Infrastructure Specialist

The Regional Office for Arab States supports countries and cities in advancing sustainable urbanization, resilience, improved basic services, inclusive planning, urban management, and implementation of the New Urban Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 11.

Established in 2005, UN-Habitat Egypt provides technical support to national counterparts on a wide range of urban issues. Adopting an integrated approach, UN-Habitat Egypt supports urban planning and management through three main sub-programmes: Urban Planning and Design, Local Development and Urban Economy Policies, and Urban Basic Services and Climate Change. The Egypt Country Office works with national and local government institutions, development partners, utilities, consultants, contractors, communities, and other stakeholders to deliver sustainable urban development interventions.

The post will contribute to the Local Development and Urban Economy Policies Programme and the Urban Basic Services and Climate Change Programme. It will focus primarily on infrastructure delivery under the Hayenna Integrated Urban Development Project, while supporting other sustainable infrastructure initiatives, including water and sanitation interventions under the Supporting Innovation in Water and Sanitation in Egypt project, and contribute to the expansion of the portfolio and pipeline.

The Hayenna Integrated Urban Development Project is implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Organization for Physical Planning, and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs. The project aims to support more transparent land management and better planned, financially sustainable basic infrastructure services in Qena and Damietta. Its interventions include urban planning and design, public finance management and land-based financing, and support to urban legislation and regulation. Project sites include al-Humydat and al-Ma’ana in Qena City and Alshoaraa in Damietta City.

The post will lead and coordinate infrastructure related activities under Hayenna, to implement predominantly water and sanitation infrastructure works in target areas of the project. This includes planning and follow-up on design and supervision consultants, contract administration, procurement of works contractors and managing progress, timelines, deliverable clearances, variation orders, and coordination with government counterparts, the donor, and utility companies, and alignment of UN-Habitat financed activities with government local contribution workplans, ensuring coordination with parallel government procurement activity. The post will also provide technical support to related water and sanitation projects, including Riverbank Filtration units and small-scale sanitation infrastructure.

Under the supervision of the Country Programme Manager, and in close coordination with relevant Programme Managers and project teams, the Urban Infrastructure Programme Officer will lead the planning, coordination, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of assigned infrastructure interventions. The role is expected to ensure timely, technically sound, compliant, and well-coordinated delivery of infrastructure activities, with particular focus on Hayenna and related water and sanitation projects.

• Lead and coordinate the implementation of infrastructure interventions under the Hayenna Integrated Urban Development Project, including oversight of design and supervision consultants, management of contractor procurement and contract administration processes, monitoring of construction progress and quality assurance, coordination with government counterparts and utility companies, and follow-up on government counterpart contributions and related workplans to ensure timely and effective project delivery.
• Manage and monitor assigned infrastructure projects and activities, including workplans, budgets, schedules, risks, deliverables, technical documentation, progress reports, and follow-up actions.
• Provide substantive technical and coordination support for the planning, design, procurement, supervision, commissioning, and handover of water, sanitation, roads, utilities, and other basic infrastructure interventions, as applicable. And further support in the Local Economic Development components of the project and its sustainability planning.
• Review technical documents, designs, drawings, bills of quantities, specifications, method statements, supervision reports, payment certificates, claims, variation requests, and other contract-related submissions, in coordination with relevant technical experts and procurement personnel.
• Support procurement processes for consultancy and works contracts, including preparation and review of terms of reference, technical specifications, evaluation inputs, clarification responses, contract management inputs, and documentation of procurement and contract decisions.
• Coordinate with government counterparts at national and local levels, including governorates, utilities, ministries, and implementing agencies, to align infrastructure interventions with local contribution workplans, implementation schedules, permits, land availability, utility connections, and operational requirements.
• Monitor the performance of consultants, contractors, and implementing partners, identify implementation bottlenecks, recommend corrective actions, and follow up on timely resolution of technical, contractual, financial, and administrative issues.
• Prepare and contribute to project documents, progress reports, donor reports, briefing notes, meeting minutes, mission reports, presentations, and other written outputs related to infrastructure planning, implementation, monitoring, and results.
• Participate in and lead field missions, site visits, coordination meetings, technical workshops, and stakeholder consultations, including provision of guidance to consultants, contractors, government officials, and other project stakeholders.
• Support coordination with donors, development partners, UN agencies, and internal UN-Habitat units to strengthen partnerships, resource mobilization, knowledge exchange, and the effective positioning of UN-Habitat in sustainable infrastructure development.
• Collect, analyze, and present technical, financial, and implementation data to identify trends, risks, progress, and gaps, using tables, charts, dashboards, and other data visualization methods to support evidence-based decision-making and reporting.
• Ensure that project implementation is aligned with UN-Habitat rules, regulations, policies, environmental and social considerations, gender mainstreaming requirements, and relevant national standards and procedures.
• Perform other duties as required.

Required:

An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Civil Engineering, or a related engineering field is required. Candidates with a specialization in Construction Management or Project Management are preferred. A first-level university degree in combination with additional qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Desired:

Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programmes in data analytics, business analytics, data science, project management, contract management, procurement, or related fields is desirable.

Required:

A minimum of five years of progressively responsible work experience in the area of infrastructure development, project management, contracts management, is required.

Experience in project or programme management, delivery, resource mobilization, and coordination or negotiation with high-level Government officials or multi- and bilateral technical funding agency officials is required.

Experience in planning and implementation of infrastructure projects and management of infrastructure contracts is required.

Desired:

Experience in construction supervision, contract administration, and procurement management is desirable.

Experience in water, sanitation, drainage, utilities, roads, or other municipal infrastructure projects is desirable.

Experience in the United Nations System or any similar international organization is desirable.

One (1) year or more of experience in data analytics or a related area is desirable.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
• UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.

• 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.
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• 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.