Senior Project Manager (Infrastructure)
Organizational Context
The UNOPS Africa Regional Office supports over 250 projects in 40 countries, focusing on fragile and conflict-affected settings. UNOPS Somalia (SOCO), established in 1995, is a key partner for the Somali government and donors, delivering infrastructure, procurement, and financial services to support national priorities in health, rule of law, security, transport, and resilience.
Job Purpose
The Senior Project Manager (Infrastructure) is responsible for the strategic leadership, technical oversight, and operational management of complex, multi-sector infrastructure projects and programs. This role ensures the effective delivery of physical assets and technical outputs, coordinating with donors, partners, and beneficiaries to meet contractual commitments and UNOPS performance standards. The position acts on behalf of the Project Board to ensure project outputs are delivered within agreed tolerances for time, cost, scope, quality, risk, and benefits, contributing to sustainable peacebuilding and development outcomes.
Responsibilities
Key responsibilities include developing and implementing project plans, managing project lifecycles, and ensuring the quality of work packages and deliverables. The role involves monitoring progress, controlling variances, managing changes, and mitigating project risks to maximize stakeholder benefits. This includes adhering to UNOPS policies, financial regulations, and local laws, maintaining project documentation, and supporting audits. The Senior Project Manager is also responsible for stakeholder engagement, developing communication strategies, and fostering strong relationships with project boards and clients. Additionally, the role involves quality assurance of project documents, knowledge management through sharing lessons learned, and personnel management, including leading, motivating, and developing project teams.
Work Experience
Requires relevant experience in implementing and managing infrastructure projects in developing countries, post-conflict, or emergency contexts. Experience in defining technical requirements, infrastructure quality assurance, and managing project risks in a multi-stakeholder environment is essential. Experience in multicultural or UN environments, contract management, and FIDIC contracts is desirable.
Skills
Contractors, Engineering Design, Project Control, Project Planning, Risk Management, Stakeholder Management, Project Resource Management