Procurement Officer – Job Ref. SA/UNHCR/2509/23-043

Operational Context:

The Regional Bureau for Southern Africa covers 16 countries through 8 offices including the South Africa Multi-Country Office. The Procurement Officer is a critical staff in the Supply unit at the Regional Bureau. S/he is expected to possess excellent knowledge of procurement principles and processes, and be highly motivated and flexible in terms of going on mission at short notice to support country operations. S/he must have the necessary skills and certification in International procurement, interested in continuous learning and have proven ability to conduct trainings and coach/ mentor staff in supply management across the operations including the Bureau and be amenable to supporting colleagues in their procurement related activities. The incumbent must have excellent knowledge of ICT systems and in situations of emergency response where country supply staff is inadequate, the incumbent may be called to step in and support, including directly conducting procurement and supply actions on behalf of the country operations. The staff member must be solutions oriented and responsive in a timely manner to ensure operations have the necessary support. The staff member should also be detail oriented and be meticulous in reviewing documentation and be able to provide analysis of procurement expenditure across the region to identify concerns and gaps.

Duties:

Lead the day-to-day procurement process to ensure timely, cost-effective and adequate delivery of goods and services to support operational needs, factoring in sustainably, economic, environmental and/or climate considerations.
Ensure high quality standards for goods and services procured by UNHCR by developing and maintaining specific internal control and self-evaluation criteria/procedures.
Contribute to the development of procurement and supply chain strategies for important commodities and services and ensure adequate capacity to respond to emergencies.
Coordinate strategic procurement meetings with requesting units to ensure the adoption of an adequate procurement action for specific requirements.
Review and advise on relevant purchase requests to ensure they are complete and in accordance with specifications, standards, procurement policy and procedures, available resources and delivery time.
Conduct market surveys, identify, assess and select vendors based on their capability for timely and effective delivery.
Evaluate purchase requisitions, prepare and dispatch quotation requests and/or tenders, guide and support the evaluation of offers and bid-tabulations.
Prepare the tendering documents (Request for Proposals, terms of references) ensuring that the bidding process is in line with the established UN/UNHCR Financial Rules and Procedures and procurement regulations and guidelines.
Analyse bids, prepare/review financial evaluation and coordinate the entire evaluation process.
Manage negotiations with suppliers and develop and prepare contracts for procurement of goods and services by defining terms and conditions, ensuring best quality/delivery terms and pro-active management of associated risks.
Prepare relevant documents for submissions to the Committee on Contracts.
Prepare Contracts and Purchase Orders based on Statement of Works or Terms of Reference from requesting sections and send confirmations, requests for inspection and other correspondence.
Approve purchase orders according to delegated authority.
Conduct periodic contract performance reviews in conjunction with requesting units and provide feedback to requestors and vendors.
Guide the offices should they need additional office space or extensions to their office leases, lease hold improvements or other construction. Carry out the procurement aspect of the establishment of office leases or extensions.
Coordinate with CBI stakeholders the design and implementation of the market assessment and market monitoring to determine if CBI is option. Carry out the procurement action to contract Financial Service Providers (FSP), including mapping of FSPs.
Advise operations and colleagues on partner procurement multifunctional team role and Partner Procurement Qualification processes and requirements.
Liaise, as appropriate, with the HQ/SMS and requesting units in the field, providing procurement advice on relevant policies and procedures and clarifying terms of reference/specifications.
Disseminate and monitor compliance with UNHCR’s global policies, standards and guidance on supply chain management.
Contribute to effective information flow in the supply chain to achieve operational objectives in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Assist in the resolution of difficulties in the local supply chain by finding solutions to problems and bottlenecks, and provide regular reports on supply chain activities, the status of requests and the availability of items in the supply chain.
Ensure the effective and efficient use of financial and material resources within the rules and procedures of UNHCR.
Contribute to the identification of partners for supply chain projects based on objectives, priorities, strengths, and resources of the Partner and/or contractor, according to criteria consistent with UNHCR rules and regulations.
Support in the coordination of activities of Partners and/or contractors performing supply related activities and ensure that they understand and adhere to relevant UNHCR rules and procedures. Ensure Supply participation in the multifunctional teams for partner verification.
Develop relevant contacts and build constructive relations with government authorities, partner Organizations, UN Agencies and other external counterparts to foster mutual cooperation for timely delivery of goods and services, avoiding bottlenecks such as streamlining green light processes and customs clearance processes.
In coordination with Senior Supply focal points, contribute to the development and provision of procurement training.
Manage staff performance and coordinate procurement activities ensuring broad understanding and adherence to the relevant and prevailing procurement rules and procedures.

