Portfolio Senior Manager

Project Management
Ethiopia, Addis Ababa
January 7, 2026
Ongoing
Urgent
Application ends: January 19, 2026
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Job Description

Job Highlight

This is an excellent opportunity to lead and shape a portfolio of impactful projects within a dynamic and growing multi-country office. The position offers significant leadership opportunities, strategic engagement with partners, and the chance to drive improvements in project delivery and organizational maturity within the UN system.

Job Specific Context

The Portfolio Senior Manager oversees, directs and is accountable for the timely, quality and cost-efficient performance of a portfolio of projects in the Ethiopia Country Office involving UNOPS Project Management, Institutional Strengthening and Infrastructure service lines. The selected candidate will work under the direct supervision of the PMO Team Leader and Country Program Coordinator, and overall direction of the Head of Programme to ensure that projects meet their intended outcomes, are implemented to the highest standard of project management practices and meet partner satisfaction. S/he will be responsible for streamlining the MCO and Programme leadership priorities within the portfolio, and cascading the portfolio, programme and project management priorities across all projects under his/her responsibility.

Role Purpose

The Portfolio Senior Manager will provide leadership and strategic direction to the Project Management Team, ensuring the effective delivery of a portfolio of projects in line with partner commitments, organizational policies, and best practices. S/he drives continuous improvement, fosters a culture of excellence, and contributes to the overall success and impact of HAMCO’s operations.

Functions Key Results Expected

  1. Leadership, Team and Resource Management
  • Lead, Motivate and Manage the pool of Project Managers and other members of the PM Team.
  • Ensure that behavioral expectations for Project Managers and their teams are established.
  • Actively contributes to the implementation and further refinement of the Resources Pool Management Strategy, promoting synergies across the MCO.
  • Develops strategies and approaches that foster a common vision for maturity and strive towards harmonizing good practices across projects in the MCO.
  • Instill a culture of excellence, best practices, continuous improvement, and lesson learning in the delivery of projects in the Project Management Team.
  • Take a leadership role in the implementation of the Operational Excellence Agenda; ensuring KPIs are mainstreamed into all PMs performance metrics and monitored regularly.
  • Foster a positive work environment, respectful of both men and women, and ensure that the highest standards of conduct are observed.
  • Promote and support a learning culture by empowering individuals and teams to identify critical learning needs, and plan/ facilitate learning opportunities to maintain personnel competency and flexibility.
  • Exercise management of all staffing issues within the PM Team including recruitment considering gender parity and diversity objectives, on-boarding and staff performance reviews.
  • Ensure that performance reviews are conducted fairly, accurately and timely.
  • Create, foster and role model a culture of respect and zero tolerance for discrimination, abuse of authority, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual exploitation and abuse. Ensure accountability for actions and perform duties in accordance with protection mechanisms and action plans, as expected by UNOPS policies, standards and commitments.

Skills

Capacity Building, Project Management, Risk Management, Stakeholder Management, Strategic Planning, Team Leadership.

Education Requirements

Required

  • Master’s degree in project management, Business Administration or related field (e.g. International Relations) with 7 years of relevant experience.
  • Bachelor’s degree with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the education requirements outlined above, with 9 years of relevant experience.

Desired

  • PRINCE2 Practitioner or equivalent certification.

Experience Requirements

Required

  • A minimum of at least 7 years of relevant and progressive professional experience, specifically in the field of Project Management is required.
  • A minimum of 2 years’ experience leading multidisciplinary, multicultural teams is required.
  • A minimum of 2 years’ experience managing; overseeing; and/or coordinating portfolio(s) of multiple projects programmes and projects is required.

Desired

  • Experience delivering training/ capacity building workshops in project management topics.
  • Previous experience of working within a PMO environment.
  • Experience working on infrastructure projects.
  • Previous Experience in a UN Environment.
  • Experience with project management, performance tracking tools, data analysis, and information management systems.
  • Experience working in post-conflict (or active conflict) environments.
  • Proven experience in planning and implementing change projects within a project-based organization.
  • Demonstrated experience working with Government MDAs on Donor-Funded projects.

Language Requirements

Required:

  • English fluent.
  • Amharic fluent.

Desirable:

  • French intermediate.
  • Arabic intermediate.