Project Management Support - Senior Associate

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 Tunis, the North Africa Multi-Country Office (NAMCO) oversees operations in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, and Morocco, delivering project management, financial services, infrastructure, procurement, and human resources support. With active project offices in Morocco and Libya, NAMCO works in close partnership with governments, NGOs, and international financial institutions to advance socio-economic development across the region. NAMCO’s portfolio spans health, justice, climate action, and environmental preservation, while promoting youth and women's empowerment through improved access to education and employment opportunities. Key initiatives include: supplying digital learning materials for Tunisian schools (World Bank), supporting Tunisia’s national development plan (AICS), enhancing maritime border management (EU), delivering high-tech health equipment to 75 hospitals (World Bank), supporting resilient agriculture in Libya (IFAD), and advancing vocational training in Morocco (KOICA). NAMCO’s work contributes directly to inclusive growth and progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Project Management Support Senior Associate provides technical, administrative and logistical support to ensure the efficient and effective delivery of project operations. The incumbent contributes to the coordination and execution of day-to-day project management processes, ensuring compliance with UNOPS standards and procedures. The role is client-focused and results-oriented in supporting timely project implementation.

This project involves the procurement of equipment for universities and vocational training centers. It includes sourcing and purchasing educational and technical equipment, coordinating deliveries, and ensuring that all acquisitions comply with procurement procedures, quality standards, and project timelines. The objective is to support the institutions in enhancing their educational and training capacities effectively.

The Project Management Support Senior Associate provides technical, administrative and logistical support to ensure the efficient and effective delivery of project operations. The incumbent contributes to the coordination and execution of day-to-day project management processes, ensuring compliance with UNOPS standards and procedures. The role is client-focused and results-oriented in supporting timely project implementation.

Project Monitoring and Reporting

• Support the supervisor in monitoring project implementation and financial performance to ensure compliance with UNOPS rules, regulations and reporting standards.
• Prepare and maintain financial disbursement reports and progress updates in coordination with Finance and relevant units.
• Maintain comprehensive project documentation, including financial records, audit files and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) entries (oneUNOPS), ensuring accuracy and completeness.
• Track project budgets, cash flow and expenditures. Identify variances, propose budget revisions, and initiate corrective actions when necessary.
• Record project data and updates in relevant logs and registers, ensuring information accuracy for reporting and audits.
• Take minutes of meetings, track action points, and assist in compiling periodic project performance reports and completion reports.

Project Implementation and Delivery Support

• Assist in day-to-day project execution, ensuring adherence to UNOPS project management methodologies, financial regulations and quality standards.
• Support the preparation, amendment, and monitoring of project work plans, agreements and budget revisions.
• Facilitate communication between partners, service providers and internal teams to ensure the timely delivery of project activities.
• Track project milestones, risks and issues, maintaining updated records and assisting with mitigation planning.
• Support preparation and review of contractors’ invoices, verification of supporting documents, and coordination of deliverables.
• Contribute to identifying operational or administrative bottlenecks and propose practical solutions to enhance project efficiency.

Operational and Administrative Support

• Provide administrative assistance in project operations, including HR coordination, procurement planning and logistical arrangements.
• Support the preparation of Terms of Reference (ToRs), contracts and purchase orders. Review supporting documentation before submission for approval.
• Coordinate and organize workshops, trainings, meetings and missions, ensuring timely logistical, financial and travel arrangements.
• Liaise with Finance, HR and Procurement units to process payments, monitor commitments, and ensure compliance with internal control systems. 
• Maintain project correspondence, records and filing systems in accordance with UNOPS document management policies.
• Support onboarding, induction, and contract management processes for project personnel and consultants.

Financial and Procurement Management

• Assist in the preparation of project budgets, forecasts, and expenditure reports, ensuring accuracy and timely submission.
• Monitor financial transactions, disbursements, and vendor payments in alignment with UNOPS Financial Rules and Regulations.
• Review and reconcile project accounts, ensuring that expenditures align with approved budgets and work plans.
• Coordinate procurement processes, including requisition preparation, evaluation support, and tracking of contracts and purchase orders.
• Facilitate communication with vendors, manage documentation for procurement and financial activities, and ensure timely service delivery.
• Support project audits by maintaining complete financial documentation and assisting in implementing audit recommendations.

Knowledge Building and Sharing

• Support the organization, facilitation and delivery of training and learning sessions on project management.
• Participate in knowledge-sharing initiatives and Communities of Practice (CoPs), contributing insights and lessons learned.
• Conduct research on project management-related topics and contribute to the drafting of reports, summaries and briefing notes.

Required

• Secondary school (or equivalent) with 7 years of relevant experience OR Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 3 years 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. 
• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority 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.