Procurement Assistant, GS-5, Medicines and Nutrition Center, UNICEF Supply Division, Copenhagen #129644

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, commitment

UNICEF’s supply and logistics headquarters – Supply Division – is located in Copenhagen, which is also home to the largest humanitarian warehouse in the world. About a half of the 1000 colleagues are housed in Supply Division, Copenhagen with areas of expertise including logistics, procurement, warehouse management, product innovation, market insights, finance, pharma, nutrition, vaccines, cold chain and health technologies and engineering. Over 1000 colleagues work in the Supply Function across 97 countries and 173 offices and form the Supply Community. 

The position is located within the Medicines and Nutrition Centre (MNC) in Supply Division. Through applied technical, contractual and operational expertise, the Centre supports UNICEF country programmes and procurement services partners.  This position is part of the Medicines Unit. 

How can you make a difference?

The Procurement Assistant will support the procurement cycle for a segment of Medicines products and services. Providing effective services to customers, ensuring accurate and timely processing of requisitions and requests up to the completion and closure of the order, with the overall goal of meeting the needs and requirements of the customers.

In this capacity, the need to project the image of a credible and reliable service provider is imperative to quality of process delivery, and the impact of work directly reflects on the overall reputation of the team in terms of responsiveness to client needs and quality of process execution.

Under the supervision of a Contracts Specialist, performs all procurement activities in compliance with the UNICEF Financial Rules and Regulations, Supply Division Manual and other applicable procurement procedures including:

1. In consultation with the Supervisor, provide input to country procurement plans and participate in the forecasting and planning of shipments.
2. Reviews and evaluates incoming medicine requisitions and requests to ensure quality and adequacy of information, specifications, appropriateness of requests, quantities, shipment, delivery dates, and budgets to cover product and freight costs.
3. Review’s material specifications and requirements with customers, countries, the technical counterparts, and Quality Assurance Centre to ensure completeness and appropriateness. Ensures that customers’ claims/complaints are processed in collaboration with Shipping and Quality Assurance Centre.
4. Prepare and draft price and cost estimates for Procurement Services (PS) transaction including freight.
5. Drafts and prepare international tender invitations, prepare CRC submission when applicable, draft and prepare Purchase Orders, piggyback on other UN organizations Long Term Agreements (LTAs), as applicable.
6. Drafts and prepares Purchase Orders and prepares Direct Order Arrangements in SAP (ERP – Enterprise Resource Planning system), and submit for relevant approvals, ensuring completeness of documentation.
7. Monitors the status of Country Office Programme orders and center specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Pro-actively follows up on placed orders and deliveries with all parties concerned to ensure timely and safe delivery of goods.  Transmits all relevant information to customer including changes to planned deliveries, to facilitate delivery and customs clearance of shipments. Prepares and provides timely and regular status / monitoring reports to customers.
8. Updating of databases and management systems for use by Head Quarters, Country Offices or Regional Offices.
9. Implement appropriate vendor management practices e.g., supply performance reviews. Monitor and evaluate supplier performance and communicate with suppliers to improve performance.
10. Prepares evaluation of suppliers with respect to delivery performance and commercial acceptability.
11. Maintains order filing in accordance with UNICEF guidelines.
12. Perform research, collect data and conduct analysis, produce reports and ensure information accuracy in corporate systems to enable informed decision-making.
13. Any other duties or assignments as requested by the supervisor.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

The following minimum requirements:

• Education: Completion of secondary education
• Work Experience: Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible administrative or clerical work experience
• Language: Fluency in English and in particular excellent written communication skills

The following desirables:

• Education: Technical or university courses related to procurement
• Additional relevant courses in procurement
• Experience of working in SAP/ERP system (VISION) or other modules of SAP
• Knowledge of Public procurement
• Language: Proficiency in another UN language (Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese, Arabic).

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per 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.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Visit us at www.unicef.org/supply/