Project Manager at United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Position Purpose 

• Under the overall guidance of the Peace and Development Advisor and direct liaison with the Senior Governance Advisor, UNDP, the Project Manager will hold substantive and programmatic responsibilities of the project.  They will include leading the project in work planning, identifying new project areas and creative responses to emerging challenges and opportunities, and monitoring of project implementation to ensure consistency with project priorities and the UNSDCF 2022 – 2026. The Project Manager heads and supervises the project management team and works in close collaboration with the Operations team in the CO, programme staff in other collaborating UN Agencies – OHCHR and WFP, UN agency staff in HQs and County Level offices, external specialists, government officials and partners, donors, and civil society to successfully implement the project.
• UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Key Duties and Accountabilities:

As a member of the Country Office management team, ensure the formulation and implementation of relevant UN agency programme strategies and policies within one or more thematic areas.

• Contribute to the thorough analysis of the political, social, and economic situation in the targeted Northeast counties; and contribute collaborative inputs to the UN Common Country Assessment and Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNCCA and UNSDCF) as well as to the preparation/revision of the Country Programme Document (CPD), Integrated Work Plan (IWP) and other strategic documents.
• Ensure that project strategy formulation considers societal digital technology risks and opportunities and other future signals.
• Operationalize UNSDCF/CPD in collaboration with the main partners and other UN Agencies in the project areas.
• Establish relevant programme Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure the effectiveness of project business processes. 
• Oversee workflows and ensure cross collaboration in the Project Management Unit.
• Review and sign-off on proposals at project level.
• Analyze, present, and implement UN/UNDP policies in the project area

Effectively manage the project and supervise the project team focusing on quality assurance and risk management of the full cycle of programming from formulation to implementation. 

• Design and formulate CO programme and translate UN/UNDP priorities into local interventions. 
• Oversee project implementation with the implementing partners. 
• Provide strategic oversight of planning, budgeting, implementation, and monitoring of the project as well as tracking use of financial resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations as well as the UN Peacebuilding Fund guidelines
• Ensure the effective use of data in project implementation, across the data lifecycle, and ensure effective monitoring, evaluation and learning on project impact.
• Constantly monitor trends analysis for future informed and anticipatory programming; track achievement of strategic results, and effectively apply results-based management tools.
• Follow up on audit recommendations and ensure the implementation of management responses.
• Ensure aggregate reports are regularly prepared on activities, outputs, and outcomes, including preparation of donor and corporate reports.
• Organize cost-recovery system for the services provided by the CO to projects in close collaboration with UNDP Operations

Establish and maintain strategic partnerships and support resource mobilization efforts to achieve project outcomes.

• Implement project partnerships as well as relevant resource mobilization strategies. 
• Maintain partnerships with the relevant UN Agencies, the Northeast Advisory Group, the Northeast Development Initiative, Office of the Deputy President, relevant county governments, donors, private sector (if applicable), and civil society in assigned project/thematic areas.
• Analyze and research information on donors, prepare substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, and ensure due cost recovery.
• Lead development of project area (Northeast region) office pipeline and portfolio that includes designing Programme/Project documents, concept notes, proposals and cross-sectoral coordination to bring resources for the project.  

Ensure provision of top-quality advisory services and facilitation of knowledge building and management.

• Identify policy-driven issues; and identify and synthesize best practices and lessons learned directly linked to programme country policy goals.
• Establish/strengthen national and international advocacy networks. Implement relevant, high -impact advocacy with key partners.  
• Coordinate and ensure integrated support in capacity/policy development to address project’s areas problems and needs in collaboration with the Government and other strategic partners.
• Support policy advisory services that contribute to inclusive societal digital transformation and take digital technology risks and opportunities or futures signals into account.
• Provide sound contributions to knowledge networks, communities of practice, and digital knowledge platforms.
• Organize and deliver training for the operations/ projects staff on project related matters.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the joint project and the Organization. 

• Expected Demonstration of 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 

Functional Competencies

• System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.
• Strategic Engagement:  Ability to capture and sustain attention, interest and agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision and objectives 
• Knowledge Facilitation: Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally
• Client Satisfaction/Management: Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs. Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.
• Results-Based Management: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results
• Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
• Portfolio Management : Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization as programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment

Required Skills and Experience

Education 

• Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, or related field is required, or 
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree 

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills

• Minimum 5 years’ experience (with master’s degree) or 7 years’ experience (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience at the national and/or international level in project management, hands-on experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development portfolios and projects in relevant thematic areas. 
• Deep knowledge of the local peacebuilding and development frameworks, processes, and dynamics as well as key development stakeholders in Kenya and/or the Northeastern region across peace, security, development, and relevant thematic areas
• Proven track record in managing UN Peacebuilding Fund projects. 
• Strong writing, verbal, and analytical skills in English 
• Minimum 2 years’ experience in managing complex partnerships including national and international partnerships. 
• Minimum 3 years of experience in managing multidisciplinary teams.

Languages

• Fluency in the English and Swahili is required

Apply Before

10/21/2023