Junior Procurement Specialist

Assist with procurement activities to optimize organizational resources.

This opening expired 2 years ago. Do not try to apply for this job.

FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

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Application deadline 2 years ago: Wednesday 27 Sep 2023 at 21:59 UTC

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Overview

Assist with procurement activities to optimize organizational resources.

You have:

  • University Degree in Law, Business, Administration, Economics, Public Administration or Commerce or a related field.
  • A minimum of 24 months of relevant experience in procurement and supply chain related activities including internships.
  • Working knowledge (Level C) of English, French or Spanish and limited knowledge (Category B) of one of the other two or Arabic, Chinese, Russian.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of internationally recognized procurement standards and international procurement techniques.
  • Experience in logistics operations.
  • Knowledge of procurement-related IT tools and systems.

Organizational Setting

Procurement Service provides policy and operational support to ensure that the Organization procures good, works and services based on 'Best Value for Money' principles.

The Procurement Consultant will be located at FAO HQ and will perform a variety of procurement activities aimed to assist headquarters units and field offices requiring specialized procurement support.

Reporting Lines

The Procurement Specialistwill work under the general guidance of the Senior Procurement Officer/Senior Contracts Officer and under the direct supervision of a Contracts or Procurement Officer, as appropriate for functional and policy guidance.

Technical Focus

Attract young talents with basic experience matured thanks to internship and/or initial experience matured in the humanitarian supply-chian sector to work in FAO HQs Procurement Services Units responsible for procurement of goods and/or services or quality-assurance of Letter of Agreements with no-profit partners.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Review and analyze procurement requests for completeness and conformity with established FAO rules, procedures and practice; liaise with the requesters, as necessary, and recommend to supervisor appropriate strategy/approach to best serve institutional interests including requests from Headquarters divisions or decentralized offices to undertake procurement locally;

• Assist in preparing evaluation criteria, for more complex procurement actions, tender documents and contracts. Assist in preparing office procurement plans, developing and implementing directly or indirectly procurement strategies for requested goods/services/works taking into consideration the associated risks and the related mitigation measures.

• Perform operational functions relating to the procurement process including, but not limited to, preparation of documents in FAO’s ERP system and other office applications related to assigned procurement actions, issuance of tenders and purchase orders/contracts, evaluation of bids/proposals, follow-up with suppliers/contractors including follow-up on orders/contracts to ensure timely delivery/contract execution, etc.

• If based in HQ, assist the supervisor in providing guidance to Organization staff particularly in country offices on procurement/contracting matters and on the implementation of procurement strategies and processes in conformity with the relevant rules, procedures and practices;

• If based in field offices, lead the local procurement team directly or acting as secondary supervisor assisting the International Procurement Officer (where present), for: review/preparation of field office procurement function assessment and improvement plans, local procurement staff TORs revision and preparation, procurement staff performance evaluation, local procurement staff capacities development,

• Make recommendation of awards for procurement activities relating to the purchase of goods or contracting of services/works;

• If based in HQ, review and analyze requests for ad-hoc re-delegation of authority received from country offices; if based in field office, prepare and introduce requests for ad-hoc re-delegation of authority to CSLP HQ relevant unit

• Provide advice and guidance to colleagues on the use of IT applications, including e-tendering tools, utilized in the Procurement Service;

• Participate in procurement missions worldwide, providing support and training to decentralized offices as necessary;

• Produce relevant reports to support contract monitoring;

• Perform other duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University Degree in Law, Business, Administration, Economics, Public Administration or Commerce or a related field.

• A minimum of 24 months (COF.REG Category C) of relevant experience in procurement and supply chain related activities (NB internship period are considered acceptable relevant experience if related to procurement and supply chain, especiallay if completed in organizations operating in the humanitarian sector).

• Working knowledge (Level C) of English, French or Spanish and limited knowledge (Category B) of one of the other two or Arabic, Chinese, Russian, (for PSA only English may be required).

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus

• Teamwork

• Communication

• Building Effective Relationships

• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Demonstrated knowledge of internationally recognized procurement standards and international procurement techniques and operations used in contracting for goods and services;

• Extent and relevance of experience in public sector procurement dealing with contractual issues;

• Extent and relevance of experience in identifying clients' procurement-related needs and in providing support and guidance from clients' point of view;

• Experience in logistics operations is an asset desirable;

• Knowledge of procurement-related IT tools and systems (i.e. enterprise resource planning, inventory management, procurement, database management applications, etc.) is desirable.

Potential interview questions

Can you describe a time when you had to analyze a procurement request? This question assesses your analytical skills and ability to follow procurement protocols. Provide an example focusing on your approach to ensuring compliance and effectiveness.
How do you handle tight deadlines in procurement operations? The interviewer wants to know your time management skills and ability to cope under pressure. Pro members can see the explanation.
Can you explain your experience with e-tendering tools? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Describe a situation where you provided guidance related to procurement processes. Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What strategies do you think are effective in achieving 'Best Value for Money' in procurement? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Added 2 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: fao.org