Procurement Specialist at UNOPS


In Ukraine, UNOPS support to the partners in their reform agenda since 2017 spans the rule of law, social protection, demining, emergency response and security. The projects are funded by the EU, the Governments of Japan and Canada.

All projects have gender equality as a transversal theme, and have been contextualised within the broader Sustainable Development Goals frameworks and objectives.

Following the increased militarisation around Ukraine’s borders as well as the recognition of the so-called Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics by the Russian Federation, the security situation in Ukraine deteriorated rapidly, with the launch of a military offensive by the Russian Federation on 24 February 2022. Armed violence escalated in at least eight oblasts (regions), including Kyivska oblast and the capital city of Kyiv, as well as in the eastern oblasts of Donetsk and Luhanska which were already affected by conflict. The towns of Mariupol, Kharkiv, Irpin were strongly affected, so resident civilians fled their homes en masse. Martial law and a state of war were introduced in Ukraine on 24 February 2022, and the general mobilisation of all Ukrainian males between 18 and 60 years old was ordered, while the Ukrainian airspace was closed to civilian users. The UN estimates that 12 million people in Ukraine will need relief and protection. By 18 April 2022, the UNCHR estimated that 4,980,589 refugees from Ukraine already crossed the border with Poland, other European countries, Hungary, Slovakia, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Moldova, Romania and Belarus. The UNOPS immediately launched its Emergency Procurement Procedure (EPP) to enable a faster response to requirements related to the crisis. The EPP provided flexibility in procurement procedures while still ensuring adherence to essential public procurement principles.

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Head of Support Services, the Procurement Specialist is responsible for the development and implementation of strategic and effective procurement services reflecting international public procurement best practices, compliance with UNOPS procurement policy, rules, regulations and procedures, ensuring appropriate risk management and obtaining the best value for money for the acquisition of goods, services and the contracting of works.

S/he analyzes and interprets the respective rules and regulations and provides advice and solutions to a wide spectrum of complex issues related to procurement. The role requires deep understanding of procurement policy and processes and the Procurement Specialist should be able to apply them to the appropriate situations.

In addition to responsibility for the deliverables of the work team, the incumbent’s work is focused on strategic relationship building and demand management, mainly referred to aggregation and dealing with complex organizational structures, preparation of business cases and understanding of the supply market, as well as sharing knowledge with projects in order to achieve reductions of costs and savings.

Maintaining the highest degree of personal and professional ethics, the Procurement Specialist promotes a collaborative, client-focused, quality and results-oriented approach in the Business Unit.

The Procurement Specialist works in close collaboration with the programme/project colleagues in the given geographical area and with UNOPS HQ personnel, particularly with the Procurement Group (PG), as well as the Government officials, to successfully deliver procurement services.

The Procurement Specialist will work in close cooperation with the Business Unit and Project Managers and report to the management on central issues related to procurement activities. S/he supervises and leads procurement personnel to deliver work results, in close cooperation with the leadership team in the given geographical area.

Functions / Key Results Expected

  1. Development and implementation of procurement strategies
  2. Management of procurement processes
  3. Implementation of sourcing strategy and e-procurement tools
  4. Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing
  5. Team Management

1. Leads the development and implementation of procurement and contracting strategies for goods, services and works, focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Appropriate application of UNOPS procurement governance framework (rules, regulations, policies and tools) in Business Unit and Project operations.
  • Provision of supply-market intelligence and analysis.
  • Procurement strategies, approaches and plans designed and implemented according to cost reduction and saving strategies, applying:
  • Expertise in market intelligence matched to business requirements;
  • Optimal Stakeholder management principles;
  • Sustainability criteria;
  • Appropriate work processes to individual cases.
  • Oversight and supervision of the implementation and results of strategic and routine procurement work plans in Business Unit, covering Pre-Purchasing: Strategy and Planning; Requirements Definition; Sourcing; Purchasing: Solicitation; Management of Submissions; Evaluation; Review and Award; Post Purchasing: Contract finalization and issuance; Logistics; and Contract Management.

