UNOPS

The Infrastructure and Project Management Group (IPMG) provides policy, standards guidance and support in three UNOPS service lines of Project Management, Infrastructure and Financial Management Services (Grant Support and Fund Management). IPMG leads the design and implementation of a project, programme and portfolio management (P3M) system centered around the needs of UNOPS partners, beneficiaries and frontline personnel. IPMG also drives UNOPS efforts to leverage sustainable, resilient and inclusive infrastructure and maximize local capacity through grant support management to achieve sustainable development. Through thought leadership, we aim to position UNOPS with its partners, foster innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development, and accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This includes speeding up the implementation of urgent infrastructure and scaling up infrastructure service delivery, particularly in relation to climate action and energy. Our delivery approach to project management, infrastructure and grant support management prioritizes development needs, empowers institutions and communities, builds partners’ capacity, champions gender equality and social inclusion and reduces environmental impact. IPMG translates policy into practice by providing strategic direction, standards and oversight, while facilitating knowledge sharing and capacity-building for UNOPS teams globally.

Background Information - P3M Transformation and the Process Innovation and Digitalisation Programme (PID)

UNOPS has embarked on a Process Innovation and Digitalisation journey. The Programme aims to ensure UNOPS delivers the highest quality projects - sustainably, on time, and within budget - for partners and beneficiaries.  

This Programme aims to enhance UNOPS’ operational efficiency, effectiveness, and agility, overhauling processes and leveraging digital technologies and solutions. It will improve UNOPS’ collection and use of data, capacity for foresight, capacity for planning, knowledge management, and reporting. 

The P3M Transformation, whilst being a separate corporate priority related to a complete overhaul of the project management environment in UNOPS, is aligned as a sub programme to the PID programme for reporting and coordination purposes.

The P3M Systems Manager (Deputy Product Owner) will work within the Systems Development team of the P3M Sub-Programme under the Infrastructure and Project Management Group (IPMG). The incumbent will support the development of digital system requirements, and be responsible for systems management within IPMGs control. 

The P3M Systems Manager manages technical & business alignment; bridging the gap between technical teams and business needs, managing system improvements and User Acceptance Testing (UAT). The incumbent will provide support to & represent the P3M Digitalization lead by assisting in product strategy, supporting user forums, and representing the product development team at meetings as appropriate and needed.

The P3M Systems Manager (Deputy Product Owner) supports the Product Owner to manage the product backlog, define user stories, and facilitate stakeholder communication. The Manager helps to ensure the development team understands product goals, helps to prioritize features, and represents user needs during sprint planning to ensure that the delivered systems meet their needs and to maximise value of the products. 

This role involves extensive stakeholder management and collaboration with HQ units as well as project teams across UNOPS. 

The role also involves managing technical & business alignment; bridging the gap between technical teams and business needs, managing system improvements and User Acceptance Testing (UAT).

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any relevant discipline with 7 years of relevant experience OR

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) with 5 years of relevant experience is required

Required

• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience including the below:

  • Experience developing, directing enhancements of or using oneUNOPS Projects (all modules) is required.

  • Experience in coordinating design, development and/or management of digital systems and tools is required.

  • Experience with, and/or specific knowledge of infrastructure and project management in a UNOPS context is required.

Desired

• Experience with Agile methodologies is considered an asset.

• A globally recognised professional Product Owner certification is required, or must be obtained within 1 year of hire (if not already holding one). 

• Domain-specific knowledge (e.g., in finance or IT systems) is desirable. 

• Previous working experience in developing countries in an international environment is considered an asset.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.