Table of Contents
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Job Overview
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About the Company
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Available Jobs
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Job Description
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Job Responsibilities
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Why This Role?
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Requirements
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How to Apply
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FAQs
Job Overview
Job Title: Quantity Surveyor Engineer – Retainer
Company Name: UNOPS
Location: Home based
Employment Type: ICA / LICA Specialist – Retainer (LICA 9)
Duration: 12 months
Seniority Level: Mid Level (ICS 09)
Posting Start Date: 08-Dec-2025
Posting End Date: 23-Dec-2025
Opportunity Summary:
This Quantity Surveyor Engineer Retainer role supports UNOPS projects on an ad-hoc basis through task orders. You’ll contribute to infrastructure assessments and delivery by developing BoQs, cost estimates, unit rate systems, market intelligence, tender financial evaluations, and documentation for post-tender and construction stages. While home-based, the role may involve travel depending on assignment needs, and it offers exposure to multidisciplinary teams working across multiple countries and project types, including sanitation and hygiene initiatives.
About the Company
UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project Services) supports partners by delivering project management, infrastructure, and procurement services in complex environments. Within Africa, UNOPS operations coordinate large portfolios that span fragile and conflict-affected settings as well as development-focused programs—supporting national priorities across climate action, health, infrastructure, peace and security, and more.
This role sits within the Technical Services Unit (TSU), a multidisciplinary team that provides design services, assessments, feasibility studies, advisory support, and technical stakeholder management for a wide range of infrastructure types. TSU works with architects, engineers, specialist advisors, and technical support staff to deliver high-quality outputs that are accountable, transparent, and aligned with sustainable development outcomes.
Available Jobs
If you’re exploring UNOPS opportunities alongside this Quantity Surveyor Engineer Retainer position, consider searching for related roles that align with similar project cycles and technical outputs:
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Civil Engineer – Retainer (Infrastructure Assessments)
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Structural Engineer – Retainer (High-Risk Structures Support)
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Architect – Retainer (Design and Assessment Services)
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Project Manager – Infrastructure (Multi-Country Delivery)
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Procurement Specialist (Tendering, Compliance, Contracting)
These roles often collaborate closely with quantity surveyors and can expand your options across cost management, design coordination, and delivery oversight.
Job Description
As a Quantity Surveyor Engineer – Retainer, you will provide technical expertise under the supervision of the TSU Quantity Surveyor. Your work will support project managers and technical teams by producing accurate and defensible costing outputs—especially important when operating in complex contexts where transparency, auditability, and value-for-money matter.
You will contribute across the project lifecycle: early-stage cost estimates for proposals, engineer’s estimates, BoQ development, tender financial evaluations, and construction-stage support such as valuations, variation assessments, and site inspections. Each assignment is issued via a task order that defines scope, deliverables, and maximum time duration—meaning you’ll need strong discipline in planning, delivery, and documentation quality.
Job Responsibilities
In this Quantity Surveyor Engineer Retainer jobs opportunity, you will:
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Collaborate with architects, engineers, draftsmen, and other professionals to support project planning, scheduling, and integrated design documentation.
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Prepare and review Bills of Quantities (BoQs), specifications, and related documents, ensuring outputs meet quality standards.
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Produce preliminary cost estimates for project proposals, using practical market intelligence and defensible assumptions.
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Develop engineer’s estimates and maintain appropriate confidentiality controls to prevent collusion risks.
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Provide advice during post-tender and construction stages when requested by the client or project teams.
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Conduct site inspections and assessments when required and produce clear, decision-ready reports.
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Complete valuations of works and produce supporting documentation aligned with expected standards.
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Support administrative and operational project efforts as requested by the Unit Manager.
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Carry out financial evaluations of tenders, supporting transparent supplier selection and risk awareness.
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Build and maintain unit rate systems for project locations, including a register of labour and materials rates used for cost estimates.
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Engage in knowledge sharing and continuous professional development to improve TSU delivery quality.
Key delivery note: every assignment operates under an agreed task order, and you are responsible for meeting timelines and deliverable expectations defined in that order.
Why This Role?
This role stands out for quantity surveyors who want meaningful projects, flexible engagement, and international exposure—without stepping away from technical rigor.
Flexible, project-based work with clear deliverables
Retainer work allows you to take assignments on an ad-hoc basis, which can suit professionals who prefer structured deliverables over fixed daily routines—while still maintaining consistent engagement across a 12-month contract period.
High-impact infrastructure and sanitation exposure
The TSU supports wide-ranging infrastructure types and has been tasked with supporting important work related to sanitation and hygiene initiatives. If you want your QS expertise to translate into real improvements for communities, this is one of the strongest mission-driven applications of cost engineering.
Strong technical ecosystem and multidisciplinary collaboration
You’ll collaborate with architects, civil/structural/mechanical/electrical engineers, GIS experts, and specialist advisors. This strengthens your ability to price and document multi-discipline infrastructure scopes—an advantage for senior QS progression.
Skill-building in defensible costing and governance
UNOPS environments tend to demand high standards in documentation, transparency, and compliance. That strengthens your professional profile in:
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audit-ready BoQs and estimates
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tender evaluation discipline
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variation review and valuation reporting
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rate build-ups grounded in market intelligence
Potential travel and multi-country perspective
Although home-based, TSU personnel may be required to travel to other UNOPS locations depending on project needs. This creates career leverage for quantity surveyors seeking international project exposure.
Requirements
Below is a clear summary of what you need to qualify strongly.
Education
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Bachelor’s degree in Quantity Surveying / Building Economics (or related fields) from an accredited university
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Master’s degree is preferred (advantage)
Required Experience
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Minimum 4 years of relevant professional experience
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Minimum 4 years of experience in QS software
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Minimum 4 years experience using Google Workspace or MS Office
Desired Experience (Strong Advantages)
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Experience working in multicultural environments or with UN system organizations in developing country settings
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Prior involvement in sanitation and hygiene projects
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Knowledge of East African context or experience in developing countries
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Experience in development or humanitarian contexts
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Strong capability in project documentation, report writing, and technical communication
Skills and Competencies Emphasized
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Bills of Quantities (BoQ)
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Construction estimating
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Tender management
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Site supervision / site assessments
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Strong professionalism, delivery discipline, and quality-focused output
Language
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English: Fluent (required)
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French: Basic (desirable)
How to Apply
Apply through the official UNOPS careers platform for Quantity Surveyor Engineer – Retainer (LICA 9) before the posting closes.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
1) What does “retainer” mean in this UNOPS Quantity Surveyor role?
A retainer means you are engaged on an ad-hoc basis through task orders. Each assignment defines scope, deliverables, and time duration, and you deliver services accordingly.
2) Is this a remote or on-site job?
The duty station is listed as home based, but travel may be required depending on assignment needs and project locations.
3) What level is this role?
The position is mid-level, listed as ICS 09 and LICA 9 under an ICA/LICA Specialist – Retainer contract structure.
4) What experience is required to apply?
You need at least 4 years of relevant professional experience, including QS software plus Google Workspace or MS Office experience.
5) Do I need sanitation and hygiene experience?
It’s not mandatory, but it is a strong advantage—especially since TSU supports sanitation and hygiene-related workstreams.