is to exceed the expectations of all stakeholders in the delivery of AFOC’s services, at all times, in all places, in all circumstances, in order to improve significantly the lives of all Afghans in need.

Functional Responsibilities

Responsible to the Operations Centre Director and Representative and reporting to the Head of Programme (HOP), the Senior Civil Engineer is responsible for facilitating effective planning, coordination, and management support across the range of infrastructure projects in Afghanistan, and providing support to the development of further such projects in the UNOPS Afghanistan portfolio.

Supporting project teams comprising of experienced international and national technical, administrative and operational-support staff, the Senior Civil Engineer guides and advises the HOP, and Project Managers, on the overall soundness, effectiveness and compliance of projects with technical standards and legal agreements.

Guided by the HOP, and in conjunction with the infrastructure Project Managers, the Senior Civil Engineer monitors project teams’ compliance with all aspects of engineering in the infrastructure engagements and shall ensure that projects’ products meet the expectations and requirements of UNOPS, and the projects’ client/s and donors.

Manage the Transport Sector Portfolio, ensuring solid working relationship with the Programme Boards, clients and key stakeholders.

Specific Responsibilities:

The Senior Civil Engineer is responsible for; inter alia, the following functions:

Procedures:

Oversee and monitor overall implementation of all infrastructure field activities.
Support project managers and site engineers in liaising with contractors and beneficiaries.
Oversee the overall planning and monitoring of activities, and support the regular up-date of project plans according to actual progress.
Immediately liaise with Project Managers regarding any distortion of the overall activities in the field.
In conjunction with the QA/QC unit, support the conduct of overall quality control of works and assure compliance with UNOPS’ quality standards.
Support, facilitate and oversee provisional and final acceptance of works within AFOC’s infrastructure projects.
Counter-sign all statements of works advancements issued by companies and undersigned by the project managers and site supervisors.
Provide the technical interface and coordination for the UNOPS Programme with all partners and stakeholders as required.
Provide presentations on technical engineering aspects and assessments as required.
Provide technical evaluations and analysis to enable senior management and stakeholders to make informed decisions.

Delivery and Performance:

Ensure that projects are in line with procedures and requirements defined by the AFOC Programme Management Office (PMO).
Ensure approved project plans (including the establishment of milestones) remain within tolerances set by project boards (or HOP).
In conjunction with Project Managers, facilitate the production of required products, monitoring progress and use of resources and, in consultation with the Head of Programme, initiating corrective action where necessary.
Liaise with any external suppliers or account managers as appropriate.
Advise the HOP of any deviations from plans.
Monitor management of risks and issues so that maximum benefit to client and stakeholders is achieved.
Review product quality and ensure products are accepted.
Monitor and evaluate performance of service providers.
Identify, and report to the Head of Programme and the Partnerships Development Unit (PDU) potential business opportunities for UNOPS and, where appropriate and necessary, support the development of such opportunities..
Identify and report threats to UNOPS AFOC’s internal business case to the HOP and/or PMO.

Management of the Transport Sector Portfolio:

Establish a solid working relationship with the Programme and Project Boards, clients and key stakeholders of the Transport Sector Portfolio.
Manage stakeholder engagement and project communications, ensuring all are aware of project activities, progress, exceptions, and are in a position to accept handover products.
Advise clients on issues that may impact the achievement of outcomes, including issues of sustainability and post project requirements such as maintenance.
Manage information flow between the Programme and Project Boards, the HOP, and the project teams.
Manage and deliver the Transport Sector Portfolio in line with procedures and requirements defined by the PMO.
Implement approved project plans, including the establishment of milestones, within tolerances set by the Programme and Project Boards or the HOP.
Manage the production of required products, taking responsibility for overall progress and use of resources and initiating corrective action where necessary.
Liaise with any external suppliers or account managers.
Authorize Work Packages of the Transport Sector Portfolio.
Advise the HOP of any deviations from the set plans.
Identify and manage risks and issues.
Follow the Project Management Cycle instructions and ensure that all organizational policies are complied with.
Lead and motivate the project teams of the Transport Sector Portfolio.
Ensure that performance reviews are conducted.
Have a thorough understanding of UNOPS’ personnel contract modalities.
Select, recruit and train team members as required by the project plans.
For projects in the Transport Sector Portfolio, perform the Project and Team Manager role, unless appointed to other personnel.
Ensure safety and security for all personnel and comply with UNDSS standards and UNOPS HSSE standards.

Knowledge Management:

Participate in the relevant Communities of Practice.
Actively interact with other PMs and the PM 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.
Complete lessons learned as per reporting format.
Incorporate lessons learned from others as per planning format.

