Biomedical Engineer

In Latin America and the Caribbean, UNOPS operates across 23 countries, delivering high-impact solutions that drive sustainable development. UNOPS focuses on building and improving resilient infrastructure—including roads, bridges, public facilities, sanitation systems, and housing—to enhance quality of life and foster inclusive growth. UNOPS also supports public health by procuring essential medicines and medical equipment, ensuring broader access to healthcare services. By strengthening institutional capacities, UNOPS promotes transparent, efficient, and equitable public management. As a trusted partner to governments and development stakeholders, UNOPS aligns its interventions with national priorities, helping countries advance the Sustainable Development Goals through practical, results-driven support.

The Barbados Country Office (CO) functions as a strategic hub to support Caribbean nations in implementing the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS), helping regional leaders advance a global agenda on climate justice and financing.  The primary mandate of the Barbados Country Office is to Speed Up and Scale Up engagements across 17 Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS), ensuring that partner expectations are met with agility and precision. Through dedicated operational presence, UNOPS Barbados Country Office streamlines complex regional logistics and fosters stronger collaboration with sovereign governments and financial institutions in the Caribbean. The office focuses on delivering high-value solutions aligned with the region’s priorities, including the economy, nature and climate, human capital, infrastructure and capacity development.

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development projects around the world. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement, and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors, and United Nations organizations.

This project will support the strengthening of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) of Barbados by offering UNOPS turn-key services for the construction of new facilities. 
In November 2022, the Ministry of Health and Wellness of Barbados (MoHW) engaged UNOPS for technical assistance in implementing a capital expenditure loan facilitated by the European Investment Bank (EIB) to support improvements at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH). Following preliminary assessments, field missions, and stakeholder consultations, a project proposal was initiated to address the hospital’s urgent infrastructure and operational needs. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital is Barbados’ main acute care facility and a regional teaching hospital affiliated with the University of the West Indies (Cave Hill Campus). Operational since 1964, QEH currently maintains 519 beds and plays a central role in delivering universal health coverage to the population of Barbados. Ongoing plans for its strategic development align with the national Health Sector 10-Year Plan and the QEH Care Excellence Programme (CEP). 
After this technical assistance, the following infrastructure priorities will need to be implemented and equipped:

• Design and Construction of a new medical waste management building
• Refurbishment of hospital maintenance workshops
• Upgrade of the morgue extraction system

These components are essential to ensure quality healthcare delivery and environmental safety on the hospital premises.

The primary objective of this role is to serve as a technical person in reviewing technical requirements, preparing procurement documentation, coordinating equipment with infrastructure works and carrying out inspection, installation, and commissioning. 

The Biomedical Engineer (Retainer) will provide technical support to the UNOPS project team for the procurement, installation, commissioning and handover of medical and specialised equipment under the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) project in Barbados.

The Biomedical Engineer will undertake the following functions as assigned by the Project Manager.

1. Medical Equipment Planning and Technical Specifications

• Review and prepare technical specifications for new medical and specialised equipment, ensuring compliance with QEH operational requirements and applicable technical standards.
• Assess equipment compatibility with hospital infrastructure, including dimensions, installation requirements, utility connections and maintenance access.
• Identify technical gaps and potential installation risks in equipment specifications and supplier documentation, and provide recommendations to the Project Manager.

2. Procurement and Technical Evaluation Support

• Support the preparation and review of technical specifications, evaluation criteria and other technical sections of solicitation documents for medical and specialised equipment.
• Review suppliers' technical proposals and assess compliance with specified requirements, including equipment performance, compatibility and installation needs.
• Review equipment alternatives, technical submissions and proposed substitutions, identifying implications for installation, operation, maintenance and cost.
• Provide technical inputs for bidder clarifications and procurement evaluations, and submit recommendations to the Project Manager and Procurement Team in accordance with UNOPS procedures.

3. Design Review and Equipment Coordination

• Review medical equipment requirements and their interfaces with architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing designs.
• Assess equipment layouts, installation clearances, accessibility and maintenance space requirements.
• Review equipment-related utility requirements, including electrical power, water supply, drainage, ventilation and other relevant services.
• Identify discrepancies between equipment specifications, supplier requirements and approved infrastructure designs.
• Review equipment-related technical drawings, shop drawings and material submittals, as assigned.
• Coordinate with the design consultants, supervision consultant, QEH technical departments and suppliers to address equipment-related technical issues.
• Support the review of equipment installation schedules to ensure coordination with construction activities and hospital operations.
• Provide technical comments and recommendations to the Project Manager without assuming the contractual design responsibilities of appointed consultants.

