Gerente Senior de Proyecto

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Position Title: Gerente Senior de Proyecto
Location: Quito
Country: Ecuador
Deadline Date: 03-Dec-2024

Job Details

Job Posting Organization:
UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project Services) is an operational arm of the United Nations, dedicated to implementing projects for the UN and its partners. Established to provide project management services, UNOPS operates in over 80 countries, employing thousands of staff members who work to support peace and security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security, humanitarian response, and sustainable development. The organization focuses on delivering high-quality infrastructure and project management services, ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget while adhering to the highest standards of quality and sustainability.

Job Overview:
The Senior Project Manager is responsible for the daily operations of the project and provides services to various donors, partners, and beneficiaries. Acting on behalf of the Project Board, the Senior Project Manager manages the project continuously during the Implementation Phase. The primary responsibility of a Senior Project Manager is to ensure that project outcomes are delivered within specified tolerances of time, cost, quality, scope, risk, and benefits. It is expected that he/she meets the performance and delivery objectives of the organization. The Senior Project Manager has the authority to assign work packages to Team Managers according to the Project Plan and approve the deliverables produced by them. The Senior Project Manager is responsible for creating the Implementation Plan, utilizing the Project Initiation Document (PID), the Legal Agreement, and having a deep understanding of the terms, conditions, and respective roles and responsibilities of partners/stakeholders to ensure that project outcomes can satisfy the business cases for both UNOPS and partners. The success of the project(s) and, therefore, of the Project Manager/Senior Project Manager will be based on the defined Success Criteria. The Senior Project Manager will report to the Program Manager or Director of the Multi-Country Office Peru-Ecuador and will be located in Quito. He/she will work in coordination with the finance, procurement, and human resources support team located in Lima, Peru, and will also receive guidance from the regional infrastructure team.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Senior Project Manager will be responsible for the following duties and responsibilities:

• Project Delivery and Performance: Develop, complete, and update the execution plan(s). Execute the approved plan (including milestone setting) within the tolerances established by the Project Board. Incorporate sustainability dimensions, including social and gender inclusion, and environmental and economic aspects into the project lifecycle. Manage the production of required results, being accountable for overall progress and resource use, initiating corrective actions when necessary. Ensure that the quality of work packages and results meets the quality requirements defined in the Execution Plan. Establish links with any external suppliers or account managers. Manage the acceptance and delivery of work packages. Monitor project progress ensuring that work packages are being executed correctly. Control changes in projects and work packages. Accept goods, services, or works delivered by suppliers. Direct contract management functions, including evaluating supplier performance. Identify and anticipate potential risks and issues in a timely manner and advise mitigation measures to senior management/Project Board to maximize benefits for partners and other stakeholders. Identify and inform the supervisor of potential business opportunities for UNOPS.
• Procedures: Comply with all organizational policies and specifically the Project Management Manual. Prepare/adapt all relevant plans for approval by the Project Board. Manage reporting obligations defined in the Legal Agreement(s) and Execution Plan. Develop definitions of requirements for procurement processes. Approve requisitions and payment requests not related to purchase orders; evaluate proposals received if appointed as a member of the evaluation team (if applicable). Ensure the maintenance of project files and the recording of lessons learned. Ensure the development and implementation of project financial management guidelines and control mechanisms, in accordance with UNOPS rules and regulations. Manage budgets, cash flow, and obligations to ensure compliance with deliverables and timely receipt of payments to contractors and staff. Understand and manage UNOPS overheads, assignable charges, and related corporate charges applicable to the project. Understand UN structures and budget appropriately for staff. Manage expenses in relation to the budget (based on accurate financial reporting). When responsibilities are not delegated to the Project Director, he/she will retain those responsibilities and supervise and instruct others to comply with relevant commitments and disbursements. For project closure, he/she will formally transfer the project to the closure manager. Support project audit activities, including planning, preparation, and coordination during audits and following up on audit observations/recommendations.
• Monitoring and Reporting: Prepare and issue periodic project and/or financial reports in accordance with reporting requirements of partners and UNOPS. Periodically review project status, assessing performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule, and quality). Maintain logs and progress reports according to the organization's standard procedures. Conduct routine monitoring and analysis of delivery data in the control dashboard system. Ensure that all project team members regularly track and update achievements and objectives throughout the project lifecycle.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Develop stakeholder profiles and facilitate the formulation of stakeholder engagement strategies. Establish strong working relationships with the Project Board (Executives, Senior Users, and Senior Suppliers), clients, and key stakeholders. Facilitate the formulation of project communication plans. Coordinate internal project communications. Monitor the effectiveness of project communications. Coordinate stakeholder engagement and communication, ensuring effective management of timelines and interdependencies of communications. Ensure stakeholders are aware of project activities, progress, exceptions, and are in a position to accept the results of the handover.
• Quality Assurance: Work with internal stakeholders to ensure that projects meet audit requirements. Work with the procurement team to ensure effective interface with supplier quality systems. Coordinate quality reviews of project documents and deliverables. Control the quality of management deliverables (project documents, reports, etc.).
• Knowledge Management and Innovation: Promote routine and effective capacity development activities to develop sustainable long-term staff capacity. Actively engage with other project managers and the project management community at large to share case studies, lessons learned, and best practices. Contribute to the oversight of lessons learned procedures, ensuring that lessons learned are shared in a timely and appropriate manner. Participate in relevant Communities of Practice. Research and document lessons learned throughout the project lifecycle. Provide input to Practice Groups on supporting policies and guidelines with the aim of continuously improving UNOPS policies.
• Personnel Management: Lead and motivate the project management team. Ensure that behavioral expectations of team members are established. Ensure that performance evaluations are conducted fairly, accurately, and timely. Select, hire, and train staff as necessary, considering gender parity and diversity objectives. Ensure the safety of all project staff and comply with UNDSS standards. Create, promote, and model a culture of respect and zero tolerance for discrimination, abuse of authority, harassment, sexual harassment, and sexual exploitation and abuse. Ensure accountability for actions and perform functions in accordance with protection mechanisms and action plans, as expected by UNOPS policies, standards, and commitments.

