Procurement Senior Officer

UNOPS will be leading the implementation of a three-year World bank funded multi million USD Project “Enhancing Community Resilience and Local Governance (ECRP)' in South Sudan starting in August 2020 with the Objective is to improve access to basic services and strengthen community institutions in South Sudan.  

The ECRP is a follow on Project to the Local Governance and Service Delivery Project (LGSDP) that was implemented in South Sudan from 2014 and involved the transfer of block grants from the national government directly to county government with the Objective of helping develop an annual intergovernmental fiscal transfer system for local development. 

The ECRP Project will be implemented by UNOPS and the International Organisation for Migration, with UNOPS being the primary grant recipient and responsible authority for the establishment and implementation of the Project Management Unit (PMU) whose primary tasks will include: project management, stakeholder and communication management, fiduciary and procurement management, results management and risk management.  UNOPS will be the grant recipient  and will  be directly accountable to the World Bank in all aspects related project delivery (Project Management - Social and Environmental Safeguards, Fiduciary Oversight and Procurement Planning, Infrastructure Quality and Standards; Project Implementation – of community infrastructure as per agreed scope; as well as directly liaising with the Government of South Sudan).

The ECRP comprises the following four components:-

Component 1: Community Infrastructure and Services-this will involve the implementation of sub-projects selected through an open menu approach where communities will be allowed to choose freely, in a participatory manner, based on their needs.

Component 2: Local Institution Strengthening which is split into two parts: community institution strengthening and county government strengthening.

Component 3: Project Management and Learning.

Component 4: Contingency emergency response.

The Procurement Senior Officer reports directly to the Procurement Manager who provides direction and general supervision. The incumbent will also have a functional matrix reporting line with the Project Manager. The incumbent will ensure close collaboration and engagement with the Project Management Unit, the other Project team under ECRP, and SSCO Procurement Unit. He/she will manage the contracting and procurement processes for the Project.  She/he will be responsible to ensure timely and quality contract & procurement management, knowledge and application of UNOPS relevant tools, systems, and processes. The Procurement Senior Officer is responsible to achieve results in the area/s of responsibility. The incumbent is expected to allocate her/his time to procurement and contract management activities on the basis of 70% and 30% respectively.

Summary of key results:

1. Grant/Contract management

2. Procurement Management

3. Capacity assessment and Capacity building

4. Knowledge management and innovation

5. Client Coordination and Satisfaction 

1.       Grant/Contract Management

• Ensure full compliance of procurement /contracting activities within UN/UNOPS rules, regulations, policies and strategies.

• Prepare  Statement of Works (SoW), Terms of Reference (TOR), Contracts, Grant Agreements and other documents required for project implementation in cooperation with UNOPS legal specialists as needed.

• Management of procurement contracts and implementation of the internal control system which ensures that Purchase orders are duly prepared and dispatched. Timely corrective actions on POs with budget check errors and other problems.

• Frequently convene meetings with contractors to allow ample opportunity for the identification and early resolution of potential disputes.

• Strengthen the operational risk management and internal control processes of the project especially  in areas related to grant/contract management.

• Timely preparation of grant awards requests, drafting of grant agreements and amendments thereof, using the approved templates ensuring that all agreements and amendments are constructed and issued in line with UNOPS legal and financial rules and regulations.

• Monitoring budgets in grant proposals and verification of their consistency with prevailing market rates.

• Provision of assistance in discussing/negotiation fee/cost as required.

• Verification of reporting requirements and ensuring adherence to those requirements.

• Liaising closely with the Project and M&E teams on any delays, risks or other difficulties in grant management.

• Review of payment requests and supervise processing payments based on the agreed payment schedules.

• Coordination of the process of the operational closure of projects.

• Contributing to the coordination and follow up on the contracting aspects of partners.

2. Procurement Management

• Manage and guide procurement processes for the acquisition of goods, services and the construction of works, focusing on achievement of the following results in compliance with the official procurement policies, rules, regulations and procedures.

• Application of appropriate procurement modalities and instruments (e-sourcing, procurement and Rosters of Suppliers) based on individual case requirements, utilizing knowledge of procurement policies and instruments.

• Creation, implementation and oversight of proper monitoring and control of procurement processes including organization of RFQ, ITB or RFP, receipt of quotations, bids or proposals, their evaluation and negotiation of certain conditions of contracts in full compliance with UNOPS Procurement rules and regulations.

• Preparation/review of solicitation documents, requests for awards and submissions to Contract and Property Committees (CPCs);

• Management of Procurement contracts and contractors through supplier and contract performance management against agreed benchmarks and through agreed reporting mechanisms.

• Implementation of internal control system.

• Elaboration of comments regarding project audit reports as needed.

3.       Capacity assessment and Capacity building

• Review and update of the financial and operational capacity assessment approach of and, incorporate best practices and assessment tools.

• Conduct financial and operational capacity assessments of the IP as necessary, and follow-up actions are managed and identified in the assessment reports.

• IP capacity development and training in financial and organizational management are organized.

• Day-to-day help and guidance to the IPs is provided and coordinated with the Program Unit to ensure IP understanding of, and compliance with, these standards.

• IPs receive required assistance in developing or strengthening their internal guidelines and policies to guide their project financial management and organizational activities and to ensure accountability.

4.       Knowledge management and innovation

• Institutionalize and share best practices and lessons for corporate development planning and knowledge building.

• Lead the planning, implementation and organization of strategic capacity building of personnel, clients and stakeholders especially in the field of grant management.

• Foster a positive work environment, respectful of both men and women, and ensure that the highest standards of conduct are observed.

5.        Client Coordination

• Closely coordinate and work with the government counterpart in all matters related to Grants and Contracts.

• University Degree (bachelor’s degree / first level) with a combination of 4 additional years of relevant professional experience  in Procurement, Project Management, Business Administration, International Relations, Supply Chain Management, Political Science, Development Studies, or other relevant discipline is required. 
  
  

• Advanced University Degree (Masters) with an additional 2 years of relevant professional experience in Procurement, Project Management, Business Administration, International Relations, Supply Chain Management, Political Science, Development Studies, or other relevant discipline is an added advantage.

Certification

• PRINCE2® Foundation is an added advantage

• CIPS 3 or above is an added advantage

• Four years (or more based on academic credentials as described above) of experience in Procurement Management is required.

• Experience working in UN development contexts is an advantage.

• Knowledge of UNOPS Procurement Rules and Regulations is an asset.

• Experience working on Community Infrastructure/construction/engineering projects is an asset.

• Experience in post- conflict or conflict situations is desirable.

• Previous experience working in South Sudan is an added advantage.

• Skill in procurement contracting is required (2 years).

• Fluency in written and oral English is required

• UN language proficiency certificate in English would be an advantage

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• 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. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  
• This position is based in a non-family duty station

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.