Project Manager – NPSA10

Job Description

Job Identification: 5253
Location: Harare, Zimbabwe
Apply Before: 08/27/2022, 05:59 AM
Job Schedule: Full time
Agency: UNDP
Grade: NB5
Vacancy Type: National Personnel Service Agreement
Practice Area: Nature, Climate and Energy
Bureau: Regional Bureau for Africa
Contract Duration: 1 Year
Education & Work Experience: Master’s Degree – 5 year(s) experience
Other Criteria: Bachelors Degree with 7 years of experience
Required Languages: English
Vacancy Timeline: 2 Weeks

Background

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

UNDP works to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities, and protect the planet through the sustainable development of nations, in more than 170 countries and territories. We help countries develop strong policies, skills, partnerships and institutions so they can sustain their progress. In Zimbabwe, UNDP is working for a Zimbabwe that is empowered and more resilient to create and sustain growth that will improve people’s lives. We focus on areas that have a multiplier effect through a targeted build-up of capacities, policies, the creation of dialogue space, and scalable downstream interventions.

UNDP Zimbabwe is working with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in Zimbabwe to support the government of Zimbabwe attain its climate goals through the Climate Adaptation Water and Energy Programme (CAWEP).The CAWEP programme aims to support vulnerable communities and institutions’ adaptation and resilience capacity to climate shocks. Through this programme UNDP and FCDO is supporting the development of climate resilient, multiple use water and renewable energy infrastructure in vulnerable communities of Zimbabwe to enable (i) continued access to water for productive and household use, including during droughts and floods, and (ii) improved access to clean and affordable energy to support economic activities with the intention of supporting more sustainable livelihoods’ outcomes. The project will align and contribute towards the Government of Zimbabwe’s (GoZ) climate change priorities outlined in various strategies, such as its National Development Strategy, Nationally Determined Contributions, National Climate Change Policy.

Against this background, the UNDP Zimbabwe Country Office needs a highly qualified, experienced and self-motivated Project Manager to lead the project team. The Project Manager is responsible for overall management of the Project, the day-to-day management, including the mobilisation of all project inputs, supervision of project staff, consultants and sub-contractors as well as preparing project reports as specified in UNDP and FCDO requirements.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage the overall conduct of the project and plan the activities of the project and monitor progress against the approved workplan;
• Execute activities by managing personnel, goods and services, training, and low-value grants, including drafting terms of reference and work specifications, and overseeing all contractors’ work;
• Monitor events as determined in the project monitoring plan, and update the plan as required;
• Provide support for completion of assessments required by UNDP, spot checks, and audits;
• Manage requests for the provision of financial resources through funding advances, direct payments, and all other financial and budgetary transactions including the monitoring of financial resources and accounting to ensure the accuracy and reliability of financial reports in line with the UNDP-FCDO Financing Agreement;
• Monitor progress, watch for plan deviations, and make course corrections when needed within project board-agreed tolerances to achieve results;
• Ensure that changes are controlled and problems addressed;
• Perform regular progress reporting to the project board as agreed with the board, including measures to address challenges and opportunities;
• Prepare and submit financial reports to UNDP and FCDO on a quarterly basis, 12-monthly, and annual basis;
• Manage and monitor the project risks – including social and environmental risks – initially identified and submit new risks to the Project Board for consideration and decision on possible actions if required; update the status of these risks by maintaining the project risks log;
• Capture lessons learned during project implementation;
• Prepare revisions to the multi-year Workplan, as needed, as well as annual and quarterly plans if required;
• Prepare the inception report no later than one month after the inception workshop;
• Ensure that the indicators included in the project results framework are monitored annually and share with UNDP and FCDO in advance of the reporting deadlines;
• Assess major and minor amendments to the project within the parameters set by UNDP-FCDO;
• Monitor implementation plans including the gender action plan, stakeholder engagement plan, and any environmental and social management plans.

Competencies

Core Competencies

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact;
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems;
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences;
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands;
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results;
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration;
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

2030 Agenda: Planet Nature, Climate and Energy: Climate Change Mitigation: Sustainable Infrastructure Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation and Resilience

Finance: Budget management Ability to support budgetary aspects of the work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets.

Business Direction & Strategy

• Strategic Thinking:
  • Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities, linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions;
  • Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP.
• Effective Decision Making
  • Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one’s authorities, area of expertise and resources.
• Project management
  • Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.
• Risk management
  • Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks.
• Communication
  • Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience;
  • Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering or Environmental Sciences, or other related fields.
• Bachelor’s degree in the related fields with additional 2 years of relevant experience will be given due consideration in lieu of Master’s degree.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years (Master’s degree) or 7 years (Bachelor’s degree) of progressive experience in project management, waste management and environmental management;
• Demonstrable knowledge and familiarity with multilateral/bilateral donor agencies like FCDO, GCF, GEF, EU funding and reporting modalities;
• Demonstrable technical expertise and knowledge in climate change adaptation, water and energy nexus;
• Extensive project management experience including results based management, monitoring and evaluation;
• Experience in managing large-funded donor projects with a minimum of US$5 million;
• Previous experience with the UN or international donor-funded projects is an asset.

iLanguage Requirement

• Fluency in English.

Disclaimer

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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