Supply and Procurement Officer

Volunteering Admin Logistics & Procurement

Contract

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The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does—in programs, in advocacy, and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop, and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias, or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life—in its social, political, economic, civic, and cultural dimensions—her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education, and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens—addressing inequity—not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations .

The International UNV Supply and Procurement Specialist will be supporting the procurement of goods and services for UNICEF Malawi, where the market is affected by a deteriorating economic situation, limited suppliers, and service providers that are extremely prone to foreign exchange risk and a shortage of US dollars, which has impacted their access to hard currencies, limiting their ability to timely import goods. The Specialist will contribute to strengthening the procurement of goods and services by proactive market assessment, identification of new vendors and suppliers, brainstorming vendor expansion strategies, and collaboration with other UN agencies aimed at enhancing competition, reducing dependency on a few service providers, and materializing the concept of value for money. He or she will further contribute to risk management related to procurement including, but not limited to, potential fraud, corruption, favoritism, and other practices that are not in line with the principles of fair, transparent, and competitive procurement of goods and services.

Under the direct supervision of the Procurement Specialist - Supply Section, the UN Volunteer will:

• Support programme sections in developing, reviewing, and updating supply plans to reflect evolving needs and funding realities. • Track implementation of supply plans and flag delays, deviations, and risks to management. • Analyze supply dashboards and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) performance to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies. • Support evidence-based decision making through data analysis and reporting. • Conduct root-cause analysis of procurement and supply chain delays and recommend corrective actions. • Undertake periodic trend analysis of procurement activities to identify opportunities for process simplification and efficiency gains. • Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, including digitization and workflow optimization. • Support identification and monitoring of risks in supply planning and procurement processes. • Analyze patterns related to procurement anomalies, potential fraud, diversion, or inefficiencies. • Provide recommendations to strengthen internal controls and compliance mechanisms. • Support programme sections in mitigating risks related to aid diversion and misuse of supplies. • Support market research initiatives and contribute to mapping of suppliers and service providers. • Collaborate with UN agencies to undertake joint market surveys and share intelligence. • Analyze market trends (pricing, availability, foreign exchange impacts) and provide insights for procurement strategies. • Support initiatives to diversify supplier base and enhance competition. • Coordinate with UN agencies to identify opportunities for joint procurement and shared services. • Liaise with regional offices and other country offices to explore regional procurement options for high-value goods. • Contribute to knowledge sharing and alignment with global and regional supply strategies. • Support programme sections and partners in strengthening supply planning and monitoring capacities. • Assist in documenting lessons learned, best practices, and standard operating procedures. • Contribute to training and orientation of programme staff on supply processes and tools. • Provide analytical and coordination support to construction procurement and logistics planning (without direct contract management responsibilities). • Support logistics teams through data tracking and coordination (e.g., customs clearance follow-ups, pipeline visibility).

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities: • Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; • Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities. • Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers; • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Results or expected outputs • As an active UNICEF team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNICEF and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including: o Contributed to strengthening procurement risk management o Played an active role in combating potential fraud and corruption in the procurement process o Championed ethics and integrity around procurement o Supported creation of an environment of accountability and trust o Demonstrated professionalism and high procurement standards • Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment • A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed

• Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNICEF; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNICEF procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented;

• Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNICEF in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority;

• Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues;

• Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment.

• Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities;

• Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups;

• Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary;

• Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNICEF mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

• At least 7 years of experience in procurement and supply chain management. Experience working outside the home country is an asset. • Good computer skills, including data analysis and reporting. • Excellent oral and written English communication skills. • Ability to travel to the field and contribute to partners' capacity development and system strengthening.

Malawi is a peaceful country neighboring Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique. It has pleasant weather whereby the temperature, on average, moves between 9 and 30 Celsius throughout the year with rainy and dry seasons. Public healthcare is not well developed and often people travel to neighboring countries for complicated health issues. A wide range of accommodation options are available such as standalone houses, gated compounds, apartments, etc. The living cost in Malawi is affected by dual exchange rate whereby the difference between the difference between the official market and the parallel market exchange rate is more than 50 per cent. However, food, water, electricity, cooking gas and all other household needs are available. Malawi is a unique country and often affected by climate shocks that result in natural disasters and humanitarian operation. It provides for an interesting and enriching environment, but also requires a mature level of cultural awareness, as well as more stamina and commitment than elsewhere to make life comfortable and affordable. Therefore, flexibility and the ability and willingness to live and work in harsh and potentially hazardous conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort, are essential.

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Added 18 hours ago - Updated 8 hours ago - Source: unv.org