Design Review Engineer

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.

Within UNOPS, Implementation Practices and Standards (IPS) is responsible for the UNOPS delivery practices. IPS provides thought leadership, standards and oversight as support to the successful delivery of programmes and projects within UNOPS service lines (infrastructure, procurement, project management, human resources and financial management services). IPS is comprised of the Infrastructure and Project Management Group and the Procurement Group which aims to reduce organizational risks, improve project performance, and promote excellence across UNOPS projects through the Standards Management Framework; and provides organisational oversight on the application of standards. These Groups also support the positioning of UNOPS in the UN system and development sector in Infrastructure, Project Management and Procurement.

Under the direction of the Design Review Manager, the successful incumbent will be responsible for helping to ensure the safety and functionality of UNOPS infrastructure.

More specifically, the Design Review Engineer will be responsible for:

1. Evaluating/reviewing medium and high risk infrastructure works, and verifying reviews of low risk works; 

2. Engaging with design teams and IPMG design review technical retainers to identify and resolve technical design issues; 

3. Providing technical guidance on design aspects of infrastructure works.

With the responsibility to facilitate consistent and accurate review of UNOPS infrastructure, upholding high standards and providing critical feedback/recommendations the Design Review Engineer will be responsible for the following:
1. Technical analysis of design documentation

The Design Reviewer Engineer will play a support role in assuring the safety and quality of designs for UNOPS infrastructure. Applying his/her technical expertise and professional experience, directed by the Design Review Manager, the Engineer will liaise with third party reviewers to review and issue reports for the designs of medium and high risk works, and verify the process of review of low risk projects.
2.  Engage with infrastructure teams on technical issues

The incumbent will regularly engage with infrastructure project teams to evaluate and support technical design development and design review processes with field office project teams, third party design reviewers, and peer reviewers of design packages.

3.  Engage with infrastructure teams on coordination of project requirements and design review

The Design Review Engineer will regularly communicate and coordinate with field office design teams to successfully resolve technical issues, or designed elements that deviate from codes.

4.  Development of Design Review reporting

The Design Review Engineer will assist the team in organizing and summarizing technical data from Design Review activities and support the development of monthly reports for senior management.

5.  Application of professional judgment

To ensure the safety and functionality of UNOPS infrastructure while recognizing the circumstances and constraints of the UNOPS operational context, the Design Review Engineer will be required to apply professional judgment in the technical application of relevant engineering codes and standards and the evaluation of design packages.

6.  Independence, integrity, and objectivity

In the performance of his/her services, the Design Review Engineer will provide independent technical evaluation and recommendations, free of conflicts of interests, and be able to maintain the integrity of the technical opinion against project pressures.

7.  Monitoring and Progress Controls

• Ongoing assessment of task completion that meets quality expectations

• Successfully meeting deadlines  

• Completing progress reports as required

8.  Supervision

The successful incumbent shall be responsible for the day to day supervision of Junior Design Review Engineer(s) and interns as directed by the Design Review Manager.

Education:

• An Advanced University degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Civil Engineering or relevant field is required.

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering or relevant field with two additional years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of a Master’s degree (total 7 years of experience).

• Professional certification/licensure in civil engineering (CEng, PE, P.Eng, or equivalent) is considered an asset. 

Work Experience:

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in infrastructure design development or design review is required.

• Within these 5 years, a minimum of 3 years experience in technical infrastructure engineering/design production with focus on stakeholder coordination and effective resolution of technical issues in development context is considered an asset.

• Experience in buildings and other vertical infrastructure, transport infrastructure (bridges, roads, ports and airports), utilities infrastructure (water/waste water treatment and delivery systems, green power technologies, irrigation, solid waste management) is highly desired.

• Experience in infrastructure in a developing country context is considered an asset.

• Experience performing structural analysis (ETABS, SAP2000 or similar) and preparing/editing AutoCAD design files is an asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required.

• Working knowledge of French or/and Spanish is highly desirable.

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.

• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.

• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types

• 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.

• Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

This recruitment process may be used to fill other vacancies including short-term placements and retainer contracts.

Work environment

IPS offers a unique work environment in UNOPS headquarters, in Copenhagen, Denmark, located in the UN City building, one of Copenhagen’s landmarks. UNOPS HQ offers a safe, family-friendly lifestyle environment with multiple opportunities for networking and active lifestyle, in a city known for its excellent urban design and planning.

The IPS team is a diverse team in terms of age, nationalities and family situations. IPS is keen on strengthening diversity in the team with a current focus on gender equality and geographic diversity. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. IPS is very dynamic and welcomes agility, autonomy and self-drive. The work of IPS is oriented towards exciting opportunities which have a corporate, global impact and is in touch with the whole of UNOPS. 

UNOPS has a host country agreement with the Government of Denmark, and as such both national and international candidates are eligible for HQ-based positions. UNOPS officials are exempt from Danish taxes on UN incomes. EU citizens may opt to be registered with the Danish State Administration as EU migrant worker and keep the rights associated with that status or register through UNOPS with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. EU Citizens may apply for the public Danish health insurance or special health card depending on their choice of registration, while the non-EU citizens will be registered by UNOPS under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Contract type: ICA  Contract level: I-CA 2
Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.