Regional Bureaux

Advise Country Operations in implementing procurement strategies based on requirements, risks and emergency context.
Provide advice, capacity-building, coaching and guidance on policy and operational issues to ensure compliance with UNHCR procurement rules and regulations.
Mainstream UN procurement principles, as well as UNHCR internal policies throughout the region.
Review procurement cases from the operations that are above the country operations delegations, provide feedback as required, prepare Statement of Recommendation and clear the cases for the relevant procurement authority.
Advise on the analysis of country financial reports and work with the senior staff to address areas relating to procurement aspects of operations.
Support the country needs assessment plans and assist in combining them into regional procurement plans and monitor their timely implementation and changes based on operational needs.
Capture, analyse and report on procurement data from the different Country Operations of the Bureau.
Track global Procurement KPIs for the region and assist in preparation of regional ones, as required.

Country Operations

Provide support to Country Operations on how to create/maintain a supply chain infrastructure that is robust and flexible enough to accommodate the needs of the operation and that enables timely emergency responses.
Coordinate procurement activities of UNHCR Partners and/or contractors within the AoR, ensure that they understand and adhere to relevant UNHCR rules and procedures.
Lead the partner procurement assessment and coordinate within the MFT on the delegation of procurement process.
Monitor, coach, guide and advise the staff within the given area of responsibility.
Support the establishment and maintenance of an efficient and skilled workforce that is capable of supporting on-going operations.
Adapt standard supply chain structures to the local environment that are consistent with the operational needs.
Ensure timely green light processing and customs clearance of consignments.
Resolve difficulties in the local supply chain by finding solutions to problems and bottlenecks, and provide regular reports on supply chain activities, the status of requests and the availability of items in the supply chain.
Act as ex-officio in the LCC Review and clear procurement cases for the relevant procurement authority.
Perform other related duties as required.
Minimum Qualifications:

Education & Professional Work Experience

Years of Experience / Degree Level

6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education:

Procurement, Supply, Logistics, Business Administration, Engineering, or other relevant field.

(Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Certificates and/or Licenses

*Certificate from Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supplies, e.g. CFIPS, CMIPS, MCIPS

Supply Chain Learning Programme

Fritz Institute Certificate in Humanitarian Logistics (CHL)

(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

Solid functional knowledge for effective and efficient procurement of goods and services is of paramount importance. Good working knowledge and experience in handling contract issues in the context of public procurement. Knowledge of best practices of procurement and subject matter expertise in public procurement. Proven problem solving and statistical/ data analysis capacity. Experience in contract negotiations; ability to provide technical guidance to subordinate staff; ability to plan and organise work assignments, often with tight deadlines. Proven ability to deal with multiple tasks with speed, in a courteous and service-oriented manner. Proven ability to manage a team. A combination of excellent technical and soft management skills including an extensive experience in negotiations is a further requirement. Good understanding on applying International Commercial Terms (INCOTERMS), experience in international transport arrangements by air, sea and land including basic understanding on customs clearance formalities, cargo specific requirements (i.e. dangerous goods, temperature-controlled goods, etc) and basic packaging / palletization requirements.

Desirable

Experience and working knowledge of Enterprise Resource Planning systems for supply chain management. Strong interpersonal and negotiation skills to work with persons of different cultural and educational backgrounds. Technical knowledge of types of services, supplies and goods purchased by UNHCR for Headquarters, Regional and Field Offices and knowledge of UN and UNHCR Financial Regulations and Rules relating to procurement and UNHCR Chapter 8 would be a plus. Relevant training, such as Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, or other public procurement trainings.

Functional Skills

UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures

UN-UN/UNHCR Procurement Rules and Procedures

SC-Supply Chain planning and strategy development

SC-Supply Planning

SC-Customs clearance

SC-Logistics

SC-Warehouse Management

(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements:

Working knowledge of English is essential and French is desirable. Other UN working language is an advantage.

Competency requirements:

Core Competencies:

Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client & Result Orientation
Managerial Competencies:

Managing Performance
Managing Resources
Judgement and Decision Making
Empowering and Building Trust
Cross-Functional Competencies:

Analytical Thinking
Planning and Organizing
Stakeholder Management

How to apply

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