Senior Programme Manager

Damascus

Organization: UNOPS - United Nations Office for Project Services
Location: Damascus
Grade: Mid level - P-4, International Professional - Internationally recruited position
Occupational Groups:
- Project and Programme Management
- Managerial positions
Closing Date: 2025-07-23

Job categories Programme Management

Vacancy code VA/2025/B5104/30005

Level ICS-11

Department/office MR, AMMMCO, Amman

Duty station Damascus , Syrian Arab Republic

Contract type Fixed Term

Contract level P4

Duration One year initially, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and funding availability

Application period 09-Jul-2025 to 23-Jul-2025

Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement.

Functional Responsibilities

Summary of functions:

Programme Delivery and Performance
Procedures
Monitoring and reporting
Stakeholder engagement
Quality assurance
Knowledge management and innovation
Personnel management

1. Programme Delivery and Performance:

Develop, complete and update implementation plan(s)
Implement the approved plan (including the establishment of milestones) within tolerances set by the Steering Committee.
Lead the Secretariat on the development and implementation of Nexus Mechanism programmes, and provide analysis, advice and support to the Steering Committee.
Embed sustainability dimensions including social and gender inclusion, environmental and economic aspects into project activities
Manage the production of the required outputs, taking responsibility for overall progress and use of resources and initiating corrective action where necessary.
Ensure that quality of work packages and deliverables complies with the quality requirements defined in the Implementation Plan.
Liaise with any external suppliers or account managers
Manage acceptance and delivery of work packages
Monitor project progress ensuring that work packages are being executed properly
Control project and work packages changes
Accept goods, services or works delivered by suppliers
Lead contract management duties including supplier performance evaluation
Identify, and anticipate in a timely manner, potential risks and issues and advises mitigating measures to senior management/ Steering Committee so that maximum benefit to partner(s) and other stakeholders is achieved
Identify and report to the supervisor potential partnerships’ opportunities for UNOP

2. Procedures

Comply with all organizational policy and specifically those related to grants management and project management
Prepare/adapt all relevant plans for approval by the Steering Committee.
Manage the reporting obligations defined in the Legal Agreement(s) and in the Implementation Plan
Draft the requirements definitions for procurement processes. Approving requisitions and requests for non-purchase order payments; Evaluating submissions received, if appointed to the evaluation team.
Ensure maintenance of the project files and lessons learned are recorded
Ensure the development and implementation of project financial management guidelines and control mechanisms, in conformity with UNOPS rules and regulations.
Manage budgets, cash flow and obligations to ensure that deliverables are met and payments to contractors and personnel are received on time.
Understand and manage UNOPS overheads, allocable charges, and related corporate charges as they apply to the project
Understand the unique structures of the UN and budget appropriately for personnel
Manage expenditures against the budget (based on accurate financial reports)
Where the Project Manager has no delegation as a committing officer, s/he retains these responsibilities and will monitor and instruct/request others to carry out the relevant commitments and disbursements.
For project closure purposes, provide a formal handover of the project to the closure manager
Support project audit activities, including planning, preparation and coordination during the audits and follow up on audit observations/recommendations

3. Monitoring and reporting

Prepare and issue regular project and/or financial reports in accordance with Partner and UNOPS requirements for reporting.
Regularly review project status, evaluating performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule and quality).
Maintain diaries and progress reports as required by the organization’s standard procedures.
Provide routine oversight and analysis of delivery data within the dashboard system.
Ensure all project team members track and regularly update milestones and targets for the duration of projects' life span.

4. Stakeholder engagement

Develop stakeholder profiles and facilitate the formulation of stakeholder engagement strategies
Establish solid working relationships with the Steering Committee, Advisory Board, the donor, current and potential partners, and key stakeholders
Enable the formulation of project communications plans. Coordinate internal project communications. Monitor the effectiveness of project communications
Coordinate stakeholder engagement and communication, ensuring effective timing and interdependency management of communications. Ensure stakeholders are aware of project activities, progress, exceptions and are in a position to accept handover outputs
Act as UNOPS Syria focal person for Nexus-related matters with the Government, UN partners, donor, civil society and implementing partners.

5. Quality assurance

Work with internal stakeholders to ensure projects comply with audit requirements
Work with procurement/purchasing staff to ensure effective interface with suppliers' quality systems
Coordinate quality reviews of project documents and deliverables
Provide quality control for management outputs (project documents, reports, etc.

6. Knowledge management and innovation

Encourage routine and effective capacity building activities are conducted in order to build the long-term and sustainable capacity of staff.
Actively interact with other Project Managers and the wider PM community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices
Contribute to the oversight of lessons learned procedures, ensuring that lessons learnt are shared in a timely and appropriate manner. Participate in the relevant Communities of Practice
Research and logging of lessons learned throughout the project life span.
Provide feedback to Practice Groups on policy, supporting guidance with an aim towards continuous improvement of UNOPS policies.

7. Personnel Management

Lead and motivate the project management team
Ensure that behavioural expectations of team members are established
Ensure that performance reviews are conducted fairly, accurately and timely
Select, recruit and train the team as required and take into account gender parity and diversity objectives.
Ensure safety and security for all project personnel and comply with UNDSS standards
Create, foster and role 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 duties in accordance with protection mechanisms and action plans, as expected by UNOPS policies, standards and commitments.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education:

Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent), preferably in law/human rights, social science, international development, business administration, public administration, international relations or related areas is required
Bachelor’s Degree with Additional 2 years of relevant work experience to the above duties and responsibilities may be accepted in lieu of Master Degree.

Experience:

A minimum of Seven (7) years of progressively relevant working experience in Programme Management is required and out of this at least five (5) years in conflict analysis, peacebuilding and reconciliation, recovery and livelihoods, humanitarian response or humanitarian development- peace nexus or related areas is required.
Solid experience managing programs at a strategic level with financial oversight is required.
Knowledge of aid architecture with at least two (2) years experience working in Grants Management is required.
Demonstrated experience in managing assessments and/or studies prepared by external entities is required
Solid practical experience in working with the UN, donors, Non-governmental organizations, the public sector and/or civil society is an asset.
Proven track record of incorporating Human rights in programming and/or context analysis in a fragile state(s) and complex/protracted crisis is desirable.
Working experience and knowledge in Syria will be a strong asset. Previous experience working in the Middle East will also be an asset.
Solid experience of managing, or having worked in a senior position in EU funded programmes/projects as an asse

Certification:

PRINCE2 Foundation/Practitioner Certiﬁcation is an asset.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English language is required;
Knowledge of Arabic language is an advantage

We do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.

Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.

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