Procurement Manager

Background Information - UNOPS 

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.  

Background Information - East and Southern Africa Country (ESAMCO)

The ESAMCO sub-region currently consists of a multi-country office in Nairobi, Kenya. It  is responsible for developing, delivering, managing and implementing a portfolio of engagements, programmes and projects spread across multiple countries  in the East and Southern Africa Region by helping its partners achieve project goals in project management, procurement, infrastructure, human resource management and advisory services. It plays a critical role in providing management services for its life-saving peace building, humanitarian and development operations; supporting projects on behalf of a range of partners and creating real results that matter for people in need. This includes transactional projects in partnership with the Nairobi based UN Agencies, UN Habitat and UNEP and multiple operational projects in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Eritrea and several island states. It provides strategic direction, operational support, delivery oversight and assurance of the excellence of organizational processes and quality standards across all of the countries.  The office also operationally supports the Africa Regional office which is based in Nairobi Kenya. 

Background Information - Procurement 

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the functional supervisor(s) / Head of Support Services, the Procurement Manager 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 Manager 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 Manager promotes a collaborative, client-focused, quality and results-oriented approach in the Business Unit.  

The Procurement Manager works in close collaboration with the Operations, Programme and Project Management teams in the given geographical area and UNOPS HQ personnel, particularly with the Procurement Group (PG) and Contracts Committee, and Government officials to successfully deliver procurement services.

The Procurement Manager 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. The Procurement Manager may  have both primary and secondary reports, both individuals and teams that are based within project units/ project offices or country offices within the multi-country office. These individuals would be both internationals/ nationals.  The procurement manager may be  allocated pre-clearance reviewer rights and approvals. 

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 

• Appropriate application of UNOPS procurement governance framework (rules, regulations, policies and tools) in Business Unit and project operations.
• Provision of supply-market intelligence and analysis. 
• Procurement strategies, approaches and plans designed and implemented according to cost reduction and saving strategies, applying: (i) Expertise in market intelligence matched to business requirements; (ii) Optimal stakeholder management principles; (iii) Sustainability criteria; and (iv) Appropriate work processes to individual cases
• Oversight and supervision of the implementation and results of strategic and routine procurement work plans in Business Unit, covering Pre-Purchasing: Strategy and Planning; Requirements Definition; Sourcing; Purchasing: Solicitation; Management of Submissions; Evaluation; Review and Award; Post Purchasing: Contract finalization and issuance; Logistics; and Contract Management.

• Sustainability embedded in the procurement process.
• Appropriate procurement modalities and instruments applied (e-sourcing, procurement and Rosters of Suppliers) based on individual case requirements, utilizing expert knowledge of procurement policies and instruments. Creation, implementation and oversight of proper monitoring and control of procurement processes in Business Unit and projects including organization of RFQ, ITB or RFP, 
• Receipt of quotations, bids or proposals, their evaluation, negotiation of certain conditions of contracts in full compliance with UNOPS Procurement rules and regulations. Review and pre-clearance of solicitation documents, requests for awards and submissions to Contract and Property Committees (CPCs) in the role as Procurement Reviewer (in OneUNOPS or Enterprise system).
• Procurement contracts and contractors optimally managed 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 of the Business Units, when necessary.

• Creation, development and management of rosters of suppliers, elaboration of supplier selection and evaluation, quality and performance measurement mechanisms.
• Ensures that the e-sourcing tools are used in accordance with PG goals and standards in this area.

• Facilitate the engagement and provision of high quality results and services of the team supervised through effective recruitment, work planning, performance management, coaching, and promotion of learning and development.
• Provide oversight, ensuring compliance by team members with existing policies and best practices.

• Organize, facilitate and/or deliver training and learning initiatives for Business Unit personnel on procurement-related topics.
• Lead and conduct initiatives on capacity development and knowledge building for procurement personnel, including network development, plans, learning plans and activities, procurement practice information and best practice benchmarking.
• Oversee team’s contributions to procurement knowledge networks and communities of practice including collaborative synthesis of lessons learnt and dissemination of best practices in procurement management.
• Guide team’s collection of feedback, ideas, and internal knowledge about processes and best practices and utilize productively. 
• Participation in Common UN agency procurement groups to support establishment and implementation of harmonized procurement services and elaboration of proposals on common services expansion and management of joint procurement for UN Agencies in line with UN reform. 

• Advanced University Degree (Master’s Degree) preferably in Procurement and/or Supply Chain Management, Law, Commerce, Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Economics or related field is required.
• A first University degree (Bachelor’s Degree) in the above mentioned fields with a combination of two (2) additional years of relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• For those who do not have a degree in Procurement or Supply Chain Management, Chartered Institute of Supply and Management (CIPS) Level 4, or similar international certification, is a distinct advantage. 

• A minimum of five (5) years’ relevant professional procurement experience in advising on, implementing policies and procedures to deliver a range of complex procurement programmes and services is required. 

• A minimum of five (5) years’ experience in managing complex high value procurement cases and managing teams consisting of both locals and internationals is required.

• Knowledge of UN/ /UNOPS Procurement Rules and Regulations, including Emergency Procurement Processes, is a distinct advantage.

• Experience working in hardship locations is a distinct advantage.

• Experience working in infrastructure procurement is desirable.

• Experience working with a diverse range of stakeholders on procurement in developing or developed countries is an asset. Prior experience within UN system organizations, particularly in a developing country context, is highly desirable.

•  Proficiency in computer use and office software packages, along with experience in handling web-based management systems, is an asset. Familiarity with enterprise systems, particularly OneUNOPS, is desirable.

• Fluency in written and oral English is required.

• Knowledge of any other UN language will be an asset.

Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement (I-ICA).
Contract level: International ICA 2 (ICS-10).
Contract duration: One year renewable, subject to satisfactory performance and funding availability.

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.