Procurement Advisor, Addis Ababa, Closing date: Monday, 15 June 2015

• Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
• Country: Ethiopia
• City: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Office: UNDP Addis Ababa
• Grade: P-5

Procurement Advisor

Location : Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA
Application Deadline : 15-Jun-15
Type of Contract : FTA International
Post Level : P-5
Languages Required : English
Starting Date : (date when the selected candidate is expected to start)
01-Jul-2015
Background
The Procurement Support Office is part of Bureau of Management in UNDP providing vital management support in areas such as administrative services, budget and finance, human resources, information and communications technology, legal issues, procurement, safety and security, administration of multi-donor trust funds, change management, and crosscutting business solutions.
Procurement is a fundamental component of UNDP, accounting for nearly 70 percent of UNDP programme delivery. Despite its critical role, procurement as an operational service can be traced back to as recently as 1999, when UNDP transitioned from a developmental funding model to one that included direct execution projects in its portfolio. In the years following this shift in models, UNDP procurement experienced unprecedented growth in terms of its volume and complexity. Following the restructuring of the UNDP procurement function, the procurement unit within UNDP became the Procurement Support Office (PSO). The Procurement Support Office team is based in both UNDP/HQ, Cyberjaya/Malaysia and in Copenhagen/Denmark. The team in New York (HQ) provides overall direction and guidance to UNDP on procurement activities, and is primarily responsible for UNDP procurement policy, processes and systems. The PSO team based in Copenhagen (known as the Global Procurement Unit or GPU), provides direct procurement services for the Global Fund, crisis prevention and recovery and elections programmes, while the Cyberjaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, team provides transactional support to global operations.
Under the supervision of the Director of the Procurement Support Office with matrixed reporting to the Director/Deputy Director of the Regional Support Centre, and in close collaboration with the Country Support Team, the Regional Procurement Advisor will provide senior procurement advisory services to field offices within the Regional Bureau for Africa (RBA) and lead the implementation of procurement projects and initiatives demanded by UNDP HQs which have a regional nature. The Regional Procurement Advisor will liaise closely with the Chief of the Procurement, GSSC/KL, and Deputy Director, Copenhagen/Denmark, undertaking direct procurement activities in support of regional client Business Units (primarily for Country Offices in Africa).
The Regional Procurement Advisor will contribute to the knowledge sharing and creation in the procurement practice; promote procurement 'best practice' internally and externally. He/she will work closely with the Senior Procurement Advisor in the Strategy & Policy Unit and the Corporate Procurement Unit in New York. S/he will interact regularly with regional UNDP COs, RBA Regional Center, regional vendors and contractors on related functional matters.
Duties and Responsibilities
Act as regional Desk Officer for UNDP Country Offices Support and Technical Guidance

• Lead implementation of tactical corporate projects of PSO in RBA;
• Act as regional Desk Officer for UNDP Country Offices Support and Technical Guidance;
• Lead implementation of tactical corporate projects of PSO in RBA;
• Advise on regional complex procurement processes where: the goods and/or services are required by several or more UNDP business units; the nature of the goods and/or services are considered highly specialized; and/or where the procurement process is considered to have high risk elements;
• Contribute to regional knowledge sharing and creation in the procurement practice; promote procurement 'best practice' internally and externally.

Act as regional Desk Officer for UNDP Country Offices Support and Technical Guidance with the following key responsibilities

• Develop and manage partnerships with regional UNDP Country Offices to improve capacity and efficiency;
• Provide senior procurement advisory services to regional field offices and senior management;
• Regional Country office support with mission to the field when required;
• Interact with regional UNDP business unit 'clients' in order to develop a clear understanding of their procurement needs, interests and capacities and to manage problems and challenges effectively as they arise;
• Establish and maintain a strong partnership with service providers to ensure economies of scale and client satisfaction;
• Develop a network with interagency senior procurement colleagues to explore possible leverage across the UN system for the procurement of common goods and services.

Advise on regional complex procurement processes where: the goods and/or services are required by several or more UNDP business units; the nature of the goods and/or services are considered highly specialized; and/or where the procurement process is considered to have high risk elements with the following key responsibilities

• Develop an internal procurement framework to guide the team through the procurement process consistent with the UNDP procurement strategy and rules, the mandate of the Global Unit and the specific requirements of global procurement activities;
• Coordinate regional operational plans and priorities, manage implementation, monitor progress and take decisions to meet objectives;
• Support COs proactively on procurement planning, particularly, with regard to high-risk and complex procurements
• Analyze regional procurement trends across UNDP and the UN system to identify where cost savings and economies of scale can be applied;
• Evaluate complex or unusual situations and approve alternative approaches and solutions where regular procedures are not applicable;
• Ensure transparency, accountability and efficiency in all procurement processes through an effective internal control system;
• Review work methods and procedures and initiate changes, keeping up with the leveraging use of technology and other applications in the business environment;
• Interact with regional clients and partners to discuss and resolve common concerns and agree on solutions to improve service delivery;

Contribute to the knowledge sharing and creation in the procurement practice; promote procurement 'best practice' internally and externally, with the following key responsibilities

• Act as principal regional advisor on contracting and procurement processes for complex goods and services for strategic UNDP programmes;
• Contribute to the further development of systems, processes, tools and methods relevant to global and specialist procurement operations;
• Report on regional lessons learned from experience with special procurement processes;
• Actively participate in relevant UNDP and external networks to promote procurement and develop a broader understanding of specialist procurement services available;
• Help establish the reputation as the 'Centre of Excellence', which shares best procurement practices with other business units.

Identify and assess Procurement Risks with the following key responsibilities

• Maintain a high level of awareness concerning potential risks that could occur at different stages during procurement activities i.e. in regard to the sourcing and selection of vendors, throughout the procurement process, and after the award of the contract;
• Assess risks of all types, i.e. financial, legal, reputation of UNDP etc., address these risks effectively through preventive actions and report incidents through appropriate management channels;
• Analyze risks and choose actions consistent with UNDP procurement rules, regulations and standards;
• Resolve delivery problems and complaints, vendor disputes concerning contract obligations, and verbal or written protests from unsuccessful bidders.

Competencies
Core
Innovation

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

Leadership

• Ability to persuade others to follow.

People Management

• Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.

Technical/Functional
Procurement

• The ability to acquire goods, services or works from an outside external source.

Sourcing

• Ability to find, evaluate and engage suppliers of goods and services.

Strategic Sourcing

• Knowledge of strategic sourcing concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Supplier Management

• Knowledge of supplier management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Logistics

• Knowledge of logistics operations, principles and methods, and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Contract Management

• Knowledge of contract management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Required Skills and Experience
Education

• Master's degree in Procurement, Business or Public Administration, Law, Engineering or other related fields

Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience including at least 5 years at the national or international level;
• Procurement or Operations Field experience in complex settings is desirable.

Language

• Conversational fluency and strong writing skills in English required;
• Fluency in French is an asset.

Other

• Experience in Africa is desirable.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.