Procurement Officer at United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON)

This post is located at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Procurement Section at the Nairobi duty station. Under the supervision of the Chief, Procurement Section, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:

Responsibilities

• Plans, develops and manages all procurement and contractual aspects of projects of significant complexity related to worldwide procurement of diverse services and commodities
• Advises requisitioning units and recipient entities on the full range of procurement issues, providing support and guidance at all stage of the procurement cycle.
• Formulates strategies and designs innovative solutions to resolve issues/conflicts for complex procurement projects and establishes and maintains work program and schedule for ongoing contracts and newly-planned ones.
• Participates in negotiations with senior supplier representatives; signs procurement orders up to the authorized limit, and, in cases where the amount exceeds authorized signature authority, prepares submissions to the Contracts Committee for review and subsequent approval by the authorized official.
• Conducts market research to keep abreast of market developments; researches and analyzes statistical data and market reports on the world commodity situation, production patterns and availability of good and services and identifies new technologies, and products/services, evaluates and recommends potential supply sources and participates in the incorporation of research results into the procurement program.
• Oversees adherence to contractual agreements, recommends amendments and extensions of contracts, and advises concerned parties on contractual rights and obligations and oversees adherence to contractual agreements, recommends amendments and extensions of contracts, and advises concerned parties on contractual rights and obligations.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of internationally recognized procurement standards and of all phases of international procurement techniques and operations used in contracting for a diverse range of goods and services. Knowledge of contract law and expertise in handling complex contract issues. Knowledge of quantitative methods to measure supplier capacity systems and ability to identify sources of supply, market trends and pricing. Ability to shape and influence agreements with requisitioning units and vendors. Ability to apply technical expertise to resolve a range of issues/problems. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
• CLIENT ORIENTATION: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be "clients" and seeks to see things from clients' point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.
• TECHNOLOGICAL AWARENESS: Keeps abreast of available technology; understands applicability and limitation of technology to the work of the office; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; shows willingness to learn new technology.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business administration, public administration, commerce, engineering, law or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Internationally recognized professional certificate such as CIPS level 4 by the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply or equivalent is an advantage.

Work Experience

• A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in procurement, of which at least three (3) years should be direct first hand procurement experience is required.
• Experience in managing procurement of high value and complex requirements in support of development programmes with multiple thematic areas, and operational requirements such as health and security, is desirable.
• Experience supervising a procurement team is desirable.
• Experience working with a Systems, Application and Products (SAP) system or another Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is desirable

Languages

English and French are the working Languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in oral and written English is required. Working knowledge of other UN official languages is an advantage.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

Appointment against this position is for an initial period of one year and may be subject to extension. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

Internal Applicants – when completing the PHP, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up to date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you.

Individual contractors and consultants who have worked within the UN Secretariat in the last six months, irrespective of the administering entity, are ineligible to apply for professional and higher temporary or fixed-term positions and their applications will not be considered.

1. All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. On-line applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. 2. If you do not receive an email acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application, if necessary. If the problem persists please seek technical assistance through the Inspira "Need Help?" link.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.