Personnel Management:

Identify outstanding staff and bring them to the attention of the HOP.
Have a thorough understanding of UNOPS’ personnel contract modalities.
Perform the Team Manager role, unless appointed to another person(s).
Perform Project Support roles, unless appointed to another person or corporate/programme function.
Ensure safety and security for all personnel and comply with UNDSS standards.

Core Values:

Understand and respect national ownership and capacity.
Understand the principles of the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness and mainstream them into projects plans.
Seek opportunities to recruit qualified local staff, in particular qualified females.
Look for ways to build capacity of local counterparts.
Harmonization within the UN and beyond.
Understand the UN Development Assistance Framework and projects’ place in the UN system.
Know the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and seek to contribute within the deliverables of projects.
Service to Others.
As projects are representative of the United Nations it should be firmly rooted in the principle of service to others. This should be considered carefully in the development of project plans.
Accountability for results and the use of resources.

Additional Requirements:

Ensure integrity of financial and administrative operations in the programme area by exercising oversight of financial and budgetary aspects of projects, in consultation with project support staff.
Ensure strict and consistent application of UNOPS’ rules and regulations and ensure the implementation of clear accountability mechanisms across the AFOC programme.
Ensure that human resources needed for programme implementation are identified, recruited and managed in accordance with projects’ staffing requirements and UN rules and regulations.
Manage, plan, monitor and evaluate project procurement and contracting processes.
Provide leadership and direction to the respective project teams on substantive and managerial aspects.
Monitor all projects’ activities in relation to the respective work plans and take corrective action, when necessary, to ensure the timely and cost-effective delivery of projects’ outputs;
Ensure the highest possible quality of delivery and devise strategies for increased programme delivery and quality programming.
In consultation with the PDU, participate in business development and stakeholder relationship building.
Undertake occasional mission travel in and outside the country when required.
Maintain and improve the programme communication system to facilitate the dissemination of information and reports to all key stakeholders.
Prepare and monitor project progress and other reports and documents as needed to meet internal and external/donor reporting requirements.
Coordinate with partners and donors in the development and execution of socioeconomic impact studies.
Analyse the efficiency of projects within the portfolio and develop mechanisms to improve performance as required.
Any other project management activities as they arise.

Advocacy:

Participate in policy dialogue (related to Afghanistan and other countries in the region) on issues related to the transport sector and contribute to in-house knowledge about new developments in the sector.
Raise awareness among AFOC staff and local counterparts on the principles of social inclusion and environmental management, and support the monitoring, evaluation and reporting on socially inclusive and environmentally responsible practices within the portfolio.
Identify opportunities to strengthen linkages between key projects within the AFOC including mainstreaming SDGs into ongoing projects & those under development.
Draft recommendations and contribute to UNOPS policy dialogue on key programme areas including Social Inclusion, Poverty Reduction, and Employment Creation, Impact Evaluation and Capacity Development.
Advocate for gender mainstreaming in transport sector planning at all levels, socio-economic analysis and other areas where feasible.
Raise awareness of traffic safety issues and promote the mainstreaming of traffic safety measures into subprojects including public outreach on traffic safety issues where possible.

Monitoring and Progress Controls:

Conduct periodic reporting, as defined by the PMO, including financial status reports on commitments and disbursements, monthly, quarterly and annual reports (including resources’ allocation and project performance), projects’ completion reports, and evaluation reports.
Develop and operate a quantitative and qualitative Project Performance Monitoring System to monitor and evaluate the performance of projects in relation to goals, purposes and outputs.
Disseminate relevant information and PR materials that demonstrate good practices.
Ensure that projects produce the required products within the specified tolerance of time, cost, quality, scope, risk and benefits. The Senior Civil Engineer is also responsible for projects producing a result capable of achieving the benefits defined in the Business Case. Contribute to the overall business targets and needs.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

A. Education:

A master’s degree in civil engineering or another relevant field. A first level university degree in a relevant field with a combination of an additional two years’ relevant work experience may be considered in lieu of the master’s degree.

B. Work Experience:

A minimum of 7 years leading projects delivering national or regional transport infrastructure projects.
Experience working in emergency, post-crisis environment and/or with UN missions is a strong asset.
Strong experience in Project Management is required.
Proven experience in management of complex projects is required.
Proven experience in financial management is an asset.
Previous experience in Afghanistan an advantage.
Must have certification in PRINCE2 or achieve certification within the first six months of appointment.

C. Language:

Fluency in both written and spoken English is required.

Competencies

Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organization. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organization.

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.

Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).

Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.

Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.

Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.

Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Additional Considerations

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.

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

This vacancy is now closed.
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