Background Information - Job-specific
South East Asia and Pacific Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO)
The South East Asia and Pacific Multi Country Office (EAPMCO) supports, develops and oversees the UNOPS portfolio of projects in South East Asia and the Pacific. EAPMCO was established in January 2023 following the merger of the Thailand Multi-Country Office, which covered 20 countries across North East Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific, and the Cambodia Multi-Country Office, which covered 4 countries South East Asia - 3 countries in the Mekong Sub-region (Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam) and the Philippines. EAPMCO currently covers 24 countries across North East Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific. With its head office in Bangkok, the Multi-Country Office comprises nine business units: EAPMCO Thailand, EAPMCO Indonesia, EAPMCO Pacific Operations Cluster, EAPMCO Papua New Guinea, EAPMCO China, EAPMCO Vietnam, EAPMCO Mekong, and EAPMCO Philippines.
In 2024, the UNOPS EAPMCO implemented projects worth more than USD 80 million, in the areas of Energy Transition, Digital Transformations, Sustainable Environmental Management, Climate Change, Waste Management, Rule of Law and Access to Justice, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Post Conflict Reintegration, Emergency Relief, Post COVID19 Economic Transformations, and Health, through HR, procurement, construction, contract management, fund and program management services.
The Multi Country Office head office in Bangkok provides strategic direction, operational support, delivery oversight and assurance of the excellence of business processes and quality standards across all of the entire Multi Country Office locations. It is also responsible for developing, delivering and managing the portfolio of engagements in the country of the MCO location itself.
UNOPS in the Philippines
Established in 2016, UNOPS Philippines provides expert support to ensure sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure activities in projects. With funds from the European Union (EU), UNOPS supports the Supreme Court, the Department of Justice, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government under the Governance in Justice (GOJUST) Programme (GOJUST2) through procurement, logistics, and grants and project management to advance the justice reform agenda of the government of the Philippines through innovations and interventions; as well as providing grants to civil society organizations to improve access to justice of marginalized groups. With funding from the European Union, UNOPS also supports the Bangsamoro Transition (SUBATRA) Programme, working with the Government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to strengthen capacities of the executive, legislative and judicial branches to ensure a smooth transition. Supporting the Department of Health under a World Bank in the Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Program, UNOPS has provided nutritional commodities and services for expecting mothers and young children from 2023 to 2025.
UNOPS Philippines is in the process of expanding its area of engagement in cooperation with its development partners, focusing mainly on a portfolio of projects and programs in the infrastructure, logistics management, procurement in health, rule of law, and governance sectors.
Project Information
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is undergoing a pivotal transformation following the peace agreement between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). As the region transitions from conflict to autonomy, the consolidation of stable, inclusive, and accountable governance remains critical to ensuring that peace dividends are sustained and equitably delivered. The region continues to face institutional challenges as it works to fulfil the promise of genuine autonomy. In December 2024, the Philippine House of Representatives approved legislation to postpone BARMM’s first parliamentary elections from May 2025 to October 2025. As BARMM takes on more devolved and exclusive powers, the effectiveness of its PFM system will increasingly depend on how well BARMM institutions, especially the BPDA and the MFBM, can coordinate, monitor, and evaluate regional plans and public investments. The BPDA, aiming to transition into the Ministry of Economy, Planning, and Development (MEPDev), is expected to lead the formulation of strategic economic plans and ensure coherence between regional priorities and investment decisions. The MFBM, on the other hand, is responsible for mobilizing revenues and managing public expenditures efficiently and equitably. In this context, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) are uniquely positioned to continue collaborating with BG authorities who collectively shape the future of lasting peace in BARMM.
UNOPS will focus on supporting durable, participatory coordination mechanisms that respect the distinct mandates of the formal, Shari’ah, and tribal justice systems in BARMM with the aim to enable the three systems to operate effectively, side-by-side, with improved jurisdictional clarity and administrative cooperation. UNOPS will facilitate the establishment and operationalization of the Bangsamoro Law and Justice Coordinating Council (BLJCC) and its Secretariat, in collaboration with key national government agencies and the Bangsamoro Parliament. UNOPS will facilitate high-level judicial roundtables bringing together Shari’ah court and Supreme Court representatives defining practical cooperation mechanisms between the parallel Juridicial systems.
Functional Responsibilities
The Senior Project Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the project(s) and provides services to the different donors, partners and beneficiaries. The Senior Project Manager acts on behalf of the Project Board to manage the project on an ongoing basis during the Implementation Stage. The main responsibility of a Senior Project Manager is to ensure that the project outputs are delivered within the specified project tolerances of time, cost, quality, scope, risk and benefits. He/she is expected to meet the organization’s performance and delivery goals.
The Senior Project Manager is responsible to create the Implementation Plan, use the Project Initiation Documents (PID), Legal Agreement and have a thorough understanding of the terms, conditions, and the respective roles and responsibilities of the partners/stakeholders to ensure the project(s) outputs are capable of meeting the business cases for both UNOPS and the partner(s). Success of the project(s) and hence Senior Project Manager will be based on the defined Success Criteria.
The senior project manager will be managing project(s) which ultimate goal is to provide implementation services that contribute to the achievement of partners’ goals. The variety of projects is quite diverse and can range from management of grants, development of strategies to delivery of training or providing technical assistance.
UNOPS operates in complex contexts where resources might be scarce, local capacity low and where professional judgement and experience in these environments are of uttermost importance.
Summary of key functions:
Contract type: Local Individual Contractor Agreement (LICA)
Contract level: LICA Specialist-11
Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.
Important note: This vacancy is open only to nationals or those who have a valid residence permit in the country of assignment. For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx
Additional Information
Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
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.
This position is stationed in Cotabato, Philippines which is a non-family duty station.
Terms and Conditions
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.
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.