Associate Procurement Officer

Posting Title: Associate Procurement Officer -Temporary, P2 (Temporary Job Opening)

Job Code Title: Associate Procurement Officer

Organization: United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV)

Duty Station: Vienna, Austria

Posting Period: 30 June 2023 - 02 August 2023

Job Opening Number: 23-Procurement-UNOV-212919-J-Vienna (X)

Staffing Exercise: N/A

United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Procurement Unit (PU), General Support Section (GSS), Division for Management (DM), United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV). The incumbent reports to the Chief of the Unit.

For more information visit www.unov.org.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Associate Procurement Officer will be responsible for the following specific duties:

• Plan procurement actions for assigned projects, which typically involve the procurement of a select group of technically complex commodities or services, or for a variety of goods and services of a general nature.
• Review and analyze technical specifications to ensure completeness, accuracy and competitive qualities, and identify optional courses of action.
• Assist staff in matters regarding procurement policies and procedures, technical specifications, pricing and product/service availability, as well as appropriate substitutes or alternative options to reduce costs.
• Develop vendor pre-qualifying criteria, identify product sources and evaluate vendor performance as regards quality, prices, delivery, equipment, etc.
• Solicit and evaluate bids/proposals/quotations to ensure overall competitiveness, quality, and conformity to specified requirements, as assigned by Chief Procurement Officer
• Compile and present procurement data; prepare all relevant supporting documents and recommend approval of the contract or purchase order; may authorize purchases in line with delegated authority, and, in cases where the amount exceeds authorized signature authority, prepare submissions to the Contracts Committee for review and subsequent approval by the authorized official.
• Coordinate timely delivery of goods and services.
• Conduct market and supplier research.
• Prepare a variety of reports, correspondence, and documents (e.g. purchase orders, contracts and amendments) on procurement-related matters.
• Prepare Note to File (NFT) for waiver requests and review and clear inter-office memoranda from clients.
• Serve as Lead Requisitioner for recuring commodities, including a review of conference and event management needs across UNODC field operations.
• Develop procurement templates and prepare standard operating procedure as appropriate.
• Support the monitoring, managing and coordination of the implementation of audit recommendations and related responses.
• Contribute, as the prime contact person, to developing and deploying procurement dashboards in line with established key performance indicators (KPIs) for compliance reviews and related monitoring.
• Act as compliance focal point in support of the Chief Procurement Officer.
• Organize and maintain relevant sections of the Client Support Portal as well as of a Procurement Forum to facilitate easy access for clients to services and to a knowledge platform.
• Support the development of various automated tools to facilitate the work of the Procurement Unit.
• Contribute to the collection and analysis of data as well as identification of trends or patterns and provide draft insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods for data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting.
• Performs other work-related duties as assigned

Competencies

• Professionalism: Knowledge of internationally recognized procurement standards and understanding of procurement techniques and practices used in the private sector. Knowledge of market trends and sources of supply and equipment and of procurement/contract execution and administration. Understanding of requirement development and knowledge as requisitioner of a wide range of commodity. Knowledge and understanding of internal procurement policies, practices and procedures. Ability to conduct research and analyze data and information to develop recommendations on procurement contracts awards. Ability to clarify and agree on terms of contracts and/or specification requirements and to apply good judgment in the context of assignments given. Has ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

• Planning& Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

• Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Education

An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business administration, commerce, engineering, law or a related field is required.

A first-level university degree in similar field in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

A first-level university degree and no experience will be accepted for candidates who have passed the United Nations Young Professional Programme Examination (YPP), the United Nations National Competitive Recruitment Examination (NCRE) or the General Service to Professional Examination (G to P).

Job - Specific Qualification

Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supplies (CIPS) Level 4 or equivalent professional certification is required.

Work Experience

A minimum of two years of progressively responsible experience in procurement or requisitioning OR the successful completion of the United Nations Young Professionals Programme Examination (YPP), the United Nations National Competitive Recruitment Examination (NCRE) or the General Service to Professional Examination (G to P) is required.

One (1) year or more of experience in data analytics, data management, report design or Power BI is desirable.

Experience in an international organisation, NGO or similar is desirable.

Experience in contract management is desirable.

Experience using the procurement/ supply chain functionality of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system (SAP or similar) is desirable.

Experience developing complex Terms of References and in working with Technical Evaluation Committees is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language is an advantage.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise and a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

This position is temporarily available until 31 December 2023. Filling of this temporary vacancy and actual duration is subject to availability of the post and funding. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment.

• While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post.

• Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station.

• This temporary job opening may be limited to “internal candidates,” who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15.

• Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation.

• Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as "retirement." Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service.

Pursuant to section 7.11 of ST/AI/2012/2/Rev.1, candidates recruited through the young professionals programme who have not served for a minimum of two years in the position of their initial assignment are not eligible to apply to this position.

At the United Nations, 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. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

Vienna is classified as a H and family duty station.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations 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. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

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.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

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