Generic Vacancy Announcement: Procurement Services Officer, NOA, East Jerusalem, State of Palestine

Contract

This is a NO-1 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. More about NO-1 contracts.

UNICEF works in some of the world's toughest places, to reach the world's most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfil their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, Support

UNICEF in the State of Palestine works to uphold the rights of children to access services and protection, from early childhood through to adolescence. Our objective is to ensure that every child in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, irrespective of background or circumstance, has an equal chance to fulfil their potential. We are working for every child and young person in the State of Palestine.

How can you make a difference?

The ability of the Supply Procurement Officer to successfully plan, manage and oversee the effective and efficient supply chain management of goods, services and construction work for UNICEF programmes and the Government, directly impacts on program goals and results for children. This in turn contributes to maintaining/enhancing the credibility of UNICEF as an effective and responsible manager of funds entrusted to the organization and to furthering UNICEF image as a competent organization for delivering cost-effective and sustainable program results for children.

As an advocate for children, you will have the following duties/tasks:

1. Supply chain service delivery and emergency response

• In consultation with supervisor, provide input to the Country Programme Action Planning and advice on Supply requirements for the Plan of Operations in consultation with Government. Provides technical support to government partners in planning, forecasting implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the supply chain operations.
• Acts as a member of the working group on strengthening of supply chain and interacts with stakeholders from government, development organizations, NGOs if applicable.
• Coordinates and provides technical support to the Government in in-country logistics of supplies.
• Active support for supply and logistics planning with focus on forecasting of procurement services commodities through coordination with Government and other partners
• Maintains links with Copenhagen on Procurement Services related cost estimates.
• Designs and conducts training for government and other partners in supply chain management to improve procurement services supply delivery
• Manages Donation approvals and greenlight in consultation with Palestinian and Israeli Authorities
• Prepares draft cost estimates on in-country logistics and shares with Supply Division
• Analyze supply dashboards, implementation rates of key performance indicators and supply information/data from various systems and conduct root cause analysis of supply chain bottlenecks and challenges, with a view to drive improvements and ensure efficient and effective supply chains for children.
• Monitors Procurement Services supplies in the country and of the availability and accessibility of essential supplies for children. Participates in on-going dialogue with Procurement Services partners at various levels. Ensure sound, accurate logistics and Procurement Services management systems, procedures, and documentation as well as regular, accurate reporting to maintain the highest level of integrity, standards, and accountability.
• Build strong working relations with Regional Health and Supply teams as well as Supply Division, to align with global and regional approaches and initiatives in supply chain management.

2. Collaboration with programme partners and donors

• In collaboration with supervisor, develops close collaboration with programme partners through involvement in immunization programme design, planning, and preparation for implementation of supply components as well as monitoring and evaluation. Establish accountability framework with programmes, for delivery of results for children.
• Prepare supply documentation to facilitate input to donor dialogue, and support development of immunization/health supply components of proposals to donors including budgeting.
• Participate in events/meetings that build partnerships and collaborative relations with Government, UN organizations and bilateral counterparts in supply and logistics activities including harmonized and collaborative procurement.
• Provide technical and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners, and other country office partners/donors on the application and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes, and best practices on health-related issues to support programme implementation, operations and delivery of results.
• Provide technical capacity building to government counterparts on planning, forecasting, and budgeting, in the context of essential health supply priorities.
• Support MOH in the deployment and successful implementation of COVID-19 vaccination program. Advocate/ensure all COVAX vaccines’ legal documents (indemnity agreements, side letters, etc.) are processed timely in order to avoid delays with the supplies of COVID-19 vaccines.

3. Technical and advisory support to government/national systems

• Provide input to promoting of supply chain strengthening and change management initiatives with governments and partners, to ensure efficient and effective supply chains for children.
• Provide input to capacity development initiatives in the area of supply chains for children, in close collaboration with supervisor and programme colleagues. Support supply components of health systems strengthening as might be relevant in the country context.
• Prepare relevant supply reports to facilitate advisory support to Governments/national systems in defining and determining supply solutions, such as use of procurement services, supply financing solutions.
• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with health sector government counterparts and national stakeholders, including Ministry of Finance, through active sharing of information and knowledge to enhance programme implementation and build capacity of stakeholders to deliver concrete and sustainable results.
• Draft communication and information materials for CO programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnerships/alliances, and support fund raising for health programmes.
• Advise the MOH on global best practices in supply and logistics for essential supplies with support from SD.

4. Innovation, products, and markets

• Contribute to pilots and support the actual roll-out of new products and services, in close collaboration with supervisor and Supply Division.
• Support initiatives for promote critical thinking, innovative approaches, and good practices on supply chain management within the organization as well as with externals to ensure effective and efficient supply chains for children.
• Further to analysis of supply spending and related procurement strategies, support initiatives to ensure local market development where relevant.
• Coordinate and support in implementation of Vaccine Logistics Management Information System (VLMIS) and other digitalization activities in health programme
• As new, complex projects materialize, the post will contribute to the coordination and organization around the identification, planning and execution of such projects.

To qualify as a Champion for every child you will have:

• A university degree is required in Business Administration, Management, Economics, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Procurement, Contract/Commercial Law, International Development, Health, or related social science field.
• A minimum of two (2) years of relevant experience, at the national and international levels, in supply, logistics, administration and/or other directly related technical fields is required.
• Understanding of development and humanitarian work.
• Experience working in supply chain or health system strengthening.
• Emergency experience an advantage.
• Fluency in English and Arabic are required.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are:

Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1) Works Collaboratively with others (1) Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1) Innovates and Embraces Change (1) Thinks and Acts Strategically (1) Drive to achieve impactful results (1) Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

** Candidates who previously applied for the recent GVA and still maintain their interest are strongly encouraged to resubmit their applications.