Portfolio Senior Manager

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 Addis Ababa, the Horn of Africa Multi-Country Office (HAMCO) delivers project management, procurement, and infrastructure services across Djibouti, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sudan, with a primary focus on health, agriculture, and economic development. Established in 2009, HAMCO partners with governments and development stakeholders to implement impactful, results-driven initiatives that contribute to sustainable development. Since 2024, new projects have been aimed at expanding access to healthcare, education, energy, and livelihoods, particularly in underserved and conflict-affected regions. HAMCO also provides human resource management services, supporting the effective implementation of development initiatives. Key efforts include equipping research facilities, strengthening education and health systems, building vaccine research capacity, and enhancing resilience in communities affected by crisis. Through these interventions, HAMCO contributes to inclusive growth, regional stability, and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the Horn of Africa.

The Portfolio Senior Manager oversees, directs and is accountable for the timely, quality and cost-efficient performance of a portfolio of projects in the Ethiopia Country Office involving UNOPS Project Management, Institutional Strengthening and Infrastructure service lines. The selected candidate will work under the direct supervision of the PMO Team Leader and Country Program Coordinator, and overall direction of the Head of Programme to ensure that projects meet their intended outcomes, are implemented to the highest standard of project management practices, and meet partner satisfaction. S/he will be responsible for streamlining the MCO and Programme leadership priorities within the portfolio, and cascading the portfolio, programme and project management priorities across all projects under his/her responsibility.

The Portfolio Senior Manager will provide leadership and strategic direction to the Project Management Team, ensuring the effective delivery of a portfolio of projects in line with partner commitments, organizational policies, and best practices. S/he drives continuous improvement, fosters a culture of excellence, and contributes to the overall success and impact of HAMCO's operations.

1. Leadership, Team and Resource Management

• Lead, Motivate and Manage the pool of Project Managers and other members of the PM Team.
• Ensure that behavioral expectations for Project Managers and their teams are established.
• Actively contributes to the implementation and further refinement of the Resources Pool Management Strategy; promoting synergies across the MCO.
• Develops strategies and approaches that foster a common vision for maturity, and strive towards harmonizing good practices across projects in the MCO.
• Instill a culture of excellence, best practices, continuous improvement, and lesson learning in the delivery of projects in the Project Management Team.
• Take a leadership role in the implementation of the Operational Excellence Agenda; ensuring KPIs are mainstreamed into all PMs performance metrics and monitored regularly.
• Foster a positive work environment, respectful of both men and women, and ensure that the highest standards of conduct are observed.
• Promote and support a learning culture by empowering individuals and teams to identify critical learning needs, and plan/ facilitate learning opportunities to maintain personnel competency and flexibility.
• Exercise management of all staffing issues within the PM Team including recruitment taking into account gender parity and diversity objectives, on-boarding and staff performance reviews.
• Ensure that performance reviews are conducted fairly, accurately and timely.
• 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.
• Develops and establishes resource tracking systems and/ tools for use within the PM Team, complementary to UNOPS' online tools, to ensure effective planning, forecasting and tracking of delivery across the office.

2. Portfolio Monitoring and Performance Oversight

• Ensures the Project Management Team meets the metrics established for the unit and it’s partners.
• Support the Head of Programme in providing Portfolio, Programme and Project (P3M) oversight, advice and direction in line with legal commitments to partners.
• Oversee and assure the consistent and feasible development, completion and updates of implementation plan(s).
• Ensure Project Managers embed sustainability dimensions including social and gender inclusion, environmental and economic aspects into project plans.
• Ensure all projects establish effective tools to monitor and report, and identify issues related to milestones and targets throughout the project lifecycles.
• Provide routine oversight and analysis of delivery data on the portfolio performance using the dashboard systems available.
• Regularly review and assure status of projects evaluating performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule and quality).
• Monitor and appraise the delivery of activities, products, and outputs/milestones against partner commitments, ensuring projects satisfy quality expectations of partners.
• Ensure Project Managers fulfill contract management responsibilities, including contract administration, issuing notices where applicable and undertaking supplier performance evaluations.
• Provide guidance, support and assurance over to change management and control procedures including amendments, exception reports and planning.
• Identify, and anticipate in a timely manner, potential risks and issues and advises mitigating measures to senior management/ Project Board so that maximum benefit to partner(s) and other stakeholders is achieved.

3. Starting up Projects

• Provide expertise for start-up of programmes or projects, planning and closing projects as per the organizational requirements.
• Ensure new projects are formally received/ taken over, from the Partnerships team ensuring all knowledge is transferred to the custodianship to the Programme Team.
• In the absence of a dedicated PM, lead the start-up of new projects including the recruitment of the project team and preliminary activities. Ensures thorough handover to incoming PMs upon arrival.
• Facilitate the identification of dependencies between teams and work packages to inform the development of feasible and implementable project plans.
• Facilitate the development of high-level programme/project plans, including the collation of sub-plans as required by both legal commitments and the UNOPS P3M requirements.
• Support the PMO in overseeing and coordinating Project Closure activities, ensuring appropriate disposal of project assets, timely and effective final (operational) reporting, initiation of financial disbursements etc.

