UNOPS Jobs in Kenya

UNOPS Jobs in Kenya

Background Information - UNOPS UNOPS 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.
Within these three core areas of expertise, UNOPS provides its partners with advisory, implementation and transactional services, with projects ranging from building schools and hospitals, to procuring goods and services and training local personnel.
UNOPS works closely with governments and communities to ensure increased economic, social and environmental sustainability for the projects we support, with a focus on developing national capacity.
Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices in development, humanitarian and peacebuilding contexts, always satisfying or surpassing partner expectations.
We employ more than 6,000 personnel and on behalf of our partners create thousands more work opportunities in local communities.
Through our headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark and a network of offices, we oversee activities in more than 80 countries.
Background Information - Kenya
Kenya
The UNOPS Kenya Operational Hub (KEOH) plays a critical role in providing management services-for its life-saving peace-building, humanitarian and development operations; supporting projects on behalf of a range of partners and creating real results that matter for people in need.
KEOH is implementing projects worth more than$40 million in eastern and southern Africa and is helping its partners achieve project goals in sustainable project management, sustainable procurement, sustainable infrastructure, human resource management and advisory services
The UNOPS Kenya Operational Hub (KEOH), located in Nairobi, Kenya, spans across East Africa, covering Kenya,Somalia, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Eritrea.
The Office is comprised of 150 personnel with the right mix of critical skills needed for effective services delivery.
KEOH implements projects in infrastructure, procurement, environment, health, grants management, financial management, human resources and advisory services.
There are also several regional environmental projects that span across Africa and parts of Asia that are being managed by KEOH project managers.
1. Position title: Programme Assistant
Vacancy code: VA/2014/B5303/5921
Level: ICS-6
Department/office: AFO, KEOH, Kenya
Duty station: Nairobi, Kenya
Contract type: Fixed Term
Contract level: G6
Duration: 1 year renewable subject to availability of funds
Application period: 09-Oct-2014 to 24-Oct-2014
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Background Information - Job-specific
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations system’s designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level.
Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action.
The SWITCH Africa Green Project is being implemented by the Regional Office for Africa, in coordination with the other UNEP Divisions and partners.
The Programme Assistant will be located in Nairobi duty station, and will report directly to the Regional Coordinator of the Resource Efficiency sub-programme, and work under the overall supervision of the Director of the Regional Office for Africa.
The Programme Assistant will provide support to the SWITCH Africa Green Project, which aims to support six African countries to achieve sustainable development and poverty eradication through the transition to an inclusive green economy and a shift to sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Functional Responsibilities
Within limits of delegated authority, the Programme Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:

Provides assistance in support of planning and implementing activities for the SWITCH Africa Green Project.

Assists in monitoring the status of project activities; takes necessary action to ensure project documents are completed and submitted to relevant parties for action.

Assists in the monitoring and evaluation of the project; categorizes, updates, tracks and analyses data; carries out periodic status reviews, identifies issues and initiates requisite follow-up actions.

Researches, compiles, analyses, summarises and presents basic information/data on the building and construction sector.

Provides support to other sustainable consumption and production and green economy related projects and activities in UNEP- ROA

Assists in the preparation and analysis of programme budget proposals; provides assistance in the interpretation of budget guidelines.

Supports reporting on budget revisions, expenditures and obligations, verifies availability of funds; initiates financial authorizations for expenditures.

Serves as focal point for coordination, monitoring and expedition of programme implementation activities, involving extensive liaison with a diverse organisational units to initiate requests, prepare standard terms of reference against programme objectives, obtain necessary clearances, process and follow-up on administrative actions and resolve issues related to project implementation.

Drafts correspondence and communications related to all aspects of programme administration, including work plan and budgets, revisions and other related issues, as well as prepares unit contributions for a variety of periodic reports.

Prepares, maintains and updates files (electronic and paper) and internal databases; designs and generates a variety of periodic and ad hoc reports, statistical tables, graphic content, and other background materials/notes to facilitate inspection and other reviews.

Perform other related duties as required. Competencies
Professionalism:

Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches related to sustainable consumption and production, resource efficiency and green economy.

Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter.

Possess conceptual analytical and evaluative skills to conduct independent research and analysis.

Ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments given, plan own work and manage conflicting priorities.

Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results.

Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Communication:

Speaks and writes clearly and effectively;

Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately;

Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience;

Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. Teamwork:

Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals;

Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise;

Is willing to learn from others;

Places team agenda before personal agenda;

Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position;

Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. Planning& Organizing:

Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies;

Identifies priority activities and assignments;

Adjusts priorities as required;

Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work;

Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning;

Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary;

Uses time efficiently. Client Orientation:

Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view;

Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients;

Identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions;

Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep Informed and anticipate problems;

Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects;

Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client. Education/Experience/Language requirements

A Secondary Diploma is required.

A Bachelors Degree in project management, urban planning, natural sciences or a related field is significantly desired

A minimum of two years of progressively responsible experience in project/programme management, administration or related area.

