Head Field Procurement and Logistics Office

Org. Setting and Reporting

The Head, Field Procurement and Logistics Office reports to the Senior Deputy Director of UNRWA Affairs (Operations), Gaza

Responsibilities

- Plans, develops and manages the procurement activities of the Field Office including multi-million expenditure for procurement of broad range of commodities, services and construction works; serves as a principal advisor on procurement and logistics to the Field Office management;

- Is responsible for all aspects of supply chain management within the Field in support of its operations, departments and programmes, resource allocation, sourcing, supplier management, inventory logistics and channels for distribution, forecasting, supply chain initiatives as well as flow and processes management, including:
• Ensuring compliance with established tendering and quotation procedures for the supply of goods and services;
• Conducting quality control on supplies and materials received;
• Carrying out local market research and procuring local supplies;
• Facilitating the receipt of supplies by land, sea and air through liaison with customs, port, shipping and government authorities and the processing of customs, tax exemption, insurance, clearing and
forwarding documentation;
• Supervising the sale of surplus, obsolete or unserviceable stock and stock control, warehousing and asset management functions;
• Leading the Construction Access Team facilitating access of goods and materials to Gaza for construction projects and programmatic material and equipment requirements;

- Represents the Field Office in contacts with internal and external parties on contractual matters and advises thereon; recommends to the Deputy Director appropriate action to be taken in relation to procurement contracts and/or orders; authorizes procurement contracts up to an approved limit;

- Is responsible for managing the receipt, storage, issue and distribution of basic commodities of the refugee food insecurity programme in the Field; the pre-packing of food rations and the operation and maintenance of the related machinery and equipment;

- Analyses all procurement proposals to determine appropriate strategy or approach, performs market research to develop proposals on revisions of procurement plans, procedures and policies;

- Develops and ensures the efficient implementation of the procurement annual plan and overall procurement strategies using the best procurement practices and approved policies;

- Is responsible for all aspects of the motor transport management within the Field; including driver testing, vehicle maintenance, registration and insurance and related machinery and equipment;

- Leads, manages, and trains the procurement team to perform the procurement activities as planned and efficiently;

- Serves as a member of Committee and Board as applicable.

Competencies

UN Core Values of Professionalism, Integrity and Respect for Diversity and Core Competencies of Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results apply by default. Default managerial competencies may apply.

- Professionalism: Broad knowledge of all facets of international procurement including contract principles, techniques, practices, regulations as well as current knowledge of broader economic and market perspectives; experience in best value procurement and in-depth cost analyses evaluation techniques; ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives; excellent negotiations skills;

- Vision: Identifies strategic issues, opportunities and risks; clearly communicates links between the Agency’s overall strategy and the Department’s goals; generates and communicates broad and compelling directions;

- Planning and organizing: Proven ability to plan and organize work, requiring understanding of strategic direction and the ability to integrate the work into the Agency’s/ Field’s plans and work programmes;

- Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; ability to defend and explain difficult issues to staff, senior officials, advisory committee and oversight bodies; ability to communicate complex concepts orally;

- Client orientation: Maintains productive partnerships with clients; identifies their needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; maintains effective relationships with outside collaborators including representatives of donor communities and states;

- Leadership: Proven record of building and managing teams and creating an enabling environment, including the ability to effectively lead, supervise, mentor, develop and evaluate staff;

- Managing performance: Ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor work of others; monitors performance against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly;

- Teamwork: Strong interpersonal skills including ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people in multi-cultural, environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity;

- Working knowledge of the use of computer applications relevant to supply chain management and procurement including knowledge and work experience with any modern ERP system is desirable.

For guidance on how to prepare for competency-based interviews: https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=AYI

Education

Advanced university degree in a supply chain management discipline, business administration, public administration, commerce or other related field;

Additional study, course-work or training in the areas relevant to supply chain management, procurement and/or a recognized qualification in procurement and logistics is preferable.

Work Experience

At least eight years of experience in the application of the knowledge acquired in supply chain management discipline, business administration, public administration, commerce;
A progressively responsible professional experience in high volume procurement and logistics operation in a large commercial or international organization
At least five years of experience at the international level, preferably in a developing country, with a minimum of 2 continuous years of relevant international experience outside UNRWA, and outside the country(s) of which the candidate is a national or holds citizenship, a passport or a national identity number.
Proven record of delivery a procurement programmes and services.
Knowledge of UNRWA and UN Procurement rules and directives, of UN policies, procedures and operations as well as leading-edges supply chain management or procurement and logistics methods (desirable)
Working Knowledge and experience in the Agency operations area and knowledge of Middle East Culture (desirable)

Languages

- Excellent command of written and spoken English.

- Knowledge of Arabic language (desirable).

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

Type of Contract and duration: 2 years, with the possibility of further extension

The Head Field Procurement and Logistics Office may be required to travel to different UNRWA areas of operation.

Possession of a valid driving license.

UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states, regional bodies, business foundations and individual contributions. The mission of UNRWA is to help Palestine refugees achieve their full potential in human development under the difficult circumstances in which they live.

For more details on UNRWA, please visit: https://www.unrwa.org

United Nations Considerations

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Commissioner-General of UNRWA and to assignment by him or her.

UNRWA is committed to achieving gender parity at all levels of staffing under the current UN-wide gender agenda and strongly encourages applications from qualified applicants from under-represented groups.

At UNRWA, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. UNRWA is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

UNRWA Considerations
UNRWA staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of efficiency, competence, neutrality, impartiality and integrity. This includes respect for and commitment to human rights, diversity and non-violent means of dealing with all kinds of conflict. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for UNRWA jobs. Candidates will not be considered for employment with UNRWA if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. The Agency may disqualify applicants who have separated for reason of misconduct, who left a UN Agency while misconduct processes were pending, or who appear on the UN Sanctions List.
UNRWA is a non-smoking work environment.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.