Senior Associate HSSE 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 OfficeUnder 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.

Reporting to the Senior Construction Management Engineer, the Senior Associate HSSE Engineer ensures full coordination with the Lead Construction Management Engineers, Site Engineers and other project team members. Senior Associate HSSE Engineer is expected to support the implementation of the project activities through the provision of technical expertise and the application of best practices in the project implementation, and more specifically, the delivery of the following functions:

1. HSSE Support to Construction Management

• Support the day-to-day supervision and management of HSSE activities on-site.
• Monitor and take action, communicate and report potential HSSE issues, delays, and/or cost overruns related to HSSE compliance.
• Monitor the project construction work to ensure full compliance with the approved Health, Safety, Social and Environmental (HSSE) plans, UNOPS standards, and national legislation.
• Assess the work activities of contractor/s regarding HSSE compliance and make recommendations for progress and interim payments, ensuring HSSE deliverables are met.
• Verify and inform that works are consistent with the project technical specifications and approved HSSE documentation, and inform promptly of eventual deviations.
• Provide guidance to the contractor and assist in resolving site HSSE problems, as necessary.
• Support the Management of Construction Contracts regarding HSSE requirements, in collaboration with supervisors and the Project Manager.
• Prepare and/or update health, safety, social and environmental management plans, review them on a regular basis and keep them up to date at all times.
• Prepare relevant risk assessments, method statements, checklists, and permits. etc. as they related to Health, Safety and Social Environment on site.
• Oversee and enforce Health, Safety and Social Environment compliance on sites.
• Inspect work sites and the work of personnel on a regular basis to identify issues or non-conformity, and enforce necessary actions where unsafe acts or processes that seem dangerous or unhealthy are detected.
• Oversee installations, maintenance and disposal of substances, plant and equipment etc. to ensure they are done in conformity with applicable laws and industry best practice.
• Participating in progress review and project coordination meetings, reporting on HSSE matters.
• Performing other relevant duties as assigned by the Supervisor or Project Manager.

2. HSSE Support to Technical Documentation

• Support the design management process for office infrastructure projects by ensuring that HSSE requirements are incorporated into the design documentation and design reviews.
• Coordinate and provide input to the work of the Design Consultant in design development and documentation related to HSSE.
• Support in developing the work plan for construction, ensuring HSSE requirements are integrated into the time, scope, quality, and budgetary requirements.
• Support in the preparation of project/contracts-related documentation such as periodic progress reports, site monitoring reports, stakeholder meeting minutes, engineer’s instructions and variation orders, contractor’s bills review reports, certifications, client hand-over documents and contracts close-out reports, specifically providing HSSE-related input.
• Maintain project documentation, including site safety inspection registers, site diaries, instructions to contractor registers related to HSSE, incident/near-miss registers, and HSSE training records.
• Assist in developing and implementing the Health, Safety, Social and Environmental Plans according to UNOPS’ rules and regulations.
• Coordinate the development of HSSE policies, systems, procedures and guidelines.
• Ensure full and accurate health and safety training records are documented.
• Prepare quality management templates and support the monitoring of the quality of the works, ensuring quality checks include HSSE aspects as per the UNOPS Quality Management System.
• Prepare meeting agendas, minutes, etc., as required, in English and Uzbek and/or Russian, and provide translations, as required, particularly for HSSE-related meetings.

3. Reporting

• Provide weekly and monthly reports detailing all project matters including quality, health and safety, environmental and financial, as well as any issues relating to possible delays, cost overruns, variations and any other matter as agreed with the Lead Construction Management Engineer.
• Prepare reports on incidents (including near misses) and compile statistical information to present to upper management on HSSE matters.
• Provide data and information about project work for reporting purposes, focusing on HSSE performance.
• Monitor closely and report on the design services’ progress, including all HSSE-related issues encountered.
• In alignment with the Lead Construction Management Engineer, collect and document the Project quality register, issue register, risk register and lessons learned log in the time frame stipulated by the Project’s strategic documents, specifically ensuring HSSE risks and lessons are captured.
• When required, working with the procurement team in the preparation and evaluation of bids, ensuring HSSE requirements are adequately addressed, and writing tender reports.
• Provide regular reports to the Project Manager on relevant health and safety activities.