4. Project Closure

• Where assigned by the Project Executive, acts as the Closure Manager for projects, ensuring full compliance with closure requirements.
• Acts as the focal point between the office and donors throughout the closure stages.
• In consultation with the Infrastructure Team Leader, monitor the appointment of DNP Engineer (for infrastructure projects) to implement DNP monitoring plans.
• In coordination with the PMO Team Leader contribute to thorough review of project documents as part of the project closure stage.
• In collaboration with the PMO ensure all information on the OneUNOPS and effective handover of closed projects to UNOPS HQ for financial closure processes.

5. Procedures and Assurance

• Ensures all projects in the portfolio comply with all organizational standards, policies, procedures and tools and specifically the Project Management Manual.
• Monitor and ensure projects prepare and issue regular project reports in accordance with legal commitments to donors for reporting and internal reporting schedules.
• Supports the Head of Programme (HOP) to monitor and assure the implementation of approved plans (including the establishment of milestones) within tolerances set by the Project Board.
• Actively contribute to Internal Board Reviews of projects in the portfolio, ensuring Project Managers undertake evidence-based self assessments of end stage progress and comprehensive implementation plans for subsequent stages.
• Provide assurance and editorial support over Project Reports, ensuring timely and quality dissemination of reports, in line with project agreements and clients' expectations.
• Work with the PMO and Support Services teams to assure feasibility of project implementation plans and sub-plans.
• Collaborate with the PMO to undertake assurance over progress against results/outputs/milestones as specified in the logical frameworks and contributions to SDGs and the UNSDCF.
• Work with internal stakeholders to ensure projects comply with audit requirements.
• Ensures Project Managers exercise management control over activities, products, outputs, deliverables and/or milestones.
• Coordinate quality reviews of project document records, promoting consistent implementation of guidance and robust risk management related to document and knowledge management.
• Identify and anticipates in a timely manner, potential risks and issues specific to financial performance, expenditure forecasts, and advises mitigating measures to the Head of Programme.
• Undertake thorough review of risk and issue registers providing feedback to PMs on risk/issues identification and responses. Ensure risk/issues responses are mainstreamed into updated plans and implementation is monitored to full task completion.

6. Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead the development and mainstreaming of robust, proactive stakeholder engagement and satisfaction oriented approaches across all projects in the portfolio.
• Provides oversight and guidance to PMs in the development of stakeholder profiles and facilitates the formulation of stakeholder engagement strategies.
• In collaboration with the HAMCO Communications team, ensures projects establish communications plans that are fit for purpose.
• Monitor the timely and effective implementation of stakeholder engagement, communication and visibility plans throughout the lifecycle of projects including effective and early coordination with the Communications team.

7. Planning, Knowledge Management, Good Practices, and Innovation

• Actively takes part in Programme Team planning, monitoring and reporting progress against plans.
• Actively contribute to the MCO’s maturity enhancement and innovation initiatives to continuously identify and improve operational processes relevant to project implementation.
• Support the HOP and the Partnerships team in the development of new projects, reflecting lessons learnt from past projects that gives due consideration feasibility of project budgets, staffing resources.
• Lead the development and implementation of common procedures and work flows to improve quality and effectiveness of projects, and monitor their full implementation.
• Strive for consistency and standardized and harmonized practices in the execution of similar projects.
• Facilitate and deliver capacity building activities across the Project Management team based on development needs identified.
• Participate in, and advocate PMs' participation in, relevant Communities of Practice.
• Actively interact with PMs and the wider PM community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices in the Knowledge System.
• Supports the PMO to ensure lessons learnt are identified, captured and shared in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Proactively remain abreast of new developments, innovations and tools related to Portfolio, Programme and Project Management (P3M) practices promoting a common approach and frame of reference.
• Coach, mentor, train and otherwise support the Programme and Project Management Teams to fulfill their objectives and potential.
• Act as an advisory resource for other Programme Team members as appropriate.

Required

• Master’s Degree in Project Management, Business Administration or related field (e.g. International Relations) with 7 years of relevant experience.

• Bachelor's degree with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the education requirements outlined above, with 9 years of relevant experience.

  
  

Desired

• PRINCE2 Practitioner or equivalent certification.

Required

• A minimum of at least 7 years of relevant and progressive professional experience, specifically in the field of Project Management is required.

• A minimum of 2 years experience leading multidisciplinary, multicultural teams is required.

• A minimum of 2 years experience managing; overseeing; and/or coordinating portfolio(s) of multiple projects programmes and projects is required.

  
  

Desired

• Experience delivering training/ capacity building workshops in project management topics.

• Previous experience of working within a PMO environment.

• Experience working on infrastructure projects.

• Previous Experience in a UN Environment.

• Experience with project management, performance tracking tools, data analysis, and information management systems.

• Experience working in Post-Conflict (or active conflict) environments.

• Proven experience in planning and implementing change projects within a project-based organization.

• Demonstrated experience working with Government MDAs on Donor-Funded projects.

  
  

• 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. 
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• 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. 
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