Procurement Associate

Contract

This is a GS-7 contract. This kind of contract is known as General Service and related categories. It is normally only for nationals. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education. More about GS-7 contracts.

Background

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.

Through the Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia in Istanbul and a number of field offices across the region, UN Women builds on a long history of support to governments, civil society and other actors to deliver for women and girls. We advocate for and enhance accountability for women’s political participation and prevent and respond effectively to violence against women. Our economic empowerment programmes seek greater economic security and rights, particularly for marginalized groups of women. Other programmes in ECARO involve partnering with women in their efforts to engage in peace and reconstruction efforts, and push for gender equality (GE) provisions integral to preparing for, mitigating and responding to disasters and emergencies. To bolster gender-responsive budgeting, public planning and procurement, we assist efforts to monitor the different impacts of budget and policy choices on women and men and to mainstream gender considerations across sectors.

Under the overall guidance of the Operations Manager and daily supervision of the Procurement Analyst, 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 support: (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. The Procurement Associate also works in collaboration with operations staff in other UN Agencies, UN Women Country Offices (CO) and UN Women Regional Office (RO) and HQ staff to successfully deliver procurement services.

Duties and Responsibilities

Functions:

1. Implement procurement strategies in accordance with UN Women rules, regulations, policies and strategies

• Prepare procurement related reports and analyses; research and draft responses to enquiries for clearance by Procurement Analsyt or alternatively the Operations Manager;
• Coordinate the implementation of corporate procurement management policies and strategies in support of cost saving and operations for the RO and COs in the region;
• Prepare workplan;
• Contribute inputs to the development of new tools, systems, policies, manuals, templates, and guidelines;
• Implement new systems for internal control that would ensure compliance of processes with contractual terms and conditions in close collaboration with the programme and operations teams.
• Provide advice and technical support on Procurement related issues to COs in the region;
• Follow up with internal and external audits.

2. Manage procurement processes for the Regional Officeand Country Offices in the region

• Finalize procurement plans for programmes/projects and monitor their implementation;
• Review procurement requests and initiate procurement procedures for office and projects equipment, supplies and services in the ROand COs;
• Organize and review procurement processes including the preparation of Request for Quotations (RFQs), Invitation to Bids (ITBs) or Request for Proposals (RFPs) documents, receipt of quotations, bids or proposals, and their preliminary evaluation;
• Perform Buyer role in ERP system/ Quantum; prepare/close Purchase Orders (POs) and contracts in and outside ERP system/ Quantum;
• Organize joint procurement processes for the UN agencies in line with the UN reform.
• At request of supervisor provide guidance on the formulation and implementation of SSA contracts in compliance with required policy and procedures, including solicitation, evaluation and selection methods, management of the contracts, legal considerations and payment conditions.

3. Manage procurement processes for the Regional Office, and Country Offices

• Review/ process contracts for the RO, MCO, and COs in the region;
• Monitor and analyze contract performance;
• Develop and update the rosters of suppliers, and support implementation of supplier selection and evaluation.

4. Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing

• Develop and support the development of training materials, webinars and other education materials;
• Help develop appropriate contract management / internal procurement tools or guiding materials for standardization and knowledge sharing purposes.
• Organize trainings on Procurement;
• Synthesize lessons learnt and best practices.

Key Performance Indicators:

• Timely coordination, facilitation and implementation of procurement activities based on procurement plans and available budget
• Timely and quality processing of purchase orders
• Timely delivery of services by administration team
• Proper and accurate maintenance of files and databases, documents are easily retrievable
• Timely organization of logistics activities
• Timely and quality advice to the RO and COs in the region

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leading by Example

Functional Competencies:

• Strong knowledge of procurement processes and systems;
• Ability to provide procurement related support and advice;
• Strong knowledge in the use of spreadsheets and database packages;
• Ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines;
• Ability to extract and interpret data;
• Ability to administer and execute administrative processes and transactions;
• Ability to perform work of confidential nature and handle a large volume of work;
• Strong IT and web based management skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification

• Completion of secondary education is required;
• Specialized training in Procurement; or a Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Business Administration or related field is an asset;
• Procurement Certification from an internationally recognized provider such as CIPS (level 3) is an asset;
• Willingness to take UN Women internal procurement certifications is required.

Experience

• At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in procurement, or related administration at the national or international level;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.);
• Experience in handling of web-based management systems, such as Oracle or SAP and advance knowledge of automated procurement systems Experience in working with e-procurement systems.
• Experience in United Nations is an asset.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in English and Turkish is required;
• Working knowledge of another official UN language is an asset.

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel 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.)