UNOPS Corporate Retainer Pool

UNOPS is managing a pool of Corporate Retainers to meet the need for temporary, short-term ad-hoc support to UNOPS business units across the globe in several expertise areas identified by the HQ business units and in consultation with the regional offices.

The Corporate Retainer Pool (CRP) covers a wide range of expertise areas. The CRP is coordinated by the Portfolio Support team in the Infrastructure and Project Management Group (IPMG) however the Business Unit leading the expertise area supervises each position as relevant.

** IMPORTANT INFORMATION **

Retainer positions are not full-time positions.

They constitute a contract whereby the Retainer may be requested to provide a specific output/deliverable within a specified period of time, on short notice.

When holding a retainer contract, individuals may receive ad-hoc requests from the UNOPS project teams or country offices, and the quantity of requests will vary depending on the current needs. UNOPS shall have no obligation to obtain any minimum quantity of services from the Individual Contractor during the duration of the retainer ICA.

It is possible to have multiple consultancy contracts with or outside UNOPS, as long as it is declared to the UNOPS Ethics Office.

Read more about the ICA retainer modality here.

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Working within the Infrastructure and Project Management Group (IPMG), the Senior Electrical Engineer (Retainer) will be expected to provide expert technical advice and guidance for various infrastructure sector programmes and projects globally, in all offices where UNOPS operates.

This retainer position falls under the UNOPS Corporate retainer pool, yet the retainer’s services will be primarily used by the Design Review team in Infrastructure and Project Management Group (IPMG).

The Design Review team will be responsible for the technical onboarding and supervision of the Senior Electrical Engineer (Retainer).

The functions/responsibilities/key results of this job description are generic and may not always be applicable, nor be comprehensive, for all missions under this job title.

The specific tasks and deliverables for each retainer assignment may vary and will be detailed in the terms of reference developed for each assignment. Under this contract type, assignments may vary in scope and duration – ranging from short term assignments of a few hours at a time to longer blocks of time (e.g.

several weeks or months full time, and up to a year). Work may also vary with regards to the time zone / location.

Whilst most assignments can be delivered working from home, some may require presence in HQ and/or international travel on occasion, including to remote or post-conflict environments, subject to the incumbent’s agreement. Whilst the successful incumbent can be based in different time-zones, s/he should be able and willing to ensure a degree of time overlap with the teams ordering the retainer’s services.

Assignments for the Design Review team typically range from 16 working hours to 32 working hours and can be performed home-based (no travel required).

All corporate retainers are invited to participate to a one-hour induction session (or two 30 minutes sessions) where they are guided through operational and technical aspects of the role including UNOPS retainer management tool, the retainer contract modality and their expertise area in the UNOPS context.

While the contract modality for this Vacancy Announcement is an ICA retainer contract on project or assignment basis, UNOPS may offer on a need basis a full-time employment for a specified consecutive period of time (up to one year maximum) – with the possibility to go back and forth between the two contract modalities, pending acceptance of the incumbent of the assignments proposed to him/her.

The home-based Senior Electrical Engineer will be responsible for the provision of electrical engineering services to IPMG work streams, country offices, and project teams.

The scope of these services will be defined with each request for services and may include technical review, design, and guidance

The Senior Electrical Engineer will play a key role in ensuring the safety and quality of UNOPS infrastructure works.

On a request basis from IPMG and country offices, the Senior Electrical Engineer will be expected to fulfill the following responsibilities in line with industry standards and applicable national and international codes and guidelines:

1.

Technical review of design documentation

Review electrical design drawings, technical specifications, and BOQs in terms of accuracy and suitability to overall design requirements, identifying aspects where designs do not comply with minimum codes and standards and IPMG policies, and providing practical guidance for design improvement.

2.

Support to design development

Applying technical expertise and professional experience, the Senior Electrical Engineer will support projects by providing guidance in the design development of electrical works to achieve technical objectives.

3.

Application of professional judgment

To ensure the safety, functionality and technical competency of infrastructure while recognizing the circumstances and constraints of the UNOPS operational context, the Senior Electrical Engineer will be required to apply professional judgment in the application of relevant codes, standards, and IPMG policies.

4.

Independence, integrity, and objectivity

In the performance of professional services, the Senior Electrical Engineer will act as an independent technical expert, free of conflicts of interests, and must be able to maintain the integrity of his/her technical opinion.

a.

Education requirements:

• Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from an accredited university is required.
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent with two additional years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of Master’s Degree (total 9 years of experience).

b.

Work Experience:

Required experience:

• At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in electrical engineering with strong knowledge of design, installation, operation and monitoring of electrical power supply and distribution systems, especially building wiring installations, is required.

Desired experience:

• Understanding of and experience with renewable energy solutions, including solar and wind, as well as stand-alone power systems and microgrids, is highly desired.
• Understanding of and experience with electrical works for hospitals, health clinics, and waste water treatment plants is desired.
• Understanding of and experience in development infrastructure sector is desired.
• Knowledge of sustainable and resilient approaches to electrical engineering and green technologies is an asset.

c.

Languages:

• Fluency in English required.
• Fluency in Spanish is required.

d. Certification:

• Membership of a Professional Institution at Chartered / Professional Eng / Eur Ing or similar is desired.
• As a UNOPS ICA retainer, the incumbent is required to complete four (4) online mandatory courses at present upon signature of your contract and prior to commencing any retainer assignment related to Ethics and Integrity, the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, Security awareness and Cybersecurity Awareness Training.

  These courses are made available on UNOPS learning platform and shall be completed within the first three months following the contract signature, at no cost for UNOPS.

• 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.

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority 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.

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.