Vacancy code: VA/2015/B0012/7095

Position title: IICA 2 Procurement Specialist - General Goods and Services

Level: ICS-10

Department/office: Sustainable Procurement

Duty station: Copenhagen, Denmark

Contract type: International ICA

Contract level: IICA-2

Duration: 1 year

Application period: 23-Mar-2015 to 08-Apr-2015

United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity

Background Information - UNOPS

UNOPS mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner.

Within these three core areas of expertise, UNOPS provides its partners with advisory, implementation and transactional services, with projects ranging from building schools and hospitals, to procuring goods and services and training local personnel. UNOPS works closely with governments and communities to ensure increased economic, social and environmental sustainability for the projects we support, with a focus on developing national capacity.

Working in some of the world's most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices in development, humanitarian and peacebuilding contexts, always satisfying or surpassing partner expectations.

We employ more than 6,000 personnel and on behalf of our partners create thousands more work opportunities in local communities. Through our headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark and a network of offices, we oversee activities in more than 80 countries.

Background Information - Job-specific

The overall aim of the Sustainable Procurement Practice Group is to ensure sustainability in all activities, including in partnerships, provide speedy and quality advice and services by leveraging on existing global knowledge, building and sharing knowledge further, and by increasing revenue through focus on commodities, economies of scale, and taking advantage of automation solutions to reach out to partners.

The purpose of UNOPS Procurement Operations Unit is to lead the strategic approach for all procurement and supply chain activities to ensure the goal of sustainability and to achieve process simplification and best value, leveraging volumes and shaping markets through proper planning, the establishment of commodity teams, a focus on results across the global organization. Further, the Procurement Operations Unit has the responsibility to support business development with special attention to optimizing business support through electronic catalogues and will ensure the procurement function across UNOPS is conducted with a transparent, consistent and efficient process from end to end underpinning it with the systems, analytics, agreements and expertise to facilitate best in class provision of services both within and outside the organization. Collaboration and outreach across UNOPS delivery practices and operational centres will be critical to success.

The purpose of UNOPS Sourcing function is to provide leadership regarding supplier management, sourcing methodology, solicitation practices and operationalizing sustainable procurement. The Team is to introduce procurement planning and supply positioning to support a more strategic assessment of procurement actions. The team is to manage and coordinate multi-disciplinary commodity teams to achieve best value solutions for strategic goods/services and provide subject matter expertise to support UNOPS global procurement in key areas. In addition the team will undertake procurements where appropriate and will lead the procurements for common goods and services. The team's responsibility will cover the end to end procurement, supply chain and contract management processes.

Functional Responsibilities

Provide expertise, support and advice on sustainable procurement of goods and services through:

• Identification of procurement needs at the project development stage;
• In close cooperation with stakeholders, such as other UN agencies, donors, NGOs and other departments within UNOPS, preparation of realistic procurement plans and development of appropriate procurement strategies;
• Conceptualization, elaboration and implementation of procurement and contract strategy including tendering processes and evaluation, contractor appraisal, evaluation and negotiation of offers, administration of the contract and the performance management of the contractors, legal considerations and payment conditions as well as risk assessment.
• Preparation and review of technical specifications and/or terms of references
• Assistance in cost estimations for the required goods/services;
• Regular reporting on acquisition processes using procurement process monitoring systems and mechanisms
• Lead and/or participate actively on commodity teams for strategic commodity groups.
• Participation in procurement training programs.
• Guide other staff through the procurement process as necessary (other practitioners, evaluation committee members, clients etc.)

Manage strategic and operational procurement projects by:

• Planning, developing and managing all procurement-related aspects of solicitations for complex and diverse works, services and commodities, taking into account sustainability aspects, the local economic and other market or political conditions.
• Advising requisitioning units; on the procurement process, including drafting of clear TORs or specifications, creation of technical and financial evaluations, the evaluation phase and the contract submission award process. Preparing and distributing solicitations and conducting and coordinating all aspects of bid/proposal evaluations.
• Preparing the case presentations for review and recommendation by appropriate contract review body,
• Formulating strategies and designing innovative solutions to minimize and resolve, issues/conflicts for complex procurement projects.
• Establishing and maintaining work program and schedule for on-going contracts and newly-planned ones.
• Leading negotiations with supplier representatives; signs procurement orders up to the authorized limit.
• Conducting market research to keep abreast of market developments; researching and analyzing statistical data and market reports on the world commodity situation, production patterns and availability of goods and services.
• Identifying new technologies, and products/services, evaluating and recommending potential supply sources and updating the procurement program based on these results.
• Assisting stakeholders with amendments and extensions of contracts, contract administration throughout the life cycle of the contract and other procurement-related contractual issues.
• Analyze the quality of goods and/or services delivered in relation to the needs of the operation/stakeholder and established quality standards.
• Updating buyers' and suppliers' profiles in the internal Enterprise Resource system, preparing Purchase Orders and Receipts, implementing the internal control system to ensure that purchase orders are duly prepared and dispatched, taking timely corrective actions on Purchase Orders with budget check errors and other problems.
• Performing such other duties and responsibilities relevant to the functions of a Procurement Specialist.

. Supervisory and coaching skills for staff who may report to the Procurement Specialist.

Competencies

Representational and Client-focused

• Ability to serve and manage clients needs; be able to represent and promote UNOPS through knowledge and partnership building within the UN and other forums.

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture. In-depth knowledge on public sector procurement solutions, systems and tools.
• Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills to tasks.

Ability to Analyze

• Displays analyzing abilities specific to procurement;
• is able to understand and assess complexities, takes reasoned approach and discusses them with other key players for a balanced view and is able to match the scope of the solution by optimal use of the organisation's resources, with attention to detail and ability to convert data to useful information.

Communication

• Proven ability to write in a clear and concise manner to communicate effectively with stakeholders.
• Ability to communicate technical concepts in a manner relevant to stakeholders (procurement advisors, procurement associates, procurement specialists, and other end users).

Planning and Organizing

• Experience in project work;
• ability to allocate appropriate time and resources for completing the work and managing conflicting priorities.
• Identifies priority activities and assignments adjusting priorities where required.
• Foresees risk and allows for contingencies when planning tasks.

Skills required

• Good understanding of sustainability and sustainable procurement, and solid understanding of procurement and supply chain management.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) in Engineering, Supply Chain / Procurement, Business/Commerce, Accounting/Finance, Law, Economics, or other related discipline is required.
• First level university degree (Bachelor's or equivalent) in related field with additional 2 years of relevant working experience may be accepted in lieu of advanced university degree.

Experience

• Minimum 5 years of experience in leading procurement tenders for complex goods and services projects is required.
• Public Procurement expertise and working experience with the UN is an asset.
• Solid and proven experience in Strategic procurement and supply chain.
• Well-developed analytical thinking, problem solving, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to provide guidance in a timely and understandable manner to staff that may not be familiar with the procurement process and/or rules, regulations or terminology.
• Work experience in developing countries is an asset.
• Work experience in international organizations is an asset.

Languages requirements

• Fluency in English required.
• Working knowledge of Spanish or French would be considered an asset.

Certifications

• Professional certification in procurement, e.g. CIPS Certification level 4 or above is highly desirable.

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: International Individual Contractual Agreement

Contract level:I-ICA 2

Contract duration: 1 year, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and funding availability

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link: 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 (CET)
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• For staff positions UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

Application Information: https://gprs.unops.org/Pages/ViewVacancy/VADetails.aspx?id=7095