Procurement Specialist

Background Information - Job-specific

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects. 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.

UNOPS Madagascar, which was established in 2022 and is currently expanding, provides services through its main office based in Antananarivo and has opened branch offices in several regions of the country. The UNOPS office responds to the support needs of the Malagasy government with funding from multilateral and bilateral donors. UNOPS Madagascar provides a wide range of infrastructure, procurement and project management services and aims to extend its support to diversified projects, the provision of basic services and other related services, particularly in the field of economic and social infrastructure (construction and rehabilitation) and financial management in sectors such as agriculture, transport/public works, renewable energy, health, environment and climate change.

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the project manager, 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.

He/she 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.

The candidate should be ready to start as soon as possible at the beginning of March 2025

Functional Responsibilities

Management of procurement processes

Implementation of sourcing strategy and e-procurement tools

Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing

Team Management

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. 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 as 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.

Advanced Degree preferably in Procurement and/or Supply Chain Management, Law, Commerce, Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Economics or related field.

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 Insitute of Supply and Management (CIPS) or similar international Certification, is a distinct advantage.

Knowledge of UN/ /UNOPS Procurement Rules and Regulations 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.

Experience in working with a range of stakeholders in developing and developed countries;

Personnel supervisory experience in procurement;

Some experience in UN system organizations, preferably in a developing country, is desirable.

Experience in the usage of computers and software packages (Google workspace is an asset). LANGUAGE:

knowledge or professional French is an important asset

knowledge of the working language in english is required

Knowledge of another official UNOPS language is an asset.

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Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.

Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions

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.

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.

Located in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) the UNOPS Central Africa Multi Country Office
(UNOPS CAMCO) covers 15 countries: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Comores, Congo Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, and Seychelles. CDMCO has close to a $400million portfolio, comprising over 42 projects close to 250 personnel. Growth and geographical expansion are key priorities for CAMCO, with special attention to the African SIDS: Cape Verde, Comoros, Mauritius, Sao Tome & Principe, Seychelles as well as on growth and consolidation of those lagging in portfolio development such as Angola, Cameroon, Burundi, and Rwanda.