Background
The Project Manager (PM) will focus on the facilitation of the various workstreams required to ensure a smooth start of services beginning in 2018. He/She will be responsible for working with various track leads to ensure that overall goals, deliverables, milestones, risks/mitigation factors are defined and project plans are developed to ensure delivery on time and budget. In addition, the incumbent will be responsible for developing an overall plan for delivery of various workstreams with the goal of reference verification and classifications going live early 2018 in the United Nations Global Centre for HR Services (hence force `The Global Centre`). Collaboration with key stakeholders across all participating organization will be essential in this role.
The incumbent will perform the overall project coordination in the context of the start-up phase, including planning, managing, tracking, and status. S/he will also ensure the implementation of practical business solutions with multiple deadlines. In doing so the Project Manager is expected to oversee the stakeholder engagement, collaborate with IT, Classification and Recruitment teams, and work with the interim Global Centre management on the communications plans which will promote the Global Centre as a lead service hub within its area of expertise throughout the UN common system.
It is envisaged that this engagement will be at least for six (6) months due to the scope and size of the project.
The main roles foreseen for this start-up phase are those of a facilitator and technical project manager, including overseeing the budget and undertaking process-mapping and workflow design. S/he will also lead the change management and communications track of the project.
The Project Manager is expected to mainly work in Bonn, Germany.
Organizational Context
The Global Centre will be in Bonn, Germany but it might be operating virtually by multiple duty stations. Its aim is to provide for a consolidated, centralized delivery of a select range of HR-related services on behalf of and for the participating Organizations of the United Nations Common System.
Initially the range of services to be provided by the centre include common-system position classification and related procedures, as well as reference- and background checking in the context of recruitment- and selection procedures of the participating Organizations.
The starting date for the operations of the Global Centre is planned for January 2018, and it is foreseen that the number of participating Organizations, as well as the range of services to be delivered by the Global Centre, will increase over time.
Reporting to the interim Centre-Manager located in Bonn, the incumbent will be responsible for simultaneously managing the double constraints of scope and time, and shall report regularly to the Interim Centre Manager as well as to the off-site Steering Committee formed by area-specific key-players of the participating.
Duties and Responsibilities
Serve as the project manager for the start-up phase of a new Global Centre for HR Services, located in Bonn (administrative anchor).
Core functions include:
- Project Management: Lead the planning, procurement / contracting and execution of the transition phase (circa October 2017 – March 2018) of the Global Center operationalization; and
- Coordination: Act as the principal coordinator for the coalition of UN organizations participating in the Global Centre regarding progress and status of assigned deliverables.
Project Management:
- Develop project related documentation, including project initiation documents, detailed stage plans etc.
- Prepare and manage the overall project plan with the sequential steps and technical building blocks required for a successful launch and smooth start-up operation of the Global Center.
- Manage all assigned initiatives and projects with the aim to facilitate the opening and the initial phase of smooth operations of the UN Global Centre; this also includes refinement and coordination of project governance processes.
- Perform detailed project planning, resource scheduling, progress monitoring, issue resolution and risk management.
- Communicate issues to project teams and the project governing bodies in a timely manner, and coordinate intervention where necessary.
- Manage relationships with all third-party entities such as system integrators, contractors, or consultants, to achieve the desired project outcomes.
Coordination:
Liaise with senior stakeholders within the coalition of UN organizations participating in the Global Centre, to address operational decisions, including service as a focal point and counterpart in decision making processes with:
- The UN Bonn Common Services Unit (CSU) for all premises planning and logistical set-up matters;
- The Business Process / Policy Owners of classification and verification and reference checking, which are leading task teams within the coalition of participating UN organizations.
- The IT Solution Process / Policy Owners, which serve as a specialized IT task team within the coalition of participating UN organizations.
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other Host-Country representative during this planning and start-up phase (in line with legal guidance from UN sponsor organization, UNDP/UNV). Coordinate agreement among the stakeholders and sponsors of the Global Centre on the costing and income model of the new centre.
- Coordinate the communication of pricing options for all clients.
- Facilitate formal agreement of service terms within Service Level Agreements.
Deliverables:
- Project workplan with clear timelines and milestones
- Project risk log
- Project communication plan
- Management of project start-up budget
- Coordination of all task teams within the coalition of participating UN organizations
- Regular briefing update to Project Sponsor
Competencies
Essential Knowledge & Skills:
- Proven skills in the areas of project management, planning, organizing, and delivering on time and on target with a careful attention to detail to continuously monitor progress and take remedial action where and if required.
- Ability to adapt and manage deliverables and resources in a changing environment and to think and act quickly, sometimes under pressure yet remaining effective.
- Ability to effectively collaborate with teams in an international, multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary environment; separated by geographical locations and working under different time-zones.
- Ability to promote best practices, advise on improvements, independently perform verifications or project related researches, and apply information from a broad range of sources.
- Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to influence, negotiate, advocate, motivate, resolve conflict, and adapt relevant leadership styles to a variety of situations.
- Excellent communication (both oral and written in English), problem solving and analytical skills
- Proactive, flexible, resourceful and able to work independently with limited supervision
Required Skills and Experience
Education Qualifications
- A university degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, Finance, Project Management, or related discipline.
Desirable
- Professional qualification or foundation certification in project management methodologies such as PMI, Prince 2, or similar.
- Knowledge or expertise in HR processes such as those applied across the UN Common System, in as related to position classification and/or background- and reference verification.
- Knowledge of shared service centres and shared costing models.
Experience
- 7 to 10 years of professional experience in programme / project planning, management and successful delivery of complex cross functional or interdependent projects, some of which should be at the global or international level.
- Demonstrated professional experience working with senior-level management.
- Proven experience in writing business plans, project-related documentation, or technical papers.
Language Skills
- Expert knowledge in English (verbal and written).