Back Project Engineer Associate

Background
  Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.
  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 in Cyprus provides a diverse package of programmatic services to a range of partners which contribute to building a conducive environment for the peace process. In collaboration with the European Union and other partners, UNDP has earned a reputation as an independent, trusted and experienced partner in the area of peacebuilding, working with Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots on confidence-building measures, encouraging dialogue and cooperation, and supporting the development of environmental, economic and social infrastructure of the island. In particular, the implementation of the confidence-building measures contributes to the building of trust between the two communities while demonstrating to the public at large that the two communities can work together on critical issues that are of importance to all inhabitants of Cyprus.

Based on a long-standing partnership and UNDP previous experience in implementing large and medium-size EU funded urban upgrading and infrastructure projects in the northern part of Cyprus, the European Commission requested UNDP to continue supporting this type of infrastructure projects through the establishment of a new instrument called “Local Infrastructure Facility”.

The Facility will help identify, screen, mature, prepare for tender, and implement local infrastructure investments, targeting the funding on competitive basis to ensure best value for money and providing support also to those communities with a lower technical and administrative capacity. This will in turn result in a greater positive impact on the standard of living of local populations and increase the visibility of EU interventions in the priority areas.

The projects supported under the LIF project are mainly related to infrastructures in the following categories:

• Water management (sewerage networks, wastewater treatment plants,…);
• Energy (energy efficiency, solar PV systems,…); and
• Social infrastructure.

  Under the general guidance and direct supervision of the LIF Project Manager, the Project Engineer Associate assists in the supervision of works contract/s for LIF projects located in Cyprus to ensure the smooth support for the project/s in close consultation with the site teams. 

  The Project Engineer Associate works for the LIF project in close collaboration with the operations, programme/projects’ staff in the office and with UNDP HQs staff to exchange information and ensure consistent service delivery.

  Duties and Responsibilities
  1. Support in preparing  terms of reference and specifications for the civil works and services
  • Assist the LIF project manager in the preparation of the ToR for the elaboration of required designs
  • Monitoring the work of service providers, including day-to-day communication, quality control and providing inputs to the Project Manager and Procurement Analyst for vendor performance.
  • Follow-up on the issuance of Visas and Construction Permits and all other necessary permits.
  • Ensuring proper communication and inclusion of stakeholders in all aspects related to this key function.
     

    2. Provide technical and contractual supervision and coordination for construction activities in compliance with the technical specifications, bills of quantities, drawings, and guidelines established by the UNDP.

    • Review and understand all project contract requirements, technical specifications, drawings, and related documents to ensure a thorough understanding of project scope, requirements, and expectations.
    • Provide technical expertise and oversight to ensure that all construction activities are performed in accordance with the contract documents, applicable standards, and best practices.
    • Conduct regular site visits and inspections to monitor the progress and quality of site activities and identify and resolve any issues that arise.
    • Monitor the work of the contract Engineer to ensure full compliance with the contract stipulations (where applicable).
    • Organize regular monthly site visits with all relevant stakeholders.
    • Collaborate with the project team to ensure that all work activities are properly coordinated and scheduled, and that resources are effectively managed.
    • Check and verify quantities of works done, review and approve interim and final payments in accordance with contract requirements and ensure that all necessary documentation is provided to support payment requests.
    • Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of project activities, including daily site reports and other documentation in electronic library format.
    • Review and assess any proposed variations to the project scope or design, provide recommendations and cost estimates, and assist in obtaining approvals from the relevant parties.
    • Report any deviations or non-conformities promptly and provide regular progress updates to the LIF project manager. Take appropriate actions to address these issues.
    • Establish and maintain relationships with designers and other parties involved in the project to facilitate coordination and ensure the project is implemented smoothly.
    • Foster a culture of safety by ensuring contractor fully understands that all work activities should be conducted in accordance with relevant health and safety regulations and standards. 3. Contribute to facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the area of work, focusing on achievement of the following results:
      • Support project staff in identification, documentation, drafting of best practices and lessons learned.
      • Effectively showcase to external stakeholders on progress made and impacts delivered; and
      • Participate in supervision of works contracts training efforts as required.
         

