UN WOMEN Jobs - 114264- Procurement Associate

Procurement Associate

Advertised on behalf of

UN WOMEN

Location :

Panama City, PANAMA

Type of Contract :

Service Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

23-Oct-23 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

SB-4

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English Spanish

Expected Duration of Assignment :

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

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.

Through the Regional Office (RO) for Americas and the Caribbean, country offices (COs) and multi-country office (MCO) across the region, UN Women builds on a long history of support to governments, civil society and other actors to deliver for women and girls. We advocate for and enhance accountability to enhance women’s political participation and prevent and respond effectively to violence against women. Our economic empowerment programmes seek greater economic security and rights particularly for marginalized groups of women. Other programmes in the region involve partnering with women in their efforts to engage in peace and reconstruction efforts and push for gender equality (GE) provisions integral to preparing for, mitigating, and responding to disasters and emergencies. To bolster gender-responsive budgeting and public planning, we assist efforts to monitor the different impacts of budget and policy choices on women and men and to mainstream gender considerations across sector.

Reporting to the Procurement Specialist of the Regional Office and under the overall guidance of the Chief of the Procurement Section in Headquarters, 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 administrative and procurement-related strategies in accordance with UN Women rules, regulations, and policies:

Ensure compliance of procurement activities with UN Women rules, regulations, policies, and strategies; implement effective internal control, proper functioning of a client-orient procurement management system, and business process mapping;
Coordinate the implementation of corporate procurement management policies and strategies in support of cost saving and operations for the RO and COs in the region;
Follow up with internal and external audits and ensure that appropriate response is provided, and actions are taken regarding all aspects of procurement management.

Manage procurement processes for the Regional Office, Multi Country Office, and Country Offices

Develop and update the roster of suppliers and support the implementation of supplier selection and evaluation
Support the program staff in the preparation of the procurement plans related to their projects
Coordination and consolidation of the organization´s requirements to identify the need for the establishment of Long-Term Agreements (LTA´s)
Review procurement requests and initiate procurement procedures for the Regional Office and Country Offices
Organize and manage procurement processes including the preparation of Mini Bids, Request for Quotations (RFQ), Invitation to Bid (ITB) or Request for Proposal (RFPs) documents, receipt of quotations, bids or proposal, prepare requests for award of contracts for the review and approval of relevant authorities, in full compliance with UN Women regulations and rules;
Perform Procurement Case Manager Role in ERP system (Quantum), prepare/close Purchase Orders (POs) and contracts,
Prepare submission to the Procurement Review Committee (PRC)
Ensure the supplier evaluation reports are recorded with respect to delivery performance and commercial acceptability,
Ensure the asset list related to procurement purchases is registered in cooperation with the regional office asset focal person.
Follow up with internal and external audits and ensure that appropriate response is provided, and actions are taken regarding all aspects of procurement management.
Serves as Alternate Secretary to the Regional PRC;
Support the Procurement Specialist in organizing joint procurement processes for the UN agencies in line with the UN reform.

Manage the organization of logistical services for events within the regional office:

Organize and coordinate the travel requests for events participants including purchase of tickets for meeting participants and Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) calculation.
Organize hotel reservation and event arrangements for all official UN Women meetings/ functions, engagements, ensure that all requirements are catered for as required.
Timely conducted Travel Agencies, hotel, and conference facilities surveys, in coordination with other UN Agencies in case of the Regional Office.
Pro-actively follow up on placed orders and deliveries with all concerned parties to ensure timely and safe delivery of goods/services;
Take timely and appropriate decision and action to ensure objectives are met.
Perform other administrative tasks as assigned by supervisor.

Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing:

Provide substantive input and support to the development of training materials, webinars, and other education materials.
Manage trainings sessions for the operations/projects staff within the Regional Office.
Synthesize lessons learnt and best practices in the procurement of specialized goods and services.
Perform any other duties as required within the same capacity.
Contribute to the Procurement Community Network and other learning networks
Develop and support the development of training materials, webinars and other education materials;
Collect feedback, ideas, and internal knowledge about processes and best practices and disseminate them as best practices in procurement.

Key Performance Indicators

Procurement of goods and services are properly planned and executed in a timely manner ensuring Value for Money of UN Women investments
Timely coordination, facilitation and implementation of procurement activities based on procurement plans and available budget
All procurement services and administration are provided in compliance with UN Women rules, regulations and policies
Timely and quality processing of purchase orders
Timely organization of logistics activities
Timely and quality advice to the RO and COs in the region

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

Strong knowledge of procurement process, systems; administrative rules and regulations.
Ability to provide procurement related support and advice.
Strong 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 certification

Specialized training in Procurement or a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, or related field is required.
Procurement Certification from an internationally recognized provider such as CIPS (level 3) is an asset.
Willingness to take UN Women internal procurement certifications is required.

Experience

At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in procurement, administration or related field 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 Quantum ERP, Oracle or similar, is an asset.
Experience with UN organizations, international bodies or institutions is an asset.

Language Requirements

Fluency in English and Spanish is required;
Working knowledge of French or Portuguese is an asset.

Other requirements:

The person to be hired must be a Panamanian citizen (natural or legal), or foreigner with permanent legal residence and valid work permit to remain and work in Panama for the duration of the contract.

HOW TO APPLY:

Application:

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment, hence, combine all your documents into one (1) single PDF document. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

Only short-listed qualified candidates will be contacted.

If you are experiencing difficulties with online job applications, please contact jobs.help@undp.org.

Note:

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.)