Biomedical Engineer (Retainer)

UNOPS Horn of Africa Multi-Country Office is recruiting for the position of Biomedical Engineer (Retainer) based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.


Qualified females and candidates from underrepresented groups in UNOPS are highly encouraged to apply.

Organizational Context

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.

With over 7,000 personnel 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.

Horn of Africa Multi Country Office

Established in 2009, Ethiopia Multi-country office, now referred to as the Horn of Africa Multi-Country Office (HAMCO) manages a growing portfolio of engagements, including associated strategic and operational risks within the region. The HAMCO sub-region currently consists of an established Operation Centre in Addis Ababa which manages a portfolio of engagements in four (4)  Horn of Africa countries  (Ethiopia, Djibouti, Sudan and South Sudan). HAMCO focuses on Infrastructure, Procurement, Project Management, HR and Transactional Services, and Fund Management services across a wide range of sectors including Health, Education, Agriculture, Resilient infrastructure, among others.

Our goal is to support countries, help people in need and enable our partners through  delivering on our mandate of infrastructure, procurement and project management in the countries in the Horn of Africa. 

The purpose of the role is to provide specialist research and laboratory equipment knowledge and subject matter expertise in the procurement of laboratory related goods and services for UNOPS; engage internal and external stakeholders; analyze, monitor and understand market trends and develop appropriate procurement strategies that are aligned with UNOPS business needs. 

The Biomedical Engineer will report to the Procurement Manager and will be responsible for the tasks and responsibilities listed below.

• Master’s degree or equivalent is required, preferably in Biomedical Engineering. Consideration will also be given to degrees in Pharmacy or other relevant fields, such as Procurement/Supply Chain and/or Business Administration, with experience in procurement or supply chain management of healthcare equipment.

• A Bachelor's  degree in the above mentioned fields  with  two  additional years  of  relevant  experience  may be  accepted  in  lieu  of  a Master’s degree.

Experience   

• A minimum of five  5 years of experience in medical equipment technical specification development, evaluation, installation supervision, and training is required.

• Experience working with developing nations and/or large global donors such as Global Fund, USAID, World Bank, the EU etc., is an advantage. 

• Knowledge of the Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority policies and guidelines is an advantage.

Language 

• Fluency in written spoken, written and reading English required. 

• Knowledge of other UN official languages is an asset.

• 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. 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.