Project Management Support - Senior Assistant

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.

Since 2005, UNOPS has supported South Sudan’s development through critical infrastructure projects that improve access to essential services and livelihoods, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Efforts focus on the design, construction, and rehabilitation of roads, airstrips, ports, and bridges to enhance connectivity and promote economic activity. UNOPS also builds schools, health facilities, and government offices to strengthen basic service delivery and institutional capacity. In addition to infrastructure, UNOPS provides procurement and operational support to the Government and development partners, enabling efficient and transparent implementation of key initiatives. All efforts are geared toward improving socio-economic conditions, fostering resilience, and supporting long-term development across South Sudan.

The Project Management Support Senior Assistant (PMSSA), shall report directly to the Project Management Support Officer, monitor all aspects of project progress and implementation, identify operational and financial problems and assist in resolving them by taking appropriate action. S/He will provide support to the Project Management Support Officer in all aspects of the project cycle with a focus on Project Acceptance, Project Implementation, Project Closure and Budget Management.

The Project Management Support Senior Assistant provides administrative support to ensure effective delivery of projects. The role supports project planning, monitoring, reporting, logistics, communications and documentation.

Project Support

• Provide administrative and coordination support for project planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting in compliance with UNOPS rules, regulations and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Assist in tracking project progress, deliverables, contracts, travel, workshops, and grants, ensuring timely follow-up and accurate documentation.
• Support the preparation of reports, briefing materials, and internal meeting notes for management and stakeholders.
• Maintain tracking tools and ensure that project and operational data are up to date and properly archived.
• Participate in regular team meetings to report on progress, upcoming priorities, and coordination needs.

Travel, Logistics and Workshop Support

• Coordinate and organize logistics for meetings, workshops, conferences and steering committee events, including travel, accommodation, catering and security arrangements.
• Process travel authorizations, expense claims, and reimbursements for personnel and partners in line with UNOPS policies and procedures.
• Prepare and distribute workshop and mission materials, ensuring all logistical and administrative arrangements are completed in advance. 
• Liaise with vendors, venues and participants to ensure smooth execution of events and timely resolution of logistical issues/committee events, including travel, accommodation, catering and security arrangements.

Procurement and Administrative Support

• Support procurement processes, including preparation of requisitions, purchase orders (POs) and payment requests in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.
• Verify supporting documentation, invoices and contractual deliverables for accuracy and compliance with UNOPS Financial Rules and Regulations.
• Assist in the review of tenders, evaluation processes and contract administration, including amendments and extensions.
• Maintain accurate and organized documentation of all procurement, financial and administrative activities for audit and reference. 
• Support operational and financial monitoring by updating procurement and payment tracking systems.

Administrative and Logistical Support to Senior Management

• Provide administrative and logistical support to senior management, including scheduling, mission planning and preparation of travel documentation.
• Support coordination of senior-level meetings, donor/partner engagements, and high-level visits, including minute-taking and follow-up on action items.
• Process operational advances, minor procurement requests, and other administrative transactions in line with established protocol.

Knowledge Building and Sharing

• Support the organization, facilitation and delivery of training and learning sessions on project management.
• Participate in knowledge-sharing initiatives and Communities of Practice (CoPs), contributing insights and lessons learned.
• Conduct research on project management-related topics and contribute to the drafting of reports, summaries and briefing notes.

Required

• Secondary school (or equivalent) with 5 years of relevant experience OR
• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 1 year of relevant experience is required.

Desired

• A globally recognized professional certificate or membership in Project Management is desired.

Required

• Relevant experience is work in project management or related areas.  
• 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.

• 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. 
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse 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.