Overview
The Procurement Specialist leads the implementation of UNDP procurement and contracting strategies, focusing on cost-effective and timely delivery of assigned procurement programs. This role involves managing the Country Office Procurement Unit and providing procurement services for UNDP programs, projects, and associated agencies.
Key Responsibilities
- Ensure full compliance with procurement activities with UN/UNDP rules, regulations, policies, and strategies.
- Develop and implement a practical internal control framework and a client-oriented procurement management system.
- Elaborate and implement cost-saving and cost-reduction procurement and sub-contracting strategies.
- Conceptualize, elaborate, and implement a contract strategy, including tendering processes and evaluation, contractor appraisal, evaluation, offers negotiation, contract and contractor management, legal considerations, payment conditions, and risk assessment.
- Conceptualize, elaborate, and implement strategic procurement elements for complex and high-value actions.
- Provide prompt and timely advice in the planning of procurement resources and activities.
- Advise and support the DRR Operations in proactively addressing complex procurement matter while providing advice to projects and management.
- Assess risks and formulate proposals that facilitate decision-making process and contribute to effective implementation of overall procurement strategy.
- Serve as an advisor on procurement activities during all phases of the procurement cycle.
- Analyze and evaluate procurement plans to harmonize strategies and ensure appropriateness and consistency with organizational needs.
- Support the DRR-Operations in providing advice on correct interpretation of contract terms and clauses, penalties, handling of guarantees, and any other issues related to contracts or purchase orders.
- Lead the development and implementation of operational strategies, ensuring the achievement of key results.
- Review and comment on the requisitions and procurements plans prepared by the CO Projects and units.
- Lead CO Procurement business processes mapping and elaboration/establishment of internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in Procurement, control of the workflows in the Procurement Unit, harmonization of the workflows in the office.
- Lead in implementation of the systems for procurement processes including oversight of procurement process cycle actions.
- Review comments, edit and finalize the solicitation documents, criteria for evaluation, specifications, and evaluation reports, and participate in evaluation and contractual negotiations for contracts of high value and complexity, when required.
- Promote compliance with the policies established for procurement oversight governing the Contracts, Assets and Procurement Committee (“CAP”), Regional (RACP) and Advisory Committee on Procurement (“ACP”).
- Provide advisory services on planned contracts, including negotiation of terms and conditions, in liaison with the Legal Support Office (LSO/BMS) and Office of Financial Management (OFM/BMS), as needed.
- Provide advisory support services related to ongoing contract management, as needed.
- Elaborate and implement the internal control system which ensures that purchase orders are prepared and dispatched on corporate LTA vendors.
- Take timely corrective action on purchase orders if problems arise.
- Promote harmonized procurement actions, where relevant, in relation to joint procurement with other UN agencies in line with the UN reform.
- Provide consultation on procurement processes to CO teams that experience difficulties throughout the procurement chain.
- 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.
- Management and monitoring of procurement contracts.
- Elaboration and implementation of the internal control system, which ensures that Purchase Orders (PO) are duly prepared and dispatched.
- Timely corrective actions on POs with budget check errors and other problems.
- Management of the implementation of the procurement processes monitoring system and mechanisms to eliminate deficiencies in procurement.
- Maintenance of auditable procurement and contracting records in compliance with UNDP standards.
- Supervision of preparation of cost-recovery bills in Quantum for procurement services provided by UNDP to other Agencies and/or projects in close collaboration with the Finance Specialist.
- Lead elaboration, introduction, and implementation of sourcing strategy and e-procurement tools focusing on achievement of key results.
- Development and management of the rosters of suppliers, elaboration of supplier selection and evaluation, quality, and performance measurement mechanisms.
- Verify and analyze local and regional markets for capacity/availability of requirements based on competitive prices and quality.
- Lead management of the e-procurement system.
- Develop and maintain an effective network with inter-agency procurement counterparts, in line with a One-UN approach.
- Establish and maintain a strong partnership with service providers to ensure economies of scale and client satisfaction.
- Develop a network with other Agencies in Afghanistan to explore possible leverage across the UN system in the relevant region for the procurement of common goods and services.
- Lead the supervision, performance management, and professional development of the procurement team, ensuring the effective delivery of procurement services and achievement of organizational objectives.
- Undertake capacity building actions in various areas of procurement for the Project Managers from the CO, facilitate training and workshops.
- Synthesize lessons learned and best practices in the procurement of goods and services.
- Contribute to the evaluation of the performance of personnel in their positions, promote their personal and professional development to constantly improve the quality of their work and stimulate their collective and individual growth, as required by the CO.
- Make regular contributions to the procurement knowledge network and other communities of practice.
- Provide leadership in the establishment of a reputation of UNDP as the “Centre of Excellence”, which shares best procurement practices with other UN Agencies.
- Supervise and manage National and International Staff and Consultants.
Required Experience
- Minimum of 7 years (with master’s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressive relevant experience at the national or international level in public, government and or UN procurement management is required.
- Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advanced knowledge of web-based management systems such as ERP is required.
- Demonstrated experience in conducting complex procurement needs analyses and market assessments to design strategic sourcing plans, identify appropriate purchasing methodologies, and guide requisitioning units on technical specification development for a diverse portfolio of goods, works, and services is required.
- Proven expertise in designing and implementing diverse international tendering strategies, with demonstrated ability to analyze and ensure the technical and legal integrity of highly complex specifications, terms of reference, and contracts is required.
- Experience and knowledge of e-tendering tools are a requirement.
- Supervisory experience is required.
- Experience in managing high volume and complex procurement (including Civil work) is an asset.
- Experience in hardship and/or crisis context is an asset.
- Experience working on large-scale operations support efforts would be an asset.
- Experience working with UNDP, or another UN agency would be an asset.
- Experience with and knowledge of UNDP Procurement Policies and Procedures, rules and regulations are desirable.
- Demonstrated ability in communicating with senior managers is desired.
Qualifications
- Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Finance, or related field is required.
- Or A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
- CIPS level 4 is highly desirable for this position and candidates holding this level at the time of application will have a distinct advantage. If the desired certification is not available at the time of recruitment, it should be obtained within one year of recruitment. Candidates holding a CIPS certification at any level below at the time of application will have a proportionate advantage.
