Project Management Support - Senior Officer

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 Project Management Support Senior Officer (Liaison) will support the Project team to liaise with relevant DFA counterparts. The role is key to facilitate both the access to DFA counterparts and the access of project technical teams to the selected sites (engineering, contractors, assessors) during the project implementation.

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Project Manager (SPM), the Project Management Support Senior Officer (Liaison) focuses on providing support in stakeholder mapping, liaison, project planning, strategy, risk management, team management, and internal facilitation to ensure effective project implementation.

1. Stakeholder Mapping, Data Collection, and Analysis

• Assess, analyze, and map the DFA relevant offices (all central, provincial, and district levels) and representatives, as well as other relevant stakeholders.
• Share such knowledge with the SPM and the project team to enable them to understand what information can be found and where, and what level of accuracy should be expected.
• Navigate the DFA organizational structure to collect necessary information (documentation, records, and any other source of information) and share it with the rest of the team.
• Support in the interpretation of data collected to contextualize them and avoid misunderstanding.

2. Stakeholder Liaison and External Coordination

• Advise the project team on how to build collaborative connections with DFA representatives that will facilitate and support the project implementation.
• Monitor the progress of any interaction and communication between UNOPS and stakeholders and across stakeholders, including the DFA.
• Proactively follow up with DFA and other project stakeholders if/when any blockage materializes in the process of communications and or exchange of data and information.
• When necessary, lead and or assist in the interactions between technical teams and relevant DFA stakeholders to act as a facilitator and drive smooth interaction.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of a communication strategy (advise on how to properly explain the project aim, challenges, and positive impact) to create a collaborative environment with the various stakeholders.

3. Project Planning, Strategy, and Risk Management

• Work with the SPM, advising and sharing experience (in coordination with stakeholders) to produce appropriate plans and strategies necessary for the implementation of the project.
• Advise the project team about risks that might affect the project implementation.
• Collaborate with the project team in the crafting of reasonable and sensible implementation scenarios.
  
  

4. Team Management and Internal Facilitation

• When agreed with the SPM, manage, supervise, and delegate the tasks to the other project team personnel, such as community mobilizers, to carry out coordination and facilitation activities (especially when coordination with local community members is needed).
  

Required

• Bachelor’s degree preferably in political science, economics, law, engineering, international development, or other relevant fields with 4 years of relevant experience.

Desired

• Master’s degree in a relevant field.

Required

• Minimum of 4 years relevant experience in stakeholders management, government relations, planning or project/programme management involving government counterparts, management of partnerships, negotiation or conflict resolution, interacting with DFA structures, government structures formally and informally, management and or general knowledge of functioning systems, procedures and informal practices of the Afghanistan government/DFA.

Desired

• Experience in the management of government projects/programmes in infrastructure and procurement. 

• Experience within the international development and/or humanitarian sector. 

• Experience in preparing and delivering presentations. 

• Project management of infrastructure and/or procurement projects experience.

• Experience in roles that required analytical skills, resourcefulness, initiative, and maturity of judgment.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• 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. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• 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.