UN WOMEN: PROCUREMENT ASSOCIATE

Background

Candidates who previously applied need not re-apply. UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. Placing women’s rights at the center of all its efforts. UNWOMEN has worked on gender equality and women’s empowerment programming in Sierra Leone since 2002. Currently UN WOMEN Sierra Leone is in the final implementation phase of the Peace building Fund project and has recently started implementation of a project aimed at implementing the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. UN WOMEN is also the lead UN agency for Programme 17 of the UN Joint Vision, which is a four year programme that seeks to address the many challenges to gender equality and women’s empowerment stressed in the CEDAW concluding comments. UN WOMEN will also co-implement a Gender Equitable Local Development project with UNCDF. UN WOMEN serves as the Secretariat for the UN Gender Theme Group. Under the guidance and supervision of the Operations Manager, the Procurement Associate ensures execution of transparent and efficient procurement services and processes consistent with UN Women rules and regulations. The Procurement Associate promotes a client-focused, quality and results- oriented approach and ensure: (i) compliance with UN Women policies and regulations; (ii) effective systems to support programme delivery and growth; (iii) accountability to organizational values and principles; and (iv) an enabling workplace environment in which staff potential is maximized. She/he also works in collaboration with operations staff in other UN Agencies, UN Women Regional Office (RO) and HQ staff and Government officials to successfully deliver procurement services.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions: Implementation of operational strategies; Organization of procurement processes; Control of Country Office (CO) Assets; Logistical and General administration support; Knowledge building and knowledge sharing. Implementation of operational strategies; Full compliance of procurement activities with UN/UN Women rules, regulations, policies and strategies; implementation of the effective internal control; Procurement business processes mapping and elaboration of the content of internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in Procurement and Logistics in consultation with the direct supervisor and office management. Organization of procurement processes: Preparation of procurement plans for the office and projects and their implementation monitoring; Prepare procurement related reports and analyses; research and draft responses to inquiries for clearance by the Operation Manager; Liaise with Management and Administration Division on procurement related issues. Implement corporate procurement management policies and strategies in support of the operations of the RO and CO; Review procurement requests and initiate procurement procedures for office and project equipment, supplies and services in a transparent and cost effective manner. Control of Country Office (CO) Assets: Preparation of inventory reports; Implementation of Inventory and physical verification control in the CO and projects. Logistical and General administration support: Organization of travel including purchase of tickets, DSA calculation, PO preparation; arrangement of shipments; vehicle maintenance; conference facilities arrangements; Timely conducted DSA, Travel Agencies, vehicle maintenance, hotel and conference facilities surveys; Review and prepare material for common system activities relating to common services and premises, procurement processes, etc. and represent UN Women in related inter-agency meeting sand working groups in the absence of supervisor Knowledge building and knowledge sharing: Organization of trainings for the operations/ projects staff on Procurement; Synthesis of lessons learnt and best practices in Procurement; Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice; Perform any other duties as may be assigned by the management of the Country Office.

Competencies

Core Values/Guiding Principles: Integrity: Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct. Professionalism: Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work. Cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity: Demonstrate an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrate an international outlook, appreciating difference in values and learning from cultural diversity Core Competencies: Ethics and Values: Demonstrate and safeguard ethics and integrity; Organizational Awareness: Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment. Development and Innovation: Take charge of self-development and take initiative; Work in teams: Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds. Communicating and Information Sharing: Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for effective communication. Self-management and Emotional Intelligence:  Stay composed and positive even in difficult moments, handle tense situations with diplomacy and tact, and have a consistent behavior towards others. Conflict Management: Surface conflicts and address them proactively acknowledging different feelings and views and directing energy towards a mutually acceptable solution. Continuous Learning and Knowledge Sharing: Encourage learning and sharing of knowledge. Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making: Demonstrate informed and transparent decision making. Functional Competencies: Solid knowledge of UN/ UN Women rules, regulations, guidelines and procedures as relate to procurement, assets management and facilities management; Familiarity with Internal Control Framework principles as relates to procurement; Demonstrated knowledge of the procurement process, including planning, solicitation methods and evaluation, contractor appraisal evaluation and negotiation of offers, management of the contract and contractor, payment conditions, risk assessment; Solid knowledge of automated procurement systems; Ability to provide input to business processes re-engineering and implementation of new systems; Effective at multi-tasking; Good analytical and problem-solving skills; Strong organizational and planning skills; Strong focus on client service; ensuring impact and results for client; Produces quality outputs in a timely manner; Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude; Ability to work well under pressure, and to meet deadlines.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:    Completion of secondary education required; Specialized training in procurement an advantage; University degree or equivalent in Business or Public Administration is an asset. Experience:   Minimum of 6 years’ experience of progressively responsible administrative, procurement or related experience at the national or international level; Experience in working in a computer environment using multiple office software packages, experience in handling of web based management systems and ERP systems, preferably PeopleSoft; Successful completion of UNDP Procurement Certification within the first 3 months of joining the position.  Language Requirements:      Fluency in English is required; Knowledge of French would be considered an asset for interactions at the regional level. Application: All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded fromhttp://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment; Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment. UN Women Background: In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

REFER A FRIEND APPLY NOW