Required Qualifications:
The following qualifications are required for the position:

• Advanced University Degree (Master's or equivalent) is required, preferably in areas of Civil Engineering, Road Engineering, Bridges, or Architecture.
• A Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) preferably in Civil Engineering, Road Engineering, Bridges, or Architecture combined with 2 additional years of experience will be considered in the absence of a Master's degree.
• Certification in Project Management (PRINCE2 Practitioner and/or PMI) is required.
• Must complete UNOPS PMM, UNOPS PMM Infra Perspective, and One UNOPS Projects courses within 3 months of signing the contract.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes:

• An advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) in relevant fields such as Civil Engineering, Road Engineering, Bridges, or Architecture.
• A bachelor's degree in the same fields combined with additional experience may be considered if a master's degree is not available.
• Certification in Project Management (PRINCE2 Practitioner and/or PMI) is mandatory.
• Completion of specific UNOPS courses within a stipulated time frame is also required.

Experience:
The level of experience needed for this position includes:

• A minimum of 7 years of experience (or more depending on academic degree) as an Infrastructure Project Manager.
• At least 2 years of experience in road infrastructure projects is required.
• Desirable experience includes construction projects involving bridges and/or overpasses, urban road construction projects, project management experience in UNOPS, and experience providing advisory services in road infrastructure.
• Experience as a consultant or executor of complex projects/programs will be valued.

Languages:
Fluency in Spanish is required. An intermediate level of English is desirable.

Additional Notes:
This role is primarily based at the UNOPS office in Ecuador, under a face-to-face scheme, attending the office 5 times a week. The office does not have parking space for employees. Additionally, applicants are encouraged to submit a motivation letter alongside their application, detailing their interests and motivations for joining the UNOPS team, as well as their perspective on the values of the United Nations: Inclusion, Integrity, Humility, and Humanity. It is also important to upload academic diplomas or certificates with the application.