Project background
The Project will fall under the purview of the UNOPS KEMC (Kenya Multi Country Office) Located in Nairobi, Kenya, the Kenya Multi Country Office manages a growing portfolio of engagements, including associated strategic and operational risks. The KEMC sub-region currently consists of an established Operation Centre in Nairobi/Kenya which manages a portfolio of engagements in multiple countries in East and Southern Africa. This includes a large portfolio of Infrastructure, procurement and project management service projects in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Eritrea, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and several Island states. This specific position will be based in Mozambique.
Mozambique is recovering very slowly from the effects of Cyclone Idai and Kenneth which struck in quick succession in 2019. The country is in pursuit of peace between the Government and RENAMO - a process supported by UNOPS. At the same time, the North of Mozambique is experiencing an insurgency that has made thousands homeless and is already spilling into Tanzania.
UNOPS is currently in discussions for a partnership with the government and the World bank that will require us to mobilize quickly to support the massive displacement that is taking place in the north of Mozambique. Multiple positions are being advertised to enable rapid deployment and response to this emergency.
Position background
Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Head of Support Services, the Procurement Specialist is responsible for the development and implementation of strategic and effective procurement services reflecting international public procurement best practices, compliance with UNOPS procurement policy, rules, regulations and procedures, ensuring appropriate risk management and obtaining the best value for money for the acquisition of goods, services and the contracting of works.
He/she analyzes and interprets the respective rules and regulations and provides advice and solutions to a wide spectrum of complex issues related to procurement. The role requires deep understanding of procurement policy and processes and the Procurement Specialist should be able to apply them to the appropriate situations.
In addition to responsibility for the deliverables of the work team, the incumbent’s work is focused on strategic relationship building and demand management, mainly referred to aggregation and dealing with complex organizational structures, preparation of business cases and understanding of the supply market, as well as sharing knowledge with projects in order to achieve reductions of costs and savings.
Maintaining the highest degree of personal and professional ethics, the Procurement Specialist promotes a collaborative, client-focused, quality and results-oriented approach in the Business Unit.
The Procurement Specialist works in close collaboration with the programme/project colleagues in the given geographical area and with UNOPS HQ personnel, particularly with the Procurement Group (PG), as well as the Government officials, to successfully deliver procurement services.
The Procurement Specialist will work in close cooperation with the Business Unit and Project Managers and report to the management on central issues related to procurement activities. S/he supervises and leads procurement personnel to deliver work results, in close cooperation with the leadership team in the given geographical area.