4. Medical and Specialised Equipment Technical Support

• Provide technical support for the procurement, installation and commissioning of mortuary refrigeration systems, autopsy equipment and associated accessories.
• Review the compatibility of mortuary refrigerators with body trays, transfer trolleys, rollers and other handling equipment.
• Review relevant equipment requirements for hygiene, temperature control, operational safety and maintenance.
• Provide technical support for medical waste treatment equipment, including autoclaves and associated waste handling systems.
• Review autoclave treatment capacities, operating cycles, sterilisation performance requirements and equipment interfaces.
• Support the technical review of incinerators and associated systems in coordination with qualified mechanical and environmental specialists.
• Review equipment accessories, including medical waste carts, bins and related handling equipment, for compatibility with hospital operations.
• Support technical coordination between specialised equipment suppliers and the infrastructure design and construction teams.

5. Equipment Installation, Testing and Commissioning

• Review suppliers' equipment installation plans, technical submissions and commissioning procedures.
• Prepare/revise the technical checklists for the equipment, and services based on approved technical specifications, offered items and contractual requirements and obligations
• Conduct site visits to verify equipment installation against checklists.
• Review equipment delivery, storage and handling requirements to minimise damage and disruption to hospital operations.
• Participate in equipment inspections, factory acceptance testing and site acceptance testing, where required and authorised.
• Witness equipment testing and commissioning activities and assess performance against the specified acceptance criteria.
• Review relevant calibration certificates, test results and equipment compliance documentation.
• Identify installation deficiencies, technical non-conformities and outstanding corrective actions, reporting them to the Project Manager.
• Coordinate with the supervision consultant, contractors, suppliers and QEH representatives to support the resolution of equipment-related technical issues.
• Prepare inspection and commissioning reports, including findings, outstanding issues and recommendations.

6. Equipment Handover and Maintenance Support

• Review equipment operation and maintenance manuals, warranties, spare parts lists and other handover documentation.
• Assess proposed preventive maintenance arrangements and equipment servicing requirements.
• Review suppliers' training plans to ensure they address the operational and maintenance needs of QEH personnel.
• Participate in equipment operation and maintenance training sessions, where required.
• Verify the completeness of equipment commissioning records, test certificates and technical documentation.
• Support the preparation and review of equipment handover checklists.
• Identify outstanding technical issues that may affect equipment operation, safety or maintenance.
• Provide recommendations to the Project Manager regarding equipment readiness for acceptance and handover.

7. Risk Management, Coordination and Reporting

• Identify and assess technical risks and opportunities associated with medical equipment procurement, delivery, installation, commissioning and operation.
• Monitor potential equipment-related delays and their implications for construction schedules and hospital service continuity.
• Recommend measures to address equipment compatibility issues, technical deficiencies and installation constraints.
• Recommend measures to leverage on opportunities and improve the planned equipment functionality and installation.
• Coordinate with relevant stakeholders to identify and resolve equipment-related technical concerns in a timely manner.
• Participate in technical coordination meetings and site inspections as requested by the Project Manager.
• Prepare technical assessment reports, review comments, inspection reports and commissioning recommendations for assigned tasks.
• Maintain accurate records of technical reviews, observations, recommendations and outstanding issues.
• Submit periodic activity reports and approved timesheets, detailing completed assignments, key findings, pending actions and recommendations.

The Biomedical Engineer shall undertake assignments on an as-needed basis, subject to prior authorisation by the Project Manager. Formal instructions to contractors and suppliers shall be issued through the authorised contractual channels.

This recruitment aims to fill a retainer position. Depending on actual needs, the hiring unit may decide to recruit endorsed qualified professionals for contracts with different working conditions (short/long term, part/full-time, retainer, regular or ongoing positions).

Required

• An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Biomedical Engineering, or in a related field of Health Engineering or Electromechanical Engineering, combined with two (2) years of relevant professional experience; OR
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in Biomedical Engineering, or in a related field of Health Engineering or Electromechanical Engineering, combined with four (4) years of relevant professional experience.

Desired

• Professional certification or specialised training in biomedical engineering, medical equipment management, or equipment testing and commissioning is an advantage.

Required

• Relevant professional experience in biomedical engineering is defined as experience in medical equipment management, installation, testing, commissioning, and/or maintenance. 
• Experience in reviewing equipment requirements and coordinating their interfaces with hospital infrastructure is required.

Desired

• Experience in preparing or reviewing medical equipment technical specifications and supporting procurement processes is desired.
• Experience in medical equipment technical evaluation and preparation of technical compliance matrices is an advantage.
• Experience with mortuary equipment, medical waste treatment equipment, autoclaves or other specialised hospital equipment is an advantage.
• Experience supporting hospital construction, rehabilitation or healthcare infrastructure projects is an advantage.
• Knowledge of relevant international medical equipment standards, safety requirements and quality assurance procedures is an advantage.
• Experience working with UNOPS, other United Nations agencies, government health departments or international development organisations is an advantage.
• Prior professional experience in Barbados or the Caribbean is an advantage.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.