Project Manager (Transactional), Colombo, Sri Lanka

## Project Manager (Transactional), Colombo, Sri Lanka - Organization:UNOPS - United Nations Office for Project Services - Office:UNOPS Sri Lanka Position Title:Project Manager (Transactional) Duty Station(s):Colombo Seniority Level:Mid Level Contract Type:ICA - LICA - Specialist - Regular Contract Level:LICA 9 Posting Start Date:22-Sep-2026 Posting End Date:06-Oct-2026 Lead impactful projects delivering essential transactional services, ensuring excellence in HR, procurement, and grants management within a dynamic global framework. The Asia Pacific Regional Office, based in Bangkok, Thailand, provides strategic leadership and oversight for UNOPS operations across 17 countries, ensuring high performance, operational excellence, and alignment with organizational goals. Operations currently span Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Pacific Islands. Across these countries, we work closely with key stakeholders to strengthen partnerships and maximize impact through five main operating units: Afghanistan (AFCO), Myanmar (MMCO), South Asia Multi-Country Office (SAMCO), East Asia and Pacific Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO), and the Asia Regional Health Cluster (ARHC). Through these entities, we provide agile, client-focused service delivery across diverse sectors - including infrastructure, health, procurement, and project management - supporting the implementation of sustainable development solutions across the region. About the Country/Multi-Country Office The South Asia Multi-Country Office (SAMCO) supports UNOPS operations across six countries: Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. SAMCO delivers a broad range of services and technical expertise in climate change, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), infrastructure, procurement, human resource management, and fund management. Each country office is staffed with local technical experts and maintains strong partnerships with national governments, ensuring context-specific solutions and effective project implementation. The Vriddhi programme strengthens civil society organisations in Sri Lanka to promote social cohesion, inclusive governance and human rights. Implemented by UNOPS, the initiative provides targeted grants, protection mechanisms and capacity-building support to civil society actors working at community and national levels. The programme also facilitates dialogue between civil society and public institutions while strengthening coordination through regional networks and information management systems. Through these interventions, Vriddhi aims to foster resilient communities and a more inclusive civic space across Sri Lanka. The Project Manager (Transactional) is responsible for the effective delivery and daily oversight of projects which provide transactional services, such as HR services, procurement, grants or services, to UNOPS partners. The Project Manager serves as the focal point for coordination with donors, partners and beneficiaries, ensuring alignment with contractual commitments and UNOPS performance standards. Acting on behalf of the Project Board, the Project Manager ensures that project outputs are delivered within agreed tolerances of time, cost, scope, quality, risk, and benefits. Functions / Key Results Expected Project Delivery and Performance - Develop, complete and update the project implementation plan. - Implement the approved plan (including establishment of milestones) within tolerances set by the Project Board. - Embed sustainability dimensions, including social and gender considerations, and environmental and economic aspects, into the project life span. - Manage the production of required outputs, taking responsibility for overall progress and use of resources while initiating corrective action where necessary. - Ensure that quality of work packages and deliverables comply with the quality requirements defined in the implementation plan. - Liaise with external suppliers or account managers to ensure quality and timely delivery of outputs. - Manage acceptance and delivery of work packages. - Monitor project progress, control project variances (if any), and manage changes. - Identify, anticipate and advise senior management and the project board on mitigating measures against project risks to ensure that benefits to partners and other stakeholders are maximized. - Identify and report potential opportunities for UNOPS to the supervisor. - Comply with the organization's policies and standards, and ensure project information is kept updated in project management systems. - Be aware of applicable local laws and regulations, and ensure adherence. This includes international regulations and standards, where applicable, as well as technical standards. - Prepare and adapt all relevant plans for approval by the project board, and manage baselines - Manage the reporting obligations defined in the implementation plan and legal agreements. - Maintain project documentation in an orderly manner for accessibility and audit support when needed. - Understand and apply the UNOPS financial rules and regulations. Be accountable for the use of delegation of authority (where applicable) and ensure compliance with relevant policies and standards of ethics. - Provide a formal handover of the project to the closure manager when applicable. - Support project audit activities, including planning, preparation and coordination during audits and follow-up on audit observations/ recommendations. Monitoring and Reporting - Include a results framework and M&E plan in the project implementation plan with clearly defined indicators and agreed targets, ensure regular monitoring and tracking of project results. - Prepare and issue regular project and financial reports in accordance with partner and UNOPS requirements for reporting. - Regularly review project status and evaluate performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule, and quality) - Maintain diaries and progress reports as required by UNOPS standard operating procedures. - Provide routine oversight and analysis of delivery data within the dashboard system. - Ensure all project team members track and regularly update milestones and targets for the duration of the project life span. Stakeholder Engagement - Develop stakeholder engagement strategies and plans. Actively engage stakeholders, take feedback, and adjust as necessary. - Establish solid working relationships with the project board (executive, senior users and senior suppliers); clients; and key stakeholders. - Enable formulation of project communication plans and monitor effectiveness of project communications. - Coordinate stakeholder engagement and communication, ensuring effective timing and interdependency management of communications. Ensure stakeholders are aware of project activities, progress, and exceptions, and are in a position to accept handover outputs. - Work with internal stakeholders to ensure projects comply with audit requirements. - Work with procurement/ purchasing personnel to ensure effective interface with suppliers' quality systems. - Coordinate quality reviews of project documents and deliverables. - Provide quality control for management outputs (e.g. project documents, reports, etc). Knowledge Management and Innovation - Create a learning environment for the project team, encourage knowledge sharing and training to contribute to longer-term capacity building. - Actively interact with other project managers and the wider project management (PM) community, share case studies, lessons learned and best practices. - Stay abreast with latest updates and good practices of the profession, participate in training and learning activities for self to advance proficiency and competency. - Ensure lessons learned are shared in a timely and appropriate manner. - Provide feedback to corporate practice groups on policy and sys