Procurement Associate

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.

UN Women is dedicated to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment in Afghanistan. Staff and consultants of UN Women Afghanistan Country Office (ACO) are expected to contribute to a professional working environment in which the strengthening of national capacities and human potential is prioritized. Respect for diversity and human dignity is required, as is the active pursuit of a collaborative and inclusive approach to both internal and external stakeholders, including colleagues and partners. In Afghanistan, UN Women works in four thematic areas i.e. Governance and Participation, Ending Violence Against Women, Women Economic Empowerment, and Women Peace and Security. This particular position contributes to the effective delivery of programmes and projects under these four interlinked areas.

Under the overall guidance of the Operations Manager, the Procurement Associate ensures execution of transparent and efficient procurement services and processes 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.

Duties and Responsibilities

Implement procurement strategies in accordance with UN Women rules, regulations, policies and strategies

Provide substantive inputs to procurement related reports and analyses; research and draft responses to enquiries for clearance by the Operations Manager;
Provide substantive inputs to the implementation of procurement management policies and strategies on cost saving and reduction;
Follow up with internal and external audits;
Contribute to the development of sourcing strategies.

2. Organize procurement processes for the ACO

Prepare procurement plans for programmes/projects;
Review procurement requests and initiate procurement procedures for office and projects equipment, supplies and services;
Organize procurement processes including the preparation of Request for Quotations (RFQs), Invitation to Bids (ITBs) or Request for Proposals (RFPs) documents, receipt of quotations, bids or proposals;
Perform Buyer role in Atlas; prepare/close Purchase Orders (POs) and contracts in and outside Atlas;
Prepare submissions to the Procurement Review Committee (PRC).

3. Organize contract management process for the ACO

Review/ process contracts for the ACO
Develop and update the rosters of suppliers, and support implementation of supplier selection and evaluation.

4. Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing

Provide substantive input and support to the development of training materials, webinars and other education materials;
Organize trainings for the operations/projects staff on Procurement;
Synthesize lessons learnt and best practices.

5. Organize logistical services

Organize hotel and event arrangements for all official UN Women meetings/ functions, engagements, ensure that all requirements are catered for as required;

6. Perform other administrative tasks as assigned by supervisor.

Key Performance Indicators

Timely coordination, facilitation and implementation of procurement activities based on procurement plans and available budget
Timely and quality processing of purchase orders
Timely delivery of services by administration team
Proper and accurate maintenance of files and databases, documents are easily retrievable

Timely organization of logistics activities

Competencies

Core Values:

Respect for Diversity
Integrity
Professionalism

Core Competencies:

Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
Accountability
Creative Problem Solving
Effective Communication
Inclusive Collaboration
Stakeholder Engagement
Leading by Example

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.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certificate:

Completion of secondary education is required;
Specialized training in Procurement; or a Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Business Administration or related field is an asset;
Procurement Certification from an internationally recognized provider such as CIPS (level 2) is an asset;
Willingness to take UN Women internal procurement certifications is required.

Experiance:

At least 6 years of progressively responsible experience in procurement, administration or related at the national or international level;
Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc);
Experience in handling of web-based management systems, such as Atlas is an asset.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English and Dari is required
Knowledge of the other UN official working language is an asset.