Background:
UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.Placing women's rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world.
Under the direct supervision of the Regional Procurement Specialist and overall guidance of the Regional Operations Manager, the Procurement Associate will provide support to the UN Women East and Southern Africa Regional Office in procurement and travel management services consistent with UN Women rules and regulations. The Procurement Associate promotes a client-focused, quality and results- oriented approach and support: (i) compliance with UN Women policies and regulations; (ii) effective systems to support programme delivery and growth; (iii) accountability to organizational values and principles; and (iv) an enabling workplace environment in which staff potential is maximized. The Procurement Associate also works in collaboration with operations staff in other UN Agencies, UN Women Regional Office (RO) and HQ staff and Government officials to successfully deliver procurement services.
Key Functions and Accountabilities:
Implement procurement strategies in accordance with UN Women rules, regulations, policies and strategies:
Ensure full compliance of procurement and travel activities with UN Women rules, regulations, policies, procedures, and internal controls; Advise programme and operations colleagues on the correct application of procurement and duty travel policies, including entitlements, thresholds, and documentation requirements; Review procurement and travel submissions to ensure completeness, accuracy, and compliance prior to approval and processing; Support internal and external audit processes and follow up on audit observations and recommendations related to procurement and travel activities; Provide substantive inputs to the implementation of procurement management policies and strategies on cost saving and reduction; Contribute to the development of sourcing strategies.Organize procurement processes for the Regional Office:
Organize and manage procurement processes for goods, services, and works, including preparation of procurement plans, RFQs, ITBs, and RFPs; coordination of evaluations; and preparation of award documentation; Perform Buyer role functions in the Quantum ERP system, including preparation, issuance, amendment, monitoring, and closure of Purchase Orders and contracts; Organize travel arrangements for UN Women staff, consultants, and meeting participants, including coordination with travel agents, quotation review, ticketing, itinerary management, and DSA calculations; Review and process Travel Requests (TRs) and Travel Claims (TCs) to ensure accuracy of calculations, entitlements, and supporting documentation in line with the Duty Travel Policy; Act as a focal point for day-to-day procurement and travel operational matters, escalating complex or high-risk issues to the supervisor as required; Prepare documentation and submissions for internal review bodies, including the Procurement Review Committee (PRC), as required; Maintain accurate and complete records and filing systems for procurement and travel transactions in accordance with audit and compliance requirements.Contract, Vendor, and Data Management for the Regional Office:
Support contract management, including contract review, monitoring of deliverables, and follow-up on contractual obligations; Maintain and administer supplier rosters and vendor profiles in corporate systems; Manage procurement and travel data and reporting, including preparation of routine and ad hoc reports to support planning, monitoring, and decision-making.Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing to the Regional Office and Country Offices:
Provide substantive input and support to the development of training materials, webinars and other education materials; Support the Procurement Specialist in organizing and providing training and support to operations/projects staff on e-Procurement and e-Travel systems; Synthesize lessons learnt and best practices.The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: The incumbent will not have direct supervisory responsibilities. However, they will play a key role in providing mentorship and training to junior staff within the Procurement Department. This includes offering guidance on procurement processes, ensuring adherence to policies and procedures, and supporting the professional development of less experienced team members.
Competencies :
Core Values:
Integrity; Professionalism; Respect for Diversity.Core Competencies:
Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues; Accountability; Creative Problem Solving; Effective Communication; Inclusive Collaboration; Stakeholder Engagement; Leading by Example.Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework:
Functional Competencies:
Good knowledge of procurement process, systems; administrative rules and regulations; Good knowledge in the use of spreadsheets and database packages; Ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines; Ability to extract and interpret data; Ability to administer and execute administrative processes and transactions; Ability to perform work of confidential nature and handle a large volume of work; Strong IT and web based management skills.Education and Certification:
Completion of secondary education is required; Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Business Administration or related field will be given due consideration but not a requirement; Procurement Certification from an internationally recognized provider such as CIPS (level 3) is an asset;Experience:
At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in procurement, administration or related at the national or international level; or four (4) years with a Bachelor’s degree of experience working in above mentioned areas; Advanced knowledge of automated procurement systems, experience in handling of work-based management systems; Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) is required; Experience in the use of a modern web-based ERP System, preferably Oracle Cloud, is desirable; Knowledge of UN procurement rules and regulations is preferable.Languages:
Fluency in both written and spoken English is required; Knowledge of another official UN language is desirableStatements :
In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.
Diversity and inclusion:
At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.
If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.
UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)
Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.