Senior Associate Construction Management Engineer

The Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECR), based in Geneva, is responsible for the effective management, coordination and oversight of UNOPS operations across the region. The ECR region spans the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, South Caucasus, and Türkiye, where UNOPS works with partners to achieve sustainable impact in health, education, environmental management, housing, rule of law, good governance, economic development, and social inclusion. With a wealth of experience in procurement, infrastructure, project and grant management, UNOPS in the region directly implements projects, provides technical advisory services and capacity building to advance the Sustainable Development Goals in support of national governments.

Since opening in 2019, the UNOPS Austria Multi-Country Office (AUMCO) in Vienna has served as a hub for operations across 12 countries in South-East Europe, Türkiye, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia. AUMCO delivers technical expertise, operational support, and sustainable infrastructure solutions for governments, donors, and international financial institutions. Flagship initiatives include Blueing the Black Sea—a GEF and World Bank partnership to reduce pollution and promote sustainable development—and Türkiye’s post-earthquake recovery programme, enhancing protective services for women and children. In Albania, projects revitalise cultural heritage and advance digital justice, while in Kosovo, new university infrastructure supports higher education. In Georgia, AUMCO facilitates the Eastern Partnership European School and strengthens rule of law and digital health access. Across Central Asia, activities range from health system strengthening in Uzbekistan to hazardous waste management in Tajikistan. AUMCO also supports UNOPS’ global Water, Environment, and Climate portfolio, reinforcing its role as a regional and thematic centre of excellence.

Since establishing its presence in Tashkent in 2023, UNOPS has been supporting healthcare infrastructure and service delivery across Uzbekistan. Key initiatives include: - COVID-19 Emergency Response – Strengthening resilience to pandemics by upgrading over 150 Sanitary-Epidemiological Committee facilities. The project delivers infrastructure improvements, diagnostic equipment, an ICT-based national epidemiological surveillance system, and expanded patient treatment capacity. - Oncology Services Development – Enhancing access to quality cancer care by equipping 14 regional hospitals with advanced medical, diagnostic, radiological, and ICT tools, establishing a national cancer registry, and providing capacity building for medical staff. - Hospital Infrastructure Design in Kashkadarya – Supporting healthcare reform through feasibility studies, site investigations, and technical designs for new hospitals in Karshi and Beshkent, aligned with national and international standards. Through these efforts, UNOPS is helping Uzbekistan strengthen its health systems and improve the quality of care for its citizens.

Austria Multi-Country Office (AUMCO)

The Austria Multi-Country Office (AUMCO) is part of the UNOPS Europe and Central Asia Region (ECR). Specifically, AUMCO aims to enable the achievement of Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement through global programmes and tailored interventions in the Balkans, South Caucasus, and Central Asia, focused on Infrastructure, Procurement, Project Management (full service, back on track), HR and Transactional Services, Grants Management and Technical and Advisory Services. 

Uzbekistan Office

Under the purview of AUMCO, the UNOPS Uzbekistan Office, established in Tashkent in October 2022 supports the Government of Uzbekistan’s development efforts in the country, through the provision of effective project management, infrastructure and procurement services. At present, the office has signed and has been implementing three engagements contributing to SGD3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), while actively working with the Government of Uzbekistan and development partners in diversifying its portfolio in line with the country’s development priorities including education.

Languages

• Intermediate knowledge of English is required. 
• Fluency in either Uzbek or Russian is required. 
• Fluency in all three languages (English, Russian and Uzbek) is a strong asset.

The Senior Associate Construction Management Engineer supports the implementation and oversight of infrastructure projects through the provision of technical expertise, quality assurance, and effective site management. The incumbent ensures that construction activities are executed according to design specifications, schedule, safety and environmental standards. The role involves close coordination with contractors, design consultants and internal stakeholders to facilitate on-time, on-budget and high-quality delivery of infrastructure works. 

Construction Management and Site Supervision

• Assist in overseeing day-to-day site operations, ensuring adherence to project specifications, timelines and quality standards.
• Monitor work progress against approved plans and Bills of Quantity (BoQs), reporting potential risks, delays or cost deviations to the supervisor.
• Verify that works comply with contract documents, technical drawings, and applicable safety and environmental standards. 
• Conduct regular site inspections and prepare detailed progress, quality and health, safety, social and environment (HSSE) reports.
• Supervise contractors’ work, assess completed quantities and recommend interim and final payments.
• Review and verify variation orders, ensuring justification, accuracy and compliance with design and budget parameters.
• Support the preparation and implementation of risk assessments, method statements, and HSSE plans, enforcing compliance on-site.
• Lead or participate in site meetings with contractors and relevant stakeholders, maintaining accurate records of discussions, issues and actions.
• Identify and address construction issues proactively, ensuring minimal disruption to project timelines. 

Technical Documentation and Quality Assurance

• Assist in coordinating technical documentation, drawings and specifications to meet project and UNOPS standards.
• Contribute to developing and updating work plans and schedules to ensure alignment with time, cost and quality requirements.
• Maintain comprehensive project documentation, including registers for drawings, payments, variations, safety inspections and materials testing.
• Prepare and review technical reports, inspection checklists, site diaries, and contractor correspondence.
• Draft and review Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs) based on verified progress and quality benchmarks.
• Support quality management activities by developing inspection and test plans, conducting material checks, and verifying contractor quality control procedures.
• Review and maintain records related to design modifications, variation justifications, and lessons learned.

Monitoring, Reporting and Risk Management

• Prepare regular (weekly and monthly) project progress reports detailing physical and financial performance, safety compliance and risks.
• Maintain updated risk and issue registers, and propose mitigation measures where applicable.
• Track contractor performance against milestones and assist in preparing management summaries for project reviews.
• Support the project manager and procurement team in bid evaluations and preparation of tender documentation when required.
• Provide input for project close-out reports and lessons-learned documentation.

Stakeholder and Team Coordination 

• Maintain effective communication with contractors, suppliers, local authorities, and implementing partners to ensure coordinated project delivery.
• Assist the project manager in guiding and mentoring junior engineers, architects and site personnel.
• Participate in coordination meetings, ensuring timely follow-up on action points.
• Establish and maintain positive working relationships with community representatives and site visitors, ensuring transparent communication on project activities.

Knowledge Building and Sharing 

• Support the organization, facilitation and delivery of training and learning sessions on project management and construction management.
• Participate in knowledge-sharing initiatives and Communities of Practice (CoPs), contributing insights and lessons learned.
• Conduct research on infrastructure- and 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 Civil Engineering, Construction Management or related disciplines with 3 years of relevant experience is required.

Desired

• A recognized professional certification or membership in a civil, structural or construction engineering association, at the national or international level, is desirable.

Required

• Relevant experience is work in building construction, site supervision or infrastructure project management or similar fields.
• Experience in quality control, monitoring and reporting within construction projects is required.
• 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.
• Experience in project documentation, report writing and technical communication 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.