The Department/ Office: United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia
The Duty Station: ENTEBBE
The Job Opening number: 14-PRO-UNSOM-32881-F-ENTEBBE (M)
United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity
The Organizational Setting and Reporting
This position is located in the United Nations Support Office for AMISOM which is one of the United Nations Peacekeeping Missions.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
- Within delegated authority and depending on location, the Chief of Section, Procurement is responsible for the following duties:
- Plans, develops and manages the procurement activities of the Procurement Section involving multi-million dollar expenditures for worldwide procurement of a broad range of commodities and services.
- Serves as principal advisor to senior officials; provides authoritative technical and policy advice and support on all aspects of procurement;
- Develops and disseminates best practices and ensures the highest levels of quality and accuracy of the Procurement Section's work.
- Leads and directs RPO's Procurement Section; plans and allocates work assignments; coaches, mentors, and evaluates staff; participates in recruitment and selection of new staff and in the development of training programs.
- Analyzes unusually complex and/or critical procurement proposals of significant financial or operational impact; determines appropriate strategy/approach to best serve institutional interests, and ensures implementation, including the authorization of exceptions to established rules, practices and procedures, as necessary.
- Directs, manages and conducts planning, solicitation, negotiation, and, if necessary, termination of contractual and procurement action.
- Authorizes up to approve limit, or recommends authorization of procurement contracts/purchase orders.
- Develops proposals on revisions to procurement policies and procedures; develops and recommends strategy for the effective implementation of procurement policies, reforms and internal controls.
- Represents the organization in key meetings with senior officials internally and government officials, and in negotiations with senior executives of various commercial organizations for the purpose of concluding major contracts.
- Ensures that Acquisition Plans are in place in advance of the procurement cycle and ensure that they are properly laid out in order to carry out successful procurement activities in a timely and efficient manner in accordance with all financial and procurement guidelines.
- Carries out programmatic/managerial tasks necessary for the functioning of the Procurement Section including budget preparation and staffing actions.
- Performs other duties as required.
PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of all facets of international procurement, including state-of-the-art knowledge of procurement and contract principles, techniques, practices, regulations, as well as current knowledge of broader economic and market perspective. Able to work and cooperate with a Regional Procurement Office in view of achieving greater regional sourcing and economy of scale with other field Missions. Knowledge of and experience in cost analysis evaluation techniques, combined with knowledge of administrative and management principles relevant to the direction of procurement operations of significant complexity, volume and financial and/or operational impact. Ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives. Ability to apply independent judgment and discretion in advising on and handling major procurement issues and problems. Ability to negotiate, persuade and influence others to reach agreement on complex and sensitive issues. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas.
PLANNING & ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies. Identifies priority activities and assignments. Adjusts priorities as required. Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work. Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning. Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary. Uses time efficiently
CLIENT ORIENTATION: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be 'clients ' and seeks to see things from clients' point of view. Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect. Identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions. Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep informed and anticipate problems. Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects. Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client
MANAGING PERFORMANCE: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority. Makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member. Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills. Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines. Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff. Encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative. Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff. Appraises performance fairly.
JUDGMENT/ DECISION-MAKING: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly. Gathers relevant information before making a decision. Considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them. Takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization. Proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information. Checks assumptions against facts. Determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision. Makes tough decisions when necessary.
Education
Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in business administration, public administration, commerce, engineering, law or related area. A first-level university degree in combination with a relevant combination of academic qualifications and experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Certification in the Management Development Program or an equivalent Management Development course is desirable.
Work Experience
A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in procurement, or related functions such as contracting, logistics and/or supply chain management in multicultural institutions is required, of which at least five years should be directly related to recent first hand purchasing experience at the international level. Experience in the implementation and use of eCommerce tools such as eSourcing, eProcurement, eCatalogs, eInvoicing is desirable. Firsthand experience in conducting procurement at the international level for an inter-governmental organization(s), governmental organization(s), or large mulit-national organizations(s) is desirable'
Languages
Fluency in one of the working languages of the UN Secretariat, English or French, (both oral and written) is required; knowledge of the other is desirable. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage
Assessment Method
Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.
Special Notice
This 'Recruit from Roster' job opening is only open to roster applicants who are already placed on pre-approved rosters, following a review by a United Nations Central Review Body. Only roster applicants who were placed on rosters with similar functions at the same level are considered to be eligible candidates. Eligible applicants receive an email inviting them to apply. Rostered applicants are encouraged to apply only if they are interested and available to take up the position at the duty station/s specified in the Job Opening. Applying to this job opening carries an expectation to accept the offer, if selected.
The United Nations Considerations
The United Nations shall place no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. (Charter of the United Nations - Chapter 3, article 8). The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.
No Fee Disclaimer
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS' BANK ACCOUNTS.
How to Apply for this Job
Apply at: https://inspira.un.org/psc/UNCAREERS/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/UN_CUSTOMIZATIONS.UN_JOB_DETAIL.GBL?Page=UN_JOB_DETAIL&Action=A&JobOpeningId=32881&
Application Closing date: Thursday, 6 March 2014