Procurement Specialist

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.  

The UNOPS Hub in Amman implements projects in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, in partnership with bilateral donors, national governments, and other UN agencies. With an established presence across the region, the office runs operations, including large-scale procurement, project development, and technical management, and provides financial, human resources, and infrastructure-related services. The functional objective of UNOPS Hub in Amman is to deliver its projects in an efficient and effective manner and in line with the principles, rules, and regulations of UNOPS in order to support the response to the current needs and national priorities in the region. The incumbent is responsible for abiding by security policies, administrative instructions, plans, and procedures of the UN Security Management System and the UNOPS. UNOPS is committed to achieving a fully diverse workforce. 

Under the overall guidance of the AMMMCO Director and direct supervision of the Head of Support Services, the Procurement and Supply Chain 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 a 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 and Supply Chain 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.

1. Development and Implementation of procurement strategies 

2. Management of procurement processes

3. Implementation of sourcing strategy and e-procurement tools

4. Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing

5. Team Management

• Advanced Degree preferably in Procurement and/or Supply Chain Management, Law, Commerce, Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Economics or related field.
•  A First University degree, in combination with a minimum of seven (7) years qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• For those who do not have a degree in Procurement of Supply  Chain Management, Chartered Insitute of Supply and Management (CIPS) or similar international Certification, is a distinct advantage.
• Knowledge of UN/ /UNOPS Procurement Rules and Regulations is a distinct advantage.

• A minimum of five (5) years professional experience in advising on, and implementing policies and procedures to deliver a range of complex procurement programmes and services.
• Personnel supervisory experience in procurement is required
• Experience in working with a range of stakeholders is desired.
• Experience of professional experience in the region is desired 
• Some experience in UN system organizations, preferably in a developing country, is desirable.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (GSuites, MS Office, etc) is highly desired.

Contract type: Local ICA contractual modality 
Contract level: LICA Specialist 10 
Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• 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.

• Amman is classified as a family duty station 

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. 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.