Procurement Specialist (Lead)

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world.  UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects.  Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.  

In 2024, the Ministry of Transport, Works and Water Resources (MTW) sought UNOPS' support in its organizational transformation, building on recommendations from a report conducted by the CARDNO Limited consultancy firm.

As a key driver of Barbados' development, MTW plays a vital role in advancing progress across multiple sectors. Addressing its operational challenges with a focus on sustainability and innovation, is essential to strengthening its capacity and ensuring its continued contribution to the nation’s growth.

The proposed technical assistance (“TA”) from UNOPS outlines a strategic approach to overcoming these challenges and reinforcing MTW’s effectiveness as a critical institution for national development. Through targeted interventions, MTW can improve its operations and unlock opportunities for sustainable progress.

Ultimately, by tackling these challenges and implementing strategic solutions, MTW can solidify its role as a cornerstone of Barbados' development. The collaboration with UNOPS presents a valuable opportunity to enhance MTW’s capabilities, the quality of public spending  and drive long-term growth and resilience across the country.

About Our Culture:

Our work contributes to building the foundations for countries and communities to achieve peace and sustainable development, guided by our values: Inclusion, Integrity, Humility and Humanity.

Functions and responsibilities:

1. Advisory on the development of the public procurement strategy and processes

• Advise on the development of public procurement strategies and processes for the successful execution of the Project by national counterparts.

• Review and advise on the development of the Project Procurement Plan (PPP) in line with best practices and applicable procurement processes according to national legislation and funding source´s policies.

• Advise on the application of the public procurement strategy and digital procurement tools so that national counterparts successfully implement the Project.

• Advise the associate on the evaluation of bids/proposals, ensuring compliance with established criteria and promoting objective selection.

3. Knowledge Development and Sharing

• Organize, facilitate, and/or deliver training and learning initiatives for Business Unit staff on topics related to procurement advisory.

• Lead and carry out initiatives on capacity development and knowledge creation for project staff, including the development of networks, plans, learning plans and activities, information on procurement practices, and benchmarking of best practices.

4. Team Management

• Facilitate the commitment and delivery of high-quality results and services from the supervised team through effective contracting, work planning, performance management, coaching, and promotion of learning and development.

• Monitor team members' compliance with current policies and best practices.

• Advanced university degree (equivalent to Master's degree) is required, preferably in one of the following disciplines: Purchasing and/or Supply Chain Management, Law, Commerce, Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Economics, and/or related field.
• A university degree (equivalent to Bachelor's degree) preferably in one of the previous disciplines mentioned is desirable and may be replaced by 5 years of relevant experience required.

• A minimum 3 years of experience in advising counterparts in the development of procurement processes is required.
• A minimum 3 years of experience in coordinating teams in the field of procurement is required.
• Experience working with the Government in public procurement projects will be valued.
• Experience in technical assistance for procurement, advising public entities on processes, quality, equipment, management, and advisory services is an asset.
• Procurement experience working with policies of cooperation entities or financial institutions such as multilateral banks is an asset
• Experience in the Caribbean is an asset.
• Experience in multilateral development and/or humanitarian organization, preferably in a developing country, will be valued.

• Full knowledge of the English language is required.
• Knowledge of another official UNOPS language is an asset.

Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement 

Contract level: ICS 10 equivalent to IICA 2/LICA 10

Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance. This contract is established in the Regular Monthly Contract modality; continuous service provision is required during the contract period;  the payments associated with the contract will be processed at the end of each calendar month.

Work life harmonization: UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options.

UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 11:59 pm CST.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses ( they take around 4 hours to complete)  in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.