Background Information - Job-specific

General Background

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

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

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 5,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,400 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.

Background Information –UNOPS Procurement Group

As a central procurement resource for the United Nations system and its partners, UNOPS emphasizes efficient, transparent, cost-effective and sustainable delivery of goods, services and works, in line with public procurement best practices. On a yearly basis, UNOPS procures approx. USD 1 Bn worth of goods, services and works on behalf of our partners. These include a broad base of categories, including life-saving pharmaceuticals, mine action equipment, vehicles or road construction services.

The Procurement Group (PG) is based at UNOPS HQ in Copenhagen. It leads the organization’s sustainable procurement practice and is responsible for: articulating strategy, policy positions and innovative solutions for procurement at UNOPS; enabling the operationalization and managerial oversight of UNOPS procurement activities through appropriate systems and reports; strengthening the knowledge, skills and career development of procurement practitioners; and leading the implementation of sustainable supply chains across the organization.

Background information - Job specific

The Policy and Standards team within PG is responsible for:

Developing UNOPS procurement policy, guidelines and templates and other knowledge products, assuring alignment with best practices and business needs

Establishing UNOPS Procurement Training Strategy and developing and delivering training courses for UNOPS personnel

Coordinating eProcurement initiatives, including the development and implementation of the UNOPS eSourcing system and ERP Procure-to-Pay modules such as requisitions, purchase orders, supplier performance evaluation and contract management, etc.

Hosting the secretariat of the Vendor Review Committee (VRC)

Addressing and implementing procurement recommendations from internal and external audits, as well as for procurement assessments and certifications

Functional Responsibilities

Reporting to the Procurement Specialist (Policy and Standards team), the incumbent will contribute to the development, rollout and continuous improvement of UNOPS eProcurement initiatives.

Tasks include, but are not limited to:

1. Development and rollout of eProcurement initiatives

Supporting in planning and prioritization of eProcurement development initiatives Contributing to requirement definition, system design and testing of eProcurement systems (e.g. UNOPS ERP Procure-to-Pay modules, eSourcing system etc) in close collaboration with ITG (Information Technology Group) and other key stakeholders Engaging with key stakeholders and managing product backlogs for systematic improvements Supporting continuous systems mapping to identify potential risks and related controls for implementation Supporting the rollout of eProcurement initiatives and the related change management activities across UNOPS through global webinars, development of user guides and training materials, onboarding of individual offices and providing support to users and vendors globally. Provide procurement systems related policy support to ensure alignment between policy and system process.

2. Procurement systems knowledge management and capacity development

Supporting the development, delivery and systematic improvement of applicable user guides on eProcurement systems for internal and external users Providing continuous support to internal and external users via helpdesk channel Organizing, facilitating and/or delivering training and presentations for UNOPS personnel and occasionally external stakeholders (e.g. UN colleagues, partners, suppliers) Implementing knowledge management, communications and training campaigns in various formats, including in-person, remotely/online or via missions in UNOPS country offices Fostering collaborative dialogue across key stakeholders in the HQ and in the regions/ country offices to facilitate continuous improvements Competencies Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.
Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles. Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role). Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries. Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements. Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving. Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground. Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education:

Advanced Degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) is required, related either to the subject matter area (i.e. procurement, supply chain) and/or data analysis component (e.g. in the field of Statistics, Mathematics, Data Science, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Business Analytics, Business Administration, Economics or equivalent). University degree (bachelors/first level) in related fields, as listed above, with additional 2 years of relevant working experience (total: 4 years) may be considered in lieu of a Master’s degree. Additional industry certifications (e.g. CIPS certification) will be considered as an advantage

Work Experience/Skills

Candidates must have a minimum 2 years professional experience where they have demonstrated the following required skills (applicants will need to correctly answer a related screening question in the application form to be considered. Eligible candidates will be invited to submit an assessment related to these skills/work experience):

Professional experience in international procurement, supply chain- and contract management

Advanced knowledge and experience in the usage of ERPs and/or other web-based management systems

Professional experience in e-procurement and/or procurement related ERP system development and related change management

PG will consider candidates with a combination of subject-matter knowledge (procurement, supply chain management etc) and relevant technical expertise (i.e. system development). Candidates may be stronger in one of these than the other but should be enthusiastic to learn new skills on the job.

The following skills and experience are considered an asset for the role. The ideal candidate will possess one or more of these. Training may be made available to the incumbent to fill any skill gaps.

Experience and knowledge of UN/UNOPS or international public procurement processes and procedures

Knowledge of e-tendering and/or ERP systems related to UNOPS and/or the UN, World Bank or other International Organizations

Experience in analyzing, evaluating and reporting data and/or statistics related to procurement and/or supply chain management

Data communication and visualization through a variety of media - such as presentations, training, reports, dashboards

Please attach a cover letter explaining your motivation for this position and describing how relevant your experience is. Applications without a cover letter may be disregarded.

Languages:

Fluency in written and oral English is a requirement Knowledge of French and/or Spanish is an advantage
Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: International ICA
Contract level: IICA-1
Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Additional Information

Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time Applications received after the closing date will not be considered Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified UNOPS embraces diversity and it is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, or disability UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types 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 (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS. All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, 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 recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

This vacancy is archived.

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