Procurement Process Re-design Specialist

Background Information – UNOPS 

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

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

UNOPS has operated as a self-financing entity within the UN system since 1994.  Throughout this time, UNOPS has successfully delivered services to other UN entities as well as a variety of partners. UNOPS has, over the years, undertaken the delivery of increasingly complex engagements such as project implementation services for large physical infrastructure projects, multifaceted public health projects, and highly complex procurement assignments.

UNOPS is navigating a period of transformational change internally across all areas of the organization. Together with the steadily increasing size of UNOPS portfolio, UNOPS leadership structures, management practices, oversight mechanisms, as well as UNOPS ability to collaborate and manage knowledge, are being reshaped and improved through this process. 

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.

1. Re-designed processes and policies

• Undertake a procurement business processes mapping and in depth-analysis focused on leading practices, tackling structure, quality management, analysis, and their intersection with policies, procedure and implementationIdentify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and areas for optimization within procurement  processes, addressing both internal and external audit recommendations and assessments.

• Design, conduct, document and present analysis on procurement processes and data to the relevant stakeholders involved.

• Provide technical advice on the redesign business processes for the relevant practice, based on market research, practical procurement cases, focus groups and any other technique relevant for the purpose. 

• Produce detailed procurement business processes redesign specifications for improvement of policies, processes, systems and tools, based on their impact, feasibility, and alignment with UNOPS's strategic goals, in collaboration with various HQ and field stakeholders.

• Establish a system of feedback and priority in order to guide the design, development, testing, implementation and documentation of procurement business processes, as well as a system of updates on progress and challenges related to process improvement efforts.

• Conduct a rigorous review of policies, taking into account re-designed processes and UNOPS new policy framework, reporting outcomes to the Director of PG and relevant stakeholders. 

• Develop a roadmap and provide guidance on how re-designed processes are matched and leveraged by digital technologies, in close collaboration with UNOPS IT and vendors to ensure that practice ambitions and requirements.

• Ensure that business requirements are accurately aligned with technical specifications and desired user experience.

• Timely track the execution, progress, and quality of the redesign exercise, collaborating closely with the PID Programme team to design and execute process improvement initiatives. 

• Under the direct supervision of the Procurement Business Process and Change Manager, constantly monitor the level of maturity of the process redesign exercise.

• An advanced degree preferably in  Business Administration, Procurement, Supply chain, Public Administration, IT, Economics,  or other related fields is required.
• A combination of a Bachelor's degree with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the education requirements outlined above.
• Strong knowledge of business process management methodologies, tools, and best practices, such as Lean Six Sigma, or other process improvement certifications would be an advantage.

• A minimum of 5 years of relevant and progressive professional experience in business process analysis and/or redesign, and/or optimization is required.
• Recent experience of at least 3 years in public procurement (of the overall 5 years of relevant experience) is required.
• Familiarity with digital technologies and their application in process optimization and automation is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with UNOPS or other UN procurement policies, processes, tools and systems is an asset.
• Experience in large scale digital transformation would be an asset.

• Full working knowledge of English is essential.
• Knowledge of another official UNOPS language (French, Spanish) is an asset.

Contract type: Individual Contractor Agreement - ICA
Contract level: International ICA2 - ICS10
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.

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.