Procurement Officer

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The length of appointment for internal FAO candidates will be established in accordance with applicable policies pertaining to the extension of appointments.

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• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO’s values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

Organizational Setting
The Procurement Service (CSLP) of the Logistics Services Division (CSL) provides advice, guidance and oversight for FAO procurement operations and the Letter of Agreement Quality Assurance function both at headquarters and in FAO’s Decentralized Offices; it provides policy and operational support to ensure that the Organization procures goods, works and services based on ‘Best Value for Money’ principles.
The post is located in the Procurement Service (CSLP) within the Logistics Services Division (CSL) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines
The Procurement Officer reports to the Senior Procurement Officer.

Technical Focus
Timely, efficient and effective procurement of goods and services in compliance with the relevant FAO Rules and Regulations.

Key Results
Ensure that procurement activities comply with FAO’s established policies and procedures and reflect best practice for public procurement.

Key Functions
• Plans, develops and supports all procurement and contractual aspects of significant complexity.
• Advises requisitioning units on the full range of procurement issues, providing support and guidance at all stages of the procurement cycle, meeting objectives under tight deadlines.
• Prepares solicitation process, identifies method of solicitation, drafts tendering documents, identifies sourcing strategy and distributes invitations to tender, primarily using e-tendering system and supports bid/proposals evaluations while ensuring the solicitation process is fair, objective and transparent and that it follows the general principles, as set forth in the FAO Manual Section.
• Prepares and presents cases to the relevant Procurement Committees.
• Participates in and conducts site inspections, bidder’s conferences and contract negotiations.
• Conducts market research to keep abreast of market developments; research and analyses statistical data and market reports on the world commodity situation, production patterns and availability of goods and services.
• Contributes to updating procurement policies and related tools, provides procurement reporting as well as clarification/information for auditing purposes.
• Ensures the full implementation of corporate initiatives in accordance with the Corporate Environmental Responsibility Strategy to reduce emissions, increase efficiency and integrate sustainability and in line with the Strategy for Sustainability Management in the UN System 2020-2030.
• Participates in the development of training and related training materials and promotes best practices and capacity development at FAO headquarters and the Decentralized Offices.
• Provides guidance to new/junior staff and stakeholders, ensures entry of accurate data using the Organizations ERP and related systems.
• Makes initial determinations and recommendations concerning disputes or claims arising from contractual instruments or procurement processes.
• Prepares monitoring reports, reviews and analyses data and makes recommendations based on findings.

Specific Functions
• Manages the assigned procurement activities of strategic or technically complex inputs, proposes strategic and long-term solutions for more efficient and effective procurement of the goods and services, inclusive of Long-Term Agreements, Cooperation with other UN agencies, etc.
• Manages the assigned requests for the ad hoc re-Delegations of Authority received from the Decentralized Offices.
• Participates in procurement missions worldwide, providing support and capacity building to the Decentralized Offices.
• Provides support for the corporate goods procurement planning process for both development and emergency portfolio and provides operation-related guidance and advice to Country Offices.
• Contributes to identifying and developing new and streamlined procurement workflows and procurement related initiatives for the efficient and effective procurement of goods in support of development and emergency programme delivery in the field.
• Contributes to development of guidelines on goods procurement operational aspects, relevant SOPs and supports the development of training material.
• May be requested to supervise more junior staff and consultants.
• Performs other duties as required.

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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements
• Advanced university degree in law, business/public administration, finance, economics, commerce, marketing or a related field and five years of relevant experience in procurement related activities with at least two in public procurement; OR
• A first-level degree in law, business/public administration, finance, economics, commerce, marketing or a related field, seven years of work experience in procurement related activities with at least two in public procurement; and completion of professional qualification from an internationally recognized body such as CIPS (CIPS3) or equivalent level of other UN-wide recognized certifications.
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (Intermediate – level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions.
• Extent and relevance of experience in the field of Corporate Environmental Responsibility.
• Demonstrated knowledge of internationally recognized procurement standards and of all phases of international procurement techniques and operations used in contracting for a diverse range of goods and services.
• Extent and relevance of experience in public sector procurement dealing with complex contractual issues including revising, drafting of contract, formulating options and proposing recommendations.
• Extent and relevance of experience in identifying clients’ procurement-related needs and in providing support and guidance from clients’ point of view.
• Demonstrated ability to draft complex documents in English.

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FAO staff are expected to adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

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• Extension of fixed term appointments is based on certification of performance and availability of funds
• FAO reserves the right not to make an appointment.
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp

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