Fluency in written and oral English required. Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: Fixed Term

Contract level: G6

Contract duration: 1 Year renewable subject to availability of funds 2. Position title: Project Officer
Vacancy code: VA/2014/B5303/5965
Level: ICS-8
Department/office: AFO, KEOH, Kenya
Duty station: Nairobi, Kenya
Contract type: International ICA
Contract level: IICA-1
Duration: One-year, renewable based on performance
Application period: 09-Oct-2014 to 19-Oct-2014
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Background Information - Job-specific
KEOH PIU offers services that are complimentary to the front end of any physical infrastructure project including, feasibility studies, construction assessments, developing standard systems and manuals for infrastructure development with local government counterparts, detailed construction design and documentation with BOQ’s and specification.
It offers complete turnkey solutions to serve its clients’ needs.
Functional Responsibilities
Under the overall supervision of the Head of Infrastructure in the Kenya Operational Hub (KEOH) Physical Infrastructure Unit (PIU) in Nairobi, the Project Officer will undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

Provide support to PIU Project Managers in the preparation of project documents, implementation plans, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) plans, project briefs and stakeholder mapping documents.

Provide support to the PIU Head of Infrastructure in implementing a Communications and Reporting Management Strategy for all projects within the PIU portfolio.

Oversee all project reporting activities to ensure compliance with donor requirements.

Promote effective planning and reporting through building the capacity of field staff in reporting and communications.

Coordinate project reporting activities together with project managers and provide guidance in internal progress reporting.

Produce monthly, quarterly and annual progress reports on the PIU portfolio.

Provide substantive research and analytical support including contribution to briefing materials and other communication documents.

Provide analysis and substantive reporting on project status for PIU.

Facilitate the preparation of annual project work plans by preparing templates, providing guidance to projects and consolidating data on project targets and outputs.

Assist in preparation of regular and ad hoc management reports for PIU as required.

Ensure all relevant documentation is complete and properly stored in KEOH archives.

Examine best practices from other UN or similar organizations Country Offices and identify local solution opportunities for resolving identified issues.

Prepare briefing materials as required for mission travel and/or discussion on project activities and status.

Take the lead in planning, development and implementation of various communications strategies and campaigns in conjunction with the PIU Head of Infrastructure.

Prepare or oversee preparation of a diverse range of information communications products in support of PIU’s initiatives; produce marketing and reporting brochures, project factsheets, audio-visuals and events.

Support the development of tools and a platform for M&E data and content management, ensuring knowledge management practices are in place to share data with partners and donors.

Substantive M&E of PIU projects, identification of implementation challenges and development of solutions together with the project teams based on lessons learned.

Liaise with UNOPS Headquarter staff on a regular basis to ensure compliance with UNOPS standards regarding M&E, reporting and communications. Monitoring and Project Controls

Accurate and good quality documents produced.

Timely preparation of reports to donor.

Prepare appropriate reports as required. Reporting and Deliverables

Implement a Communications and Reporting Management Strategy for the PIU in accordance with donor and partner requirements.

Production of Monthly/Quarterly/Interim/Yearly PIU Monitoring Reports.

Continuous review of project performance and make recommendations for the utilisation of lessons learned for professional and project development.

Continuous knowledge management and reporting and communications support to the PIU team.

Conduct training and mentoring to build the reporting capacity of the KEOH office. Competencies

Planning & Organising – Ability to plan, organise, manage and implement work assignments, juggle competing demands and work under pressure of frequent and tight deadlines.

Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and to align work to ensure that goals and strict deadlines are met.

Teamwork – Strong interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations with people in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.

Communications – Strong spoken and written communication skills in English.

Commitment to Continuous Learning – Willingness to keep abreast of new developments in the political and business environment in the KEOH area of operations.

Professionalism – Sound knowledge of, and exposure to, a range of project management issues, including related political, social and economic dimensions.

Proficiency in the usage of computers and MS Office software packages.

Ability to perform with professionalism, integrity and commitment to project demands.

Demonstrates integrity and fairness, displays cultural and gender sensitivity, shows strong corporate commitment and complies with the United Nations code of conduct. Education/Experience/Language requirements

Bachelors Degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Political Sciences, Social Sciences or other relevant field is required.

Master’s Degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Public Administration, Political Sciences, Social Sciences or other related field would be an added advantage.

Project management certification an asset.

Minimum 2 years relevant work experience is required.

Experience working with UN or other Humanitarian/Development agencies will be well regarded.

Relevant experience in developing countries a distinct advantage.

Familiarity with UNOPS project management, reporting and communications policies and procedures highly desirable. Certifications

Project management certification an asset. Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: International ICA

Contract level: IICA 1

Contract duration: 1 year renewable subject to performance and availability of funds For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link: ICA Jobs in Kenya
Additional Considerations

Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time (CET)

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 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. To Apply
For more information and job application details, see; UNOPS Programme Assistant Jobs in Kenya by 24th October 2014