Procurement Officer

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.

The UN Women Ethiopia Strategic Note (SN) 2021-2025 is derived from and contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSCDF 2020-202)  in Ethiopia, which outlines the United Nation’s vision and strategic focus in Ethiopia. The SN’s focus areas are based on UN Women’s global Strategic Plan (2021-2025) which sets out the global vision to ‘Achieve gender equality, the empowerment of all women and girls, and the fulfilment of their human rights’.  This goal frames UN Women Ethiopia ’s work and guides its contributions to Ethiopia’s UNSDCF, and frames UN Women Ethiopia ’s program contributions to UN Women’s global outcomes and indicators, which are organized in four thematic priority areas; ending violence against women and girls; governance and participation in public life; UN Women Ethiopia nomic empowerment and resilience; and peace and security, humanitarian action, and disaster risk reduction. 

Under the overall guidance of the Procurement Specialist in Headquarters and the daily supervision of the Operations Manager for Ethiopia Country Office, the Procurement Officer 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 Officer 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.

Organize procurement processes for the Country Office

• Coordinate 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 Procurement Case Manager Role  in Quantum and related systems.
• Prepare submissions to the Procurement Review Committee (PRC).

Organize contract management process for the  Country Office

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

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.

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;
• 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

• MA  or Bachelor's degree in procurement, supply chain or related field;
• Specialized training in Procurement; 
• 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.

Experience

• At least 6 years of progressively responsible experience in procurement, supply chain  or related field for Bachelor degree holders or 4 years progressive experience for Masters degree holders;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc);
• Experience in handling of web-based management systems

Language Requirements

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

Application:

• All applications must include (as an attachment) a completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment.

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.)