Senior Infrastructure Advisor

The Asia Pacific Regional Office, based in Bangkok, Thailand, provides strategic leadership and oversight for UNOPS operations across 17 countries, ensuring high performance, operational excellence, and alignment with organizational goals. Operations currently span Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Pacific Islands. Across these countries, we work closely with key stakeholders to strengthen partnerships and maximize impact through five main operating units: Afghanistan (AFCO), Myanmar (MMCO), South Asia Multi-Country Office (SAMCO), East Asia and Pacific Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO), and the Asia Regional Health Cluster (ARHC). Through these entities, we provide agile, client-focused service delivery across diverse sectors - including infrastructure, health, procurement, and project management - supporting the implementation of sustainable development solutions across the region.

Since 1995, UNOPS has maintained an active presence in Afghanistan, delivering efficient, agile services in support of both humanitarian response and development efforts. Prior to August 2021, the Afghanistan Country Office (AFCO) implemented projects across a broad range of sectors, including infrastructure, procurement, capacity building, and environmental protection. In response to evolving humanitarian needs, AFCO has shifted its focus to supporting life-saving initiatives and basic human needs. Current priorities include managing large-scale cash-for-work programmes, procuring emergency supplies, and providing inter-agency coordination, communication, and accountability support.

The Infrastructure Advisor is responsible for ensuring the technical compliance and quality of UNOPS infrastructure engagements. Guided by the Head of Programme (HoP) and working with Project Managers, the Advisor monitors project teams to ensure all infrastructure products meet the expectations and requirements of UNOPS, clients, and donors.

In addition to responsibilities for Quality Assurance, Design and Procurement Oversight, Project and Programme Management, and Health, Safety, Social and Environmental (HSSE) compliance, the Advisor - working closely with the Country Director, Head of Programme, and partnerships colleagues - provides strategic leadership for the identification and development of new infrastructure opportunities. This includes ensuring alignment with corporate, regional, and country strategies. A core function of the role is to deliver technical leadership and guidance on all new infrastructure proposals, ensuring they are technically sound, compliant with UNOPS requirements, responsive to stakeholder expectations, and appropriately resourced in terms of scope, schedule, budget, staffing, and quality management.

The Advisor also champions the mainstreaming of sustainable, resilient, and inclusive principles across all UNOPS infrastructure initiatives, coordinating closely with the Regional Infrastructure Advisor and the HQ Strategic Initiatives team to ensure coherence and impact.

1. Quality Assurance, Design, and Procurement Oversight

• Support the conduct of overall quality control of works and ensure compliance with UNOPS’ quality standards.

• Counter-sign all statements of works advancements issued by companies and undersigned by the project managers and site supervisors.

• Review product quality and ensure products are accepted.

• Specific support to design management, including design review, in order to manage risks related to quality, cost, and time. 

• Specific support to the procurement of infrastructure-related activities, in order to manage risks related to quality, cost and time.

• Monitor and evaluate the performance of service providers.

1. Project & Programme Management

• Ensure that projects are in line with UNOPS procedures and requirements defined by HQ and supported by the AFCO Programme Management Office (PMO).

• Provide surge capacity and temporarily take on the Project Manager role for infrastructure projects, should the PM and deputy be unavailable, including during project closure stages.

• Ensure approved project plans (including the establishment of milestones) remain within tolerances set by project boards.

• In conjunction with Project Managers, facilitate the production of required products, monitoring progress and use of resources and, in consultation with the HoP, initiating corrective action where necessary.

1. Health, Safety, Social, and Environmental (HSSE)

• Monitor and support Health, Safety, Social, and Environmental aspects in UNOPS offices and projects, in liaison with the HQ HSE team, Regional office HSSE Specialist, and AFCO HSSE colleagues

1. Strategic Alignment and Advisory

• Collaborate with HoP and partnerships team to ensure all proposals are aligned with AFCO strategy, as well as UNOPS requirements, partner expectations, and have sufficient resources and planning to be implemented effectively

• Provide technical evaluations and analysis to enable senior management and stakeholders to make informed decisions.

• Advise the HoP on all infrastructure related matters and any deviations from project/programme plans.

1. Knowledge Management and Innovation

• Participate in the relevant Communities of Practice.

• Actively interact with other PMs and the PM community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices on the Knowledge System.

• Strengthen AFCO knowledge and culture of UNOPS infrastructure approach through regular knowledge sharing events and platforms

• Contribute to regional knowledge sharing activities where appropriate

• Provide feedback to Practice Leads on policy, supporting guidance with an aim towards continuous improvement of UNOPS policies.

• Complete lessons learned as per reporting format, and take the lead on Lessons Learnt workshops related to infrastructure and infrastructure projects in AFCO.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in civil, water, electrical, mechanical, structural or other applicable engineering disciplines with 9 years of relevant experience OR

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above with 7 years of relevant experience is required.

Desired

• Project management certification (e.g. PRINCE2, PMI, PEng, CEng, etc) is desired. 

Required

• Relevant experience is work in implementing and managing infrastructure projects (e.g. roads, dams, bridges, irrigation, health, windmills, solar power, ports, etc.), all or some in developing countries, post-conflict environments, or emergency contexts.

• Experience in defining technical and design requirements is required..

• Knowledge of infrastructure quality assurance methodologies and tools is required.

• Experience in managing infrastructure project risks in a multi-stakeholder context is 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 contract management is desired. 

• Experience in supporting the development of procurement strategies is desired.

• Knowledge of FIDIC contracts is desired.

• Experience of planning and applying health and safety procedures 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.