UNOPS

The UNOPS Africa Regional Office, based in Nairobi, Kenya, oversees the delivery of over 250 projects across 40 countries, with a focus on fragile and conflict-affected settings. Supported by more than 1,000 personnel across five multi-country offices—spanning North, West, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Horn of Africa—the office advances national priorities through strategic initiatives in Climate Action, Health, Infrastructure, Peace and Security, Middle-Income Country Support, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The Regional Office provides strategic leadership, operational support, and oversight in key areas including Partnerships, Communications, Management and Oversight, Infrastructure and Project Management, Health and Safety, and Security. By promoting excellence in project delivery, fostering knowledge sharing, and driving continuous improvement, the office contributes to sustainable infrastructure, transparent resource management, and a better quality of life for communities across the continent.

Based in Dakar, Senegal, the West Africa Multi-Country Office (WAMCO) delivers high-quality project management, infrastructure, and procurement services across 16 countries in West Africa and the Sahel, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Togo. Aligned with UNOPS’ mission, WAMCO supports partners in peacebuilding, humanitarian assistance, and sustainable development. WAMCO’s portfolio spans key sectors such as health, climate change, renewable energy, agriculture, water and sanitation, environment, infrastructure, justice, and peace and security. Notable projects include the construction of pre-preschools for early childhood development in Senegal (in partnership with KOICA and UNICEF), capacity-building for national agencies on disaster risk reduction and resource management, and the development of rural mini-grid electrification systems in Sierra Leone. Through these initiatives, WAMCO contributes to inclusive growth and the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the region.

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations that supports the effective implementation of its partners' projects in the humanitarian, peacebuilding and development fields. In line with its mandate, UNOPS is a central resource for the United Nations and provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations entities. With more than 7,000 staff members in 80 countries, UNOPS provides its partners with logistical, technical and management capabilities as needed. The organisation simultaneously implements approximately 1,000 projects per year for its partners, contributing to the achievement of results on the ground, often in some of the world's most challenging contexts. 

The Republic of Mali is a country in West Africa covering an area of 1,241,238 km2, with an estimated population of 19.7 million in 2019. It is the second largest country in West Africa. Mali is a landlocked country, bordering Mauritania and Senegal to the west, Burkina Faso and Niger to the east, Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea to the south, and Algeria to the north.

With 14,606 cases recorded on 4 August 2021, Mali has been relatively spared by the COVID-19 pandemic (0.29% of confirmed cases in Africa). To date, the country has recorded 13,962 recoveries and 534 deaths, representing a fatality rate of 3.82% and a recovery rate of 95.59%.

To support the Government of Mali in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has allocated funding to the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) for the development of medical infrastructure to combat COVID-19 and strengthen the country's medical facilities. UNOPS was requested to provide support as the implementing agency for the construction, installation and equipping of this infrastructure.

The objective of this project is to strengthen the capacities of the Malian health system in general and the INSP (National Institute of Public Health) in particular in response to the COVID-19 pandemic through the development of medical infrastructure.

More specifically, the project aims to acquire, install and equip seven (7) modular clinics, construct and equip one (1) P2 laboratory, and acquire and install two (2) -65°C cold rooms (containerised, 20 feet). In the long term, this project will enhance Mali's technical healthcare capabilities.

The Project Management Support Senior Assistant provides administrative support to ensure effective delivery of projects. The role supports project planning, monitoring, reporting, logistics, communications and documentation.

Required

• Secondary school (or equivalent) with 5 years of relevant experience OR
• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 1 year of relevant experience is required.

Desired

• A globally recognized professional certificate or membership in Project Management is desired.

Required

• Relevant experience is work in project management or related areas.  
• Demonstrable proficiency in the use of collaboration and productivity tools (e.g. MS Office, G-Suite, etc) and web-based management systems are required.

Desired

• Experience of working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country is desired.
• Experience in development or humanitarian contexts is desired.

• 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.