Country Manager

In Latin America and the Caribbean, UNOPS operates across 23 countries, delivering high-impact solutions that drive sustainable development. UNOPS focuses on building and improving resilient infrastructure—including roads, bridges, public facilities, sanitation systems, and housing—to enhance quality of life and foster inclusive growth. UNOPS also supports public health by procuring essential medicines and medical equipment, ensuring broader access to healthcare services. By strengthening institutional capacities, UNOPS promotes transparent, efficient, and equitable public management. As a trusted partner to governments and development stakeholders, UNOPS aligns its interventions with national priorities, helping countries advance the Sustainable Development Goals through practical, results-driven support.

Based in Brazil, the UNOPS Southern Cone Multi-Country Office (SCMCO) also oversees operations in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, supporting national priorities and development goals across the subregion. In Argentina, UNOPS strengthens public institutions by providing technical assistance in planning, procurement, and oversight of infrastructure projects—particularly in public buildings—and building capacity in public procurement, with a focus on technological innovation. In Brazil, where UNOPS has operated since 2012, the office collaborates with UN agencies, financial institutions, and government bodies at all levels to deliver services in health, education, urbanization, social rehabilitation, PPPs, and institutional strengthening. UNOPS has played a key role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and currently manages 17 active projects across the country. Its work emphasizes transparency, operational efficiency, and results-driven management while aligning with the strategic and operational needs of its partners. Across the Southern Cone, UNOPS promotes sustainable development by enhancing national capabilities and supporting the delivery of high-impact, inclusive infrastructure.

Based in Brazil, the UNOPS Southern Cone Multi-Country Office (SCMCO) oversees operations in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, supporting national priorities and development goals across the subregion.

In Argentina, UNOPS strengthens public institutions by providing technical assistance in planning, procurement, and oversight of infrastructure projects—particularly in public buildings—and building capacity in public procurement, with a focus on technological innovation. As part of our commitment to scaling our impact and ensuring high-level strategic engagement in the country, we are currently seeking to identify a qualified candidate for the position of Country Manager for Argentina.

In Brazil, where UNOPS has operated since 2012, the office collaborates with UN agencies, financial institutions, and government bodies at all levels to deliver services in health, education, urbanization, social rehabilitation, PPPs, and institutional strengthening. UNOPS has played a key role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and currently manages 17 active projects across the country. Its work emphasizes transparency, operational efficiency, and results-driven management while aligning with the strategic and operational needs of its partners.

Across the Southern Cone, UNOPS promotes sustainable development by enhancing national capabilities and supporting the delivery of high-impact, inclusive infrastructure.

This is an INTERNAL VACANCY only open to INTERNAL CANDIDATES

The Country Manager reports to the Multi-Country Office (MCO) Director, who provides strategic direction, oversight and guidance. Working in close collaboration with the MCO’s Head of Support Services (HoSS) and Head of Programme (HoP), the Country Manager is accountable for planning, executing and monitoring the delivery of all engagements. S/he actively pursues new business, building key relationships and ensuring the timely, cost-effective and sustainable delivery of services to all partners and stakeholders.

People Leadership

• Create, foster and role model a culture of trust, empowerment and accountability within the Project Office. 
• Build engagement and foster a diverse and inclusive work environment, respectful of all, and ensure that the highest standards of conduct are observed.
• 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. 
• Promote teamwork, collaboration and diversity, by providing timely guidance and supervision to the team, to enable them to perform their duties responsibly, effectively and efficiently.
• Plan, recruit, manage and develop a flexible and diverse workforce, with the skills and competencies needed to ensure optimum performance.

Project Office Portfolio Management

• Under the guidance and oversight of the MCO Director and HoP, develop proposals and prepare project agreements in connection with identified opportunities.
• Plan and propose required resources (human, financial and administrative) to achieve goals set for the Project Office. 
• Establish the strategies and implementation plans for the Project Office.
• In collaboration with the partners, develop the objectives, performance measurements, standards and results expected to ensure timely and partner oriented services. 
• Oversee, monitor and direct appropriate measures to maintain the safety and security of UNOPS, assets, property, information and personnel and their eligible dependents within the respective area of responsibility.  
• Under the guidance of the MCO Director and with the support of the MCO Head of Support Services and the MCO Head of Programme, the Country Manager manages the overall HSSE performance in the Project Office while overseeing the implementation of all HSSE requirements.
• Consult - if most senior UNOPS person in-country - with the UNOPS Chief of Security act as the UNOPS Security Focal Point (SFP) within the country of operation, including participating actively in the Security Management Team (SMT) and perform duties on security as outlined in the Framework of Accountability in the UN Security Management System Policy Manual.

Alliance Building, Networking and Advocacy for Business Development

• Keep abreast of and assess the needs of the relevant national government and other UNOPS partners operating in the country, to identify and plan with them (and under the guidance of the MCO Director) areas for leveraging UNOPS services/competencies in project service delivery and management that will facilitate their achievement of sustainable results.
• Build and strengthen strategic partnerships through active networking, advocacy and effective communication of UNOPS competencies in project service delivery and management to develop opportunities and engagements with new and existing partners.
• Keep the MCO Director informed/advised on opportunities and/or challenges and risks to strengthen UNOPS capacity for portfolio management and business development.

Service Delivery and Quality Assurance

• In close collaboration with the MCO HoSS and HoP, establish and maintain appropriate arrangements for ensuring excellence of business processes and quality standards, as well as ensure direct operational support for delivery of the Project Office projects/programmes, including leveraging regional or corporate support facilities wherever available.
• Monitor and oversee project/programme implementation, review progress, assess constraints and take corrective action, ensuring early warning of risks to the MCO , for action and/or intervention. 
• Take responsibility for financial decisions/ exercise financial control to ensure the fiscal health/ sustainability of the Project Office, including submitting financial reports to the MCO Director.

Representation and Inter-Agency Coordination

• Participate, as delegated by the MCO Director, in inter-agency and external meetings/ bodies to contribute to the harmonization of policies, practices and approaches within the UN System, such as the implementation of the  United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, Integrated Strategic Framework (UNSDCF), and ‘’Delivering as One.’’ 
• On behalf of the MCO Director, participate in any UN country team meetings or interagency management groups to contribute to discussions and initiatives to strengthen coherence, inclusiveness, aid effectiveness and security measures.
• In alignment with the MCO Director, keep the UN Resident Coordinator informed of UNOPS activities within [country name] through regular communication and formal reporting on business acquisition and implementation of activities led by UNOPS as part of the UNSDCF or equivalent.

Risk Management

• Drive high-quality, well-informed decisions that align with organizational goals for effective and measurable outcomes to the regional assessment exercise for UN Resident Coordinators.
• Ensure corporate reporting, information flow and appropriate escalation of awareness of emerging risks and topics. 
• Champion risk management through a 'tone at the top' leadership approach, promoting alignment with applicable standards and policies.

Knowledge Management and Innovation

• Contribute to the development and introduction of innovation to ensure UNOPS is continually incorporating best practice approaches.
• Contribute to the dissemination and sharing of best practices and lessons learned for corporate, regional and national development planning and knowledge building.
• Plan, implement and organize strategic capacity building of personnel, partners and stakeholders.

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 9 years of relevant experience OR
• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 7 years of relevant experience is required.

Required:

• Relevant experience is work in strategic and managerial leadership in public affairs, management, business development planning and operations in a large corporate or international organization, or related area

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.