Procurement Specialist - Policy and System

Public procurement can play a powerful role in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It has the potential to create jobs, drive equality and reduce carbon emissions. More sustainable and resilient procurement models can strengthen supply chains, enhance transparency and achieve greater impact for populations. At UNOPS, we work with our partners to drive transparent, sustainable and resilient procurement practices that lay the foundations for a better future. 

Effective public procurement underpins nearly all sustainable development activity. Every Global Goal, every mission, every operation. Without the efficient and sustainable purchasing of goods and services, addressing the world’s problems would be impossible.

Public procurement can also be an agent of change, with transformational potential to drive sustainable, resilient and inclusive development. It offers an opportunity to maximize the impact of spending and is a vehicle to promote social inclusion, fairness and value for money.

As reflected in the restated UNOPS Strategic Plan 2022-2025, we aim to help governments and other partners plan and implement transparent, cost-effective public procurement for sustainable, equitable and gender-sensitive impact. As a central United Nations resource for procurement, we harness efforts for economic, social and environmental effect through sustainable procurement and capacity development of local supply chains and public institutions, responding to all Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 12. Institutional capacity development for sustainable, transparent and fair public procurement practices can expand the resources available for countries to accelerate achievement of the SDGs and combat climate change.

We help our partners purchase for impact by:

Realizing potential through sustainable procurement: UNOPS ensures sustainable and resilient procurement that can strengthen supply chains, enhance transparency and facilitate inclusive choices. Diversifying supply chains can give businesses owned by women, young people, people with disabilities and ethnic minorities a chance to prosper. 

Ensuring more effective public spending to empower institutions: UNOPS helps public procurement be more efficient, with greater levels of transparency, greater value for money, a greater impact for governments and better public services for the people they serve.

Supporting local economies: Around half of our procurement is from local suppliers, which can help lessen environmental impacts by reducing emissions and directly support local economies.

Optimizing public procurement for impact: UNOPS strives to free up resources by realizing efficiencies, avoiding loss from fraud, corruption and lack of transparency, and increasing effectiveness through choices that enable sustainable, resilient and inclusive development.

In 2022, UNOPS procured $1.8bn of goods and services, across 828 projects in 101 countries. Health was the largest category of procurement, closely followed by infrastructure, operations and administrations and other goods and services. 97.4% of procurement was conducted by local procurement teams globally. UNOPS has a diverse, global supply base procuring from 5,613 different suppliers across 161 countries in 2022.

Procurement Group

The Procurement Group (PG) is based at UNOPS HQ in Copenhagen. It leads the organization’s sustainable procurement practice and is responsible for: articulating strategy, policy positions and innovative solutions for procurement at UNOPS; enabling the operationalization and managerial oversight of UNOPS procurement activities through appropriate systems and reports; strengthening the knowledge, skills and career development of procurement practitioners; and leading the implementation of sustainable supply chains across the organization.

The Procurement Specialist will be part of the Policy and Standards team at PG which is mainly responsible for:  

• Developing UNOPS procurement policy, guidelines and templates and other knowledge products, assuring alignment with best practices and business needs; 

• Establishing UNOPS Procurement Training Strategy and developing and delivering training courses for UNOPS personnel;  

• Coordinating eProcurement initiatives, including the development and implementation of the UNOPS eSourcing system and ERP modules such as supplier performance evaluation and contract management;  

• Hosting the secretariat of the Vendor Review Committee (VRC);  

• Addressing and implementing procurement recommendations from internal and external audits, as well as for procurement assessments and certifications. 

Functional Responsibilities 

Working in the Procurement Group (PG), the successful incumbent will be expected to Supervise the Procurement Senior Analyst - systems colleague, and to be primarily responsible  for the following areas of work:

• .Coordinate the development, management and roll-out of eProcurement initiatives  

1. Coordinate the development of eProcurement initiatives and system enhancements (e.g eSourcing, Supplier Performance Evaluation module, contract management module, integration of vendor databases, ERP Procure to Pay modules, etc.) by contributing to system design and specification/requirement definitions, software testing, etc. in close collaboration with ICT and other key stakeholders.  

2. Lead the planning and execution of the rollout, integrating change management activities for the release of e-procurement initiatives across UNOPS. This involves conducting global webinars, enhancing user guides and training materials, facilitating the onboarding process for individual offices, and establishing a robust support system for users and vendors worldwide. Additionally, ensure a seamless alignment between the change policy and the system/process requirements, fostering a clear and effective channel for communication and collaboration in both directions. 

3. Maintain alignment between policy and system process .

4. Coordinate continuous systems, policy and process mapping and analysis, to ensure alignment, and to identify potential risks and related controls for implementation, contribute to the generation and use of data to provide oversight and improvement of procurement operations

5. Foster collaborative dialogue supported by a clear feedback mechanism across key stakeholders in the HQ and in the regions/ country offices to facilitate continuous improvements

6. Provide input on leading practices on e-procurement systems including the potential for incorporation of new technologies (e.g. artificial intelligence)

• Develop other policy and knowledge management products 

1. Support in the development of new and revised procurement policies

2. Develop and maintain procurement templates, and guidance documents.  

3. Supervise the management of e-tendering helpdesk function, and explore potential alternatives to ensure 24/7 coverage as a long-term ambition.

4. Contribute to other knowledge management products and initiatives including the Procurement Community of Practice (COP).

5. Support the implementation of audit recommendations as relevant and the response to  internal- and external audit queries

6. Coordinate with Procurement Assurance team in the creation of strategic reporting tools and dashboards leveraging procurement systems

7. Provide contribution to corporate and/or interagency working groups/task forces as required

• Develop and deliver procurement training  

1.  Design and develop content for procurement systems training courses (for internal and external users) as identified in the Procurement Training Strategy, in coordination with the Capacity Development and Training Specialist, Procurement Assurance team, ITG and, as relevant, other Subject Matter Experts.

2. Deliver specific, targeted procurement systems training in HQ and field locations as identified in collaboration with the Procurement Assurance team and ITG and based on prioritized requests from UNOPS Business Units.

3. Coordinate the systematic development, delivery and improvement of applicable user guides on e-procurement systems for internal and external users

4. Support PG in implementing training and professionalization initiatives, other than systems, as identified (e.g POT, … , etc)

Education 

• Master’s Degree or equivalent preferably in the supply chain, procurement, business, law, audit, economics, or other related disciplines.

• Applicants with Bachelor’s Degree in related fields with additional 2 years of relevant working experience may be considered in lieu of a Master’s degree.

Work Experience 

:

• At least 5 years of demonstrated experience in procurement is required.

• Experience in the development and roll out of eProcurement initiatives is highly desirable.

• Experience working in organizations following public procurement rules and regulations would be an asset.

• Familiarity with UNOPS processes, policies, procedures, and use of UNOPS systems is an advantage.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.