Senior Project Manager (Waste Management Infrastructure)

Organizational Context

The UNOPS Austria Multi-Country Office (AUMCO) in Vienna supports 12 countries in South-East Europe, Türkiye, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia. It provides technical expertise, operational support, and sustainable infrastructure solutions. The office is involved in various flagship initiatives, including environmental projects like hazardous waste management in Tajikistan, and supports UNOPS' global Water, Environment, and Climate portfolio.

Job Purpose

The Senior Project Manager (Infrastructure) is responsible for the effective delivery and day-to-day management of a project focused on the design and construction of containment works for hazardous waste, specifically DDT and Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. This role involves coordinating with donors, partners, and beneficiaries to ensure alignment with contractual commitments and UNOPS performance standards. The manager acts on behalf of the Project Board to ensure project outputs are delivered within agreed tolerances for time, cost, scope, quality, risk, and benefits, reporting to the Head of Programme, AUMCO.

Responsibilities

The Senior Project Manager will oversee project delivery by developing and implementing project plans, managing infrastructure design and reviews, and embedding sustainability dimensions. Key duties include managing the production of outputs, ensuring quality of work packages, liaising with suppliers, monitoring progress, controlling variances, and managing changes. The role involves identifying and mitigating project risks, reporting potential opportunities, and ensuring compliance with organizational policies, local laws, and international standards. Responsibilities also include preparing and adapting plans, managing reporting obligations, maintaining project documentation, and supporting audits. Furthermore, the manager will establish stakeholder engagement strategies, build relationships with the project board and key stakeholders, and coordinate communication. Ensuring traceability of hazardous waste, overseeing environmental monitoring, and managing community engagement are critical. The role also encompasses quality assurance, knowledge management, and personnel management, including team organization, motivation, performance management, and recruitment.

Work Experience

Required experience includes implementing and managing infrastructure projects via Design and Build contracts, particularly for hazardous waste management sites, in developing or post-conflict environments. A minimum of 7 years of experience in large-scale environmental remediation projects involving POPs or highly hazardous waste, in compliance with Basel and Stockholm Conventions, is necessary. Experience in defining technical requirements, drafting specifications for containment facilities, and managing project risks in a multi-stakeholder context is also required.

Skills

Contractors, Engineering Design, Project Control, Project Planning, Risk Management, Stakeholder Management, Project Resource Management

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