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

        Competencies  

        Core 

         

        Achieve Results: 

        ​​LEVEL 1: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work​ 

        Think Innovatively: 

        ​​LEVEL 1: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking​ 

        Learn Continuously: 

        ​​LEVEL 1: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning​ 

        Adapt with Agility: 

        ​​LEVEL 1: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process​ 

        Act with Determination:  

        ​​LEVEL 1: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously​ 

        Engage and Partner: 

        ​​LEVEL 1: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships​ 

        Enable Diversity and Inclusion: 

        ​​LEVEL 1: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making ​     Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

        Thematic Area 

        Name 

        📚 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯! 🌍🤝 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗡𝗛𝗖𝗥, 𝗪𝗙𝗣, 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗙, 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗦𝗦, 𝗨𝗡𝗙𝗣𝗔, 𝗜𝗢𝗠 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀! 🌐

        ⚠️ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐰: 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐖!

        Definition 

        Digital & Innovation 

        Design thinking 

        • Solving problems by putting people at the centre, visualising ideas and making them tangible in order to improve them through and iterative process of developing and testing.  
        • Strong empathy skills, being able to put yourself \"\"in someone else's shoes\"\", understand needs, abilities, preferences, motivations, (everyday) experiences from different perspectives as well as their cultural, social, economical and political contexts.  
        • Ability to identify and challenge assumptions, (cognitive and social) biases and dominant mental models by generating new perspectives and frames that help redefine the problem, solution and opportunity space. 
        • Being able to work with incomplete information,ambiguity and opposing views, needs and constraints and synthesise them into solutions that are viable, technically feasible and useful. 

          Digital & Innovation 

          Innovation capacity building 

          • Ability to define and create the conditions for trying out new ways of working or introducing new problem solving approaches to an organisation.   
          • Ability to develop, manage and evaluate a learning curriculum that raises awareness, builds confidence, strengthens innovation capabilities around a certain method, tool or technique; or helps develop an innovation mindset.  
          • Ability to create the authorising environment (mandate, incentives) to embed and spread new ways of working.  
          • In-depth knowledge of one or more innovation methods, broad knowledge of innovation processes and innovation management.  
          • Ability to align a learning and development strategy with broader innovation strategy. 

            Digital & Innovation 

            Co-creation 

            • Ability to design and facilitate  a process that enables a diverse group of stakeholders to solve a common problem, develop a practice, or create knowledge together.   
            • Ability to embrace diversity, work with a diverse group of stakeholders understand their interests, perspectives and views and tap into to them as a source for creativity.  
            • Ability to facilitate processes and create conditions that are open for diverse inputs, stimulate collaboration and sharing. 

              Partnership management 

              Relationship management 

              • Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding 

                Ethics 

                UN policy knowledge -ethics 

                • Knowledge and understanding of the UN Staff Regulationsand Rules and other policies relating to ethics and integrity 

                  Business Direction & Strategy 

                  Effective Decision Making 

                  • Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one’s authority, area of expertise and resources 

                    Administration & Operations 

                    Documents and records management 

                    • Overall document (hard or electronic) management; registry and retention policy including storing and archiving    Required Skills and Experience
                        Education:
                      • Secondary Education is required. OR
                      • University Degree in Architecture and/or Structural/Civil Engineering, or relevant related field will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement Experience:
                        • Minimum of six (6) years  (with secondary education) or three (3) years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in architectural/structural design and/or site supervision would be required. 

                          Required skills and competencies:

                          • Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint, etc) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and experience in handling of web-based management systems

                            Desired additional skills and competencies:

                            • Proven experience in the civil works contract management is an asset.
                            • Experience working with local partners at the national and municipal level in the international development context would be an advantage.
                            • Experience and excellent knowledge of technical specifications and performance schedules of construction and installation works is an advantage.
                            • Experience and knowledge of quality control procedures is an asset.
                            • Familiarity with national legislation, norms and standards related to construction works, including critical infrastructures is an asset.
                            • Previous experience working in projects with multiple stakeholders involved is considered an asset.
                            • Previous working experience with UNDP is considered as an asset.
                            • Familiarity with the bi-communal / multi-cultural working environment is highly desired. 

                              Required Language(s) (at working level):

                              • Fluency in English is required.
                              • Fluency in Turkish is required. 
                              • Knowledge of Greek is considered as an asset. 

                                Professional Certificates:

                                • Valid driver’s license is a requirement. Disclaimer
                                    Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders) 
                                    Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment. 
                                    UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
                                    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.
                                    Non-discrimination
                                    UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.  
                                    UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status. 
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