UNDP Jobs - 83419- Internship with the Central Procurement Unit UNDP

Internship with the Central Procurement Unit UNDP

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

Internship

Starting Date :

15-Mar-2019

Application Deadline :

10-Mar-19 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

Intern

Duration of Initial Contract :

6 months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

6 months

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

UNDP, the global development network for the United Nations system, is present in over 170 countries and territories and is uniquely equipped to help developing countries build sustainable capacity to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In support of this, UNDP offers a wide range of solutions to global, regional and national development challenges through a comprehensive knowledge network, expert practitioners and focused strategic areas of support.

The Central Procurement Unit (CPU), based in New York, provides procurement support services for UNDP business units by centrally coordinating all procurement transactions over $5K. It serves central bureaus within UNDP to ensure cost and time efficiency, required compliance and added value to clients. Those central bureaus identify procurement needs and make decisions, while CPU provides procurement services and guides the client through the process and decides on the best sourcing strategy. Routing procurement requests through CPU will lead to a quicker turn-around time, and a higher quality, cost effective outcome.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Chief of CPU and Procurement Focal Points, the intern will work full time from 9h30am to 5h30pm and be entrusted different tasks to support the Central Procurement Unit and by providing support to the CPU buyers in various procurement tasks for UNDP, the intern will be:

Drafting contracts for new vendors and other procurement related documents needed throughout the development of each procurement case;
Attending desk reviews and interviews with CPU buyers and drafting evaluation reports;
Attending other CPU related meetings and taking notes thereof;
Coordinating the logistics of candidates’ interviews and setups;
Reviewing, analyzing and updating the clients’ feedback surveys and CPU website;
Supporting in the preparation of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) documents for CPU contract management;
Preparing draft evaluation reports for procurement processes as requested by CPU buyers;
Notifying CPU clients about upcoming contract expirations and following up on expired/archived contracts;
Maintaining of the contract database;
Supporting of future recruitment of CPU interns;
Assisting in market research tasks for the preparation of documents prior to the launching of tenders.

Competencies

Innovation
Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

Delivery
Ability to prioritize work and follow a chain of command structure.

Technical/Functional

Ability to efficiently use the MS Office package (Word, Excel, Outlook).

Analytical
Excellent research skills, combined with a proven analytical aptitude and ability to tap into a vast array of traditional and new knowledge sources.

Communication
Excellent writing skills, as well as strong analytical aptitude and strong communication skills in a team setting.

Organizational
Strong organizational, time management, communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to work flexibly.

Team work
Demonstrates intercultural sensitivity in a multicultural environment.

Additional skills
Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modeling the UN/UNDP’s values and ethical standards;

Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP;

Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Students in development, business, international relations, law or related fields who are currently: i) enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); or ii) enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent); or (iii) have graduated with a university degree and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation.

Experience:

No professional experience necessary.

Language Requirements:

All applicants must be fluent in both written and spoken English;
Additional UN languages are a distinct advantage.

Availability:

Availability for the full 6 months is required.

Financial Arrangements:

UNDP does not pay for internships. The costs associated with the internship must be borne by the nominating institution, related institution or government, which may provide the required financial assistance to its students; or by the student, who will have to obtain financing for subsistence and make his or her own arrangements for travel, accommodation, visa cost etc.

Further Career Opportunities:

The purpose of internships is not to lead to further employment with UNDP but to complement an intern's studies. However, a number of interns, having completed their studies and met the necessary requirements, have gone on to further assignments with the UNDP or elsewhere in the United Nations system.

Starting Date

The intern is expected to start as soon as possible, but no later than 15 March 2019.