Director, Procurement Group

Contract

This is a D-1 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 15 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 232,960 USD and 293,971 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

Background Information - UNOPS

Please note that the scope of this role is substantially different from the previously advertised under the name of “Director, Procurement Group”.

Procurement is so much more than a process or transaction, it can act as a powerful catalyst to drive sustainable development in so many ways that we need to better understand, so that we can even better serve our partners. UNOPS is looking for a dynamic leader that agrees with this perspective and can take this forward into actions and tangible results

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development. UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

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

Background Information - PG

The Procurement Group (PG) forms part of the Implementation Practices and Standards (IPS) function, which is responsible for the UNOPS delivery practices. The Group leads UNOPS procurement and supply chain practice, through the following core functions:

• Providing strategic direction and leadership of UNOPS sustainable procurement and supply chain practices to expand on and improve the quality of the UNOPS’ support to partners .
• Driving innovative procurement policies, processes, tools and digitalisation of procurement; strengthening the knowledge, skills and competencies of procurement practitioners and overseeing their successful application.
• Furthering UNOPS position as a value added partner to governments by enabling sustainable public procurement and supply chain to be tools for the global development agenda.

Functional Responsibilities

Strategic and people leadership 1. Corporate leadership 2. Representation, business development and partnerships 3. Capability development and knowledge management

Reporting to the Director of Implementation Practices and Standards, the Director Procurement Group will:

1. Strategic and people leadership - With an appreciation for the impact of changes and the relationship between the global development environment and sustainable public procurement, set the strategy for an expanded role of UNOPS in sustainable public procurement and sustainable and resilient supply chains, and be accountable for its overall results. - Inspire and lead the evolution of the UNOPS approach, standards, policies and tools for sustainable procurement. Partner with and influence senior UNOPS stakeholders to shape direction of procurement and supply chain practices and their effective adoption and integration into UNOPS operations and support to Partners. - Lead the continued professionalism and digitisation of procurement in UNOPS to improve performance in speed, quality and risk management - Analyse and prioritise effectively. Establish the work plan for the Procurement Group, including setting of the objectives for impact, performance measures, standards and expected results. Monitor its implementation. - Assess the performance and efficacy of UNOPS procurement and take decisions on the appropriate changes to enhance/maximise results. - In the Procurement Group, foster a culture of teamwork, collaboration and inclusivity by enabling a positive work environment, respectful of both men and women, and ensure that the highest standards of conduct are observed. - Plan, recruit and develop a flexible workforce with the skills and competencies needed to ensure optimum performance, and ensure gender and geographical diversity.

2. Corporate leadership - Be an active member of the Implementation Practices and Standards Management Team and support the Director IPS in providing corporate governance, corporate risk management, decision making, and setting strategic direction of UNOPS. - Provide advice to the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) on integrating the direction of procurement and supply chain practices into UNOPS strategy. - Ensure the Director of Implementation Practices and Standards is kept informed of opportunities, trends and issues in procurement and supply chain which are relevant to UNOPS positioning or impact on UNOPS results. Advise on their effective integration into development planning. - Role model UNOPS values and behavioral competencies, and provide leadership in business and organisational culture development, in order for UNOPS to build a motivated workforce and an inclusive, collaborative and agile work environment.

3. Representation, business development and partnerships - Partner with and influences UNOPS senior stakeholders to effectively lead thought leadership and the value proposition of UNOPS sustainable procurement services as tools and enablers for sustainable development for UNOPS to evolve these into engagements and project results. - Motivate key stakeholders towards common goals through involvement and by being able to articulate the goals clearly and persuasively. - Further UNOPS position as a value added partner to governments and other clients by enabling sustainable public procurement and supply chain to be tools for the global development agenda. - Build key partnerships to complement and supplement UNOPS delivery capability. - Collaborate with the Director of Regional Portfolios, the Director of Partnerships & Liaison Group and the respective Regional Directors to create and maximise opportunities to position UNOPS at the forefront of sustainable public procurement and ensure UNOPS is visibly contributing to industry and sector knowledge. - Represent UNOPS in public forums and the development sector to advocate for transparent, effective and sustainable procurement practices and to collaborate and build alliances with partners and stakeholders and to ensure UNOPS remains a competent and recognized expert organization in international development and project services. - Represent UNOPS in senior inter-agency meetings, to promote the organization, influence policy discussion and to identify potential areas for UNOPS partnership and engagement.

4. Capability development and knowledge management - Shapes the procurement standards, assurance mechanisms and relevant strategic initiatives and empowers the Procurement Group team to deliver with high results on these. - Assess the impact of changes and the relationship between the global development environment and sustainable public procurement, and determine the strategy and approaches for ensuring an aligned capability development, professionalization and performance of procurement practitioners. - Lead the planning, implementation and organization of capacity building of personnel, partners and other stakeholders in the area of procurement. - Guide, monitor and evaluate the implementation of UNOPS standards for competencies, education and experience requirements for sustainable procurement practitioners. - Establish and maintain a collaborative dialogue with UNOPS colleagues, internal and external partners and/or governing bodies to promote a shared commitment to professionalization and learning in sustainable and public procurement practices. - Keep abreast of, and be adept in, innovative procurement techniques and practices as they impact on development objectives.

Competencies

Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organization. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organization. Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles. Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role). Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries. Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements. Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving. Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education- A Master’s degree in business administration, procurement and supply management, engineering, public administration, law, economics, international development or other related field is required.

• 2 additional years of relevant work experience, in combination with a relevant first level university (bachelor’s degree or equivalent), may substitute for the requirement of a master’s degree.

Experience - A minimum of 10 years of experience that combines strategic and people leadership, including proven track record of transformational leadership is required.

• Advanced knowledge of sustainable supply chain management principles and approaches and demonstrated experience applying this knowledge to achieve results is required.

• Demonstrated understanding of supply chain issues in an international development context is required.

• Experience working at leadership level in or with governmental institutions is desirable.

• Experience establishing and maintaining broad collaborative relationships and strategic networks and partnerships to expand collaboration is desirable.

Languages- Full working knowledge of English is required.

• Knowledge of another official UN language is an asset.

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: Staff Contract level: D1 Contract duration: One year initially, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and funding availability

For more details about United Nations staff contracts, please follow this link: https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/UN-Staff-Contracts.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.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• 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.
• Relevant candidates will be contacted by the headhunting firm first, namely Egon Zehnder, which is supporting the selection process

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.