2. Manage and guide procurement processes for the acquisition of goods, services and the construction of works for the Business Unit, focusing on achievement of the following results, in compliance with the official procurement policies, rules, regulations and procedures:

  • Sustainability embedded in the procurement process.
  • Appropriate procurement modalities and instruments applied (e-sourcing, procurement and Rosters of Suppliers) based on individual case requirements, utilizing expert knowledge of procurement policies and instruments.
  • Creation, implementation and oversight of proper monitoring and control of procurement processes in Business Unit and projects including organization of RFQ, ITB or RFP, receipt of quotations, bids or proposals, their evaluation, negotiation of certain conditions of contracts in full compliance with UNOPS Procurement rules and regulations.
  • Review and pre-clearance of solicitation documents, requests for awards and submissions to Contract and Property Committees (CPCs) in role of Procurement Reviewer (in OneUNOPS or Enterprise system).
  • Procurement contracts and contractors optimally managed through supplier and contract performance management against agreed benchmarks and through agreed reporting mechanisms.
  • Implementation of Internal control system.
  • Elaboration of comments regarding project audit reports of the Business Units, when necessary.

3. Ensure introduction and implementation of sourcing strategy and e-procurement tools focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Creation, development and management of rosters of suppliers, elaboration of supplier selection and evaluation, quality and performance measurement mechanisms.
  • Ensures that the e-sourcing tools are used in accordance with PG goals and standards in this area.

4. Team Management

  • Facilitate the engagement and provision of high quality results and services of the team supervised through effective recruitment, work planning, performance management, coaching, and promotion of learning and development.
  • Provide oversight, ensuring compliance by team members with existing policies and best practices.

5. Knowledge building and Knowledge sharing

  • Organize, facilitate and/or deliver training and learning initiatives for Business Unit personnel on Procurement-related topics.
  • Lead and conduct initiatives on capacity development and knowledge building for procurement personnel, including network development, plans, learning plans and activities, procurement practice information and best practice benchmarking.
  • Oversee team’s contributions to Procurement knowledge networks and communities of practice including collaborative synthesis of lessons learnt and dissemination of best practices in procurement management.
  • Guide team’s collection of feedback, ideas, and internal knowledge about processes and best practices and utilize productively.

Education

  • Advanced Degree preferably in Procurement and/or Supply Chain Management, Law, Commerce, Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Economics or related field is required.
  • A First University degree in combination with a minimum of seven (7) years’ qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
  • For those who do not have a degree in Procurement of Supply Chain Management, Chartered Institute of Supply and Management (CIPS) or similar international Certification, is a distinct advantage.

Experience

  • A minimum of five (5) years’ professional experience at the international level or in combination with three (3) years at the national level, in advising on implementing policies and procedures to deliver a range of complex procurement programmes and services is required.
  • Experience with Enterprise systems including OneUNOPS is desirable.
  • Some experience in UN system organizations, preferably in a developing country, is desirable.
  • Knowledge of UN/UNOPS Procurement Rules and Regulations is a distinct advantage.

Language Requirements

  • Fluency in English is essential.

Contract type: Ongoing ICA Contract level: International ICA 2, ICS10 Contract duration: Open-ended subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and/or to satisfactory performance

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link: https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Additional Considerations

  • Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time.
  • Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
  • Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
  • UNOPS embraces diversity and it is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, or disability.
  • UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
  • Work life harmonization – UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
  • 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 (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
  • The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.
  • All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, 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 recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

Background Information – UNOPS

UNOPS – an operational arm of the United Nations – supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by successfully implementing its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management, and human resources.

Working with us

We are proud of our people. With a wealth of knowledge and skills in various disciplines – engineering, finance, human resources, ICT, leadership, project management, procurement, and more – they help tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time. Their work around the world supports progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

At UNOPS, we offer a range of short- and long-term opportunities in various environments and duty stations – from Denmark and Kenya to Mexico, Switzerland, Myanmar, Senegal, Uganda, and many more.

Diversity

With over 5,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,400 personnel recruited on behalf of our partners, spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced and diverse labor force — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs. We continually strive to maintain our gender-balanced workplace. We encourage qualified underrepresented groups as per UNOPS Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy to apply for our vacancies.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.

How to apply

Please follow the link below:

https://jobs.unops.org/pages/viewvacancy/VADetails.aspx?id=24653#6

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