4. Stakeholder and Personnel Management

• Maintain close collaboration with the implementing partners, suppliers and contractors at the site and have regular meetings with them to keep abreast of the progress of the HSSE performance and construction activities.
• Advise and instruct project staff, contractors, consultants and other stakeholders on various safety, health, social and environmental related matters related to project implementation.
• Support the Lead Construction Management Engineer in managing the team of Associate Engineers/Architects, providing technical support and guidance on HSSE.
• Support the Project Manager in raising awareness on health and safety issues among project staff, consultants, contractors and other stakeholders and within UNOPS in general, working closely with the UNOPS QA/QC Section.
• Establish an HSSE Committee, manage and devise the agenda for, chair and formulate & distribute minutes for the Health & Safety Committee meetings.
• Participate in regular site meetings to report on relevant health & safety matters and to provide necessary advice.

5. Knowledge sharing and management

• Contribute to the project evaluation process; highlight HSSE challenges associated with the project and feedback into a continuous improvement cycle.
• Support the training and ensure knowledge transfer to national/contractor personnel including advice on good construction and engineering practices, environmental management practices, and appropriate health and safety standards during construction.
• Contribute towards the capacity building of local contractors subject to Health and Safety and Social Environment by providing training and briefing on specific toolbox talks.
• Initiate, organize and conduct HSSE training for UNOPS project team, contractors, consultants and other stakeholders.
• Establish and conduct a structured programme of health & safety training (including a well-developed induction program) for project staff, contractors, consultants and other stakeholders.
• Contribute to disseminating and sharing best practices and lessons learned for development planning and knowledge building.
• Participate in the relevant Communities of Practice, actively interact with other Engineers and the Engineering community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices on the Knowledge System.
• Provide feedback to Practice Leads on policy, supporting guidance with an aim towards continuous improvement of UNOPS policies.

Specific HSSE Responsibilities:

• Conduct risk assessment and enforce preventative measures on HSSE.
• Record and investigate incidents (including near misses) to determine the cause and to propose improvements to processes in the future.
• Ensure a safe workplace environment is maintained at all times without risk to the health and safety of everyone including workers, UNOPS staff, other stakeholders and the general public.
• Ensure that all Health & Safety policies, procedures, rules and regulations are adhered to and are regularly reviewed, updated and communicated.
• Ensure the contractor meets its statutory obligations in all areas pertaining to health, safety and welfare at work, including statutory training and reporting.
• Ensure that safety inspections, risk assessments, working procedures are managed, and contractors and employees are aware of their responsibilities in relation to health and safety issues.
• Establish a full programme of documented HSSE inspections, audits and checks.
• Keep up to date with all aspects of relevant health, safety & welfare at work legislation and communicate relevant changes to the stakeholders.
• Any other tasks assigned by the Project Manager.

• Secondary school (High School or equivalent) with a minimum of seven (7) years of relevant experience is required. 
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor's or equivalent) in a related field with three (3) years of experience or an advanced (Master or equivalent) university degree in in Health and Safety Management, Environmental Management, infrastructure, Civil Engineering, Natural Sciences or other relevant discipline is required with one (1) year of experience is desired and may substitute for additional years of experience.
• Additional certification in the Health and Safety subject matter is an advantage.

• With a high school diploma, 7 years of relevant experience are required. Relevant experience is defined as experience related to project engineering and building construction management.
• Within these 7 years, at least 1 year of implementing works under complex quality, safety and environmental management plans is essential.  
• Experience in full-time site HSSE management directing engineering technical trade staff is highly desirable.
• Experience in the UN system organizations is desirable.

• 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.