Overview
Infrastructure Specialist Jobs in Lilongwe, Central Region, Malawi, Malawi at UNOPS
Title: Infrastructure Specialist
Company: UNOPS
Location: Lilongwe, Central Region, Malawi, Malawi
Job Highlight
Technical advisory and delivery support; design assurance; construction and contract support; quality, risk, HSSE and compliance; and stakeholder coordination, knowledge sharing and capacity building.
About
About the Project Office
Established in 2023, UNOPS in Malawi partners with the Government and development stakeholders to support national efforts toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. By delivering high-quality infrastructure and procurement services, UNOPS is helping to expand access to education and healthcare while strengthening essential public infrastructure across the country. Current efforts focus on building resilient systems that improve service delivery and promote inclusive development. Key partners in this work include the Government of Malawi, the European Commission, UN Women, and the Government of Iceland, all committed to driving sustainable impact and long-term progress.
Role Purpose
Support safe, timely, cost-effective and compliant delivery of infrastructure outputs in Malawi through specialist technical assurance and advice.
Functions / Key Results Expected
- Technical Advisory Support and Infrastructure Delivery
- Provide technical advice and support to infrastructure project teams on delivery priorities, schedules, interfaces and risks, and recommend practical corrective actions to the Country Manager and Malawi project teams.
- Design Review and Technical Assurance
- Review designs, drawings, specifications and bills of quantities, providing technical comments on completeness, coordination, constructability, value for money and compliance with applicable Malawi requirements, recognized standards and UNOPS requirements.
- Construction and Contract-Management Support
- Advise project and site teams on works supervision and construction-contract matters, including contractor submissions, progress, delays, variations, claims, payments, testing, commissioning, handover and defects.
- Quality, Risk, HSSE and Compliance Support
- Identify material technical, quality, schedule, contractual and HSSE risks; support site reviews and inspections; and recommend mitigation, corrective action or escalation as appropriate.
- Stakeholder Coordination, Knowledge Sharing and Capacity Building
- Act as technical focal point for Malawi infrastructure matters, provide clear technical input to stakeholders, and support practical knowledge sharing, mentoring and capacity building.
Education Requirements
An advanced university degree, preferably a master’s degree, in Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, Building Engineering or another relevant infrastructure-related discipline is required.
A bachelor’s degree in one of the above disciplines, combined with an additional two years of relevant professional experience, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Requirements
Experience Requirements
Required:
- A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in the planning, design, procurement, construction or management of multi-sector infrastructure projects is required.
- A minimum of five years of practical experience in construction management, works supervision or administration of construction contracts is required.
- Demonstrated experience in managing or coordinating multidisciplinary infrastructure teams is required.
- Demonstrated experience reviewing and advising on architectural, engineering, specification, bill-of-quantities and other technical project documentation is required.
Desired:
- Demonstrated experience in contract administration is required. Experience administering FIDIC-based construction contracts is highly desirable.
- Experience managing infrastructure projects across multiple stages of the project lifecycle, including feasibility assessment, design, procurement, construction, commissioning, handover and defects management, is highly desirable.
- Experience in design management, technical assurance and multidisciplinary design coordination is desirable.
- Experience in managing variations, claims, extensions of time, payment certification, change control and contractual disputes is desirable.
- Experience monitoring construction schedules, critical paths, contractor programmes and delay impacts is desirable.
- Experience implementing quality-management and construction health and safety systems is desirable.
- Knowledge of internationally recognized building codes, engineering standards, construction practices and contract-management principles is desirable.
- Experience working with government institutions, development partners, regulatory authorities and beneficiary organizations is desirable.
- Experience in donor-funded or international development infrastructure projects is an asset.
- Experience working in developing-country contexts and with multicultural teams is an asset.
- Experience in the technical and operational requirements of education, training, institutional or public-service facilities is an asset.
- Proficiency in scheduling and project-management software, such as Microsoft Project, Primavera or equivalent applications, is desirable.
- Experience using digital project-management, reporting, document-control or construction-management systems is desirable.
