Procurement Assistant

​Requisition ID: 3923 
Grade: SB2 – Local support 
Country: Austria 
Duty Station: Vienna 
Category: Local Support Personnel 
Type of Job Posting: Internal and External
Employment Type: NonStaff-Regular
Application deadline: 7-Jun-2024, 11:59 PM (CEST)  

Vacancy Announcement
TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF PROJECT PERSONNEL
Only nationals or permanent residents of the country of the duty station are considered eligible.
Female candidates are encouraged to apply.
 

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission of UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013 as well as the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States. The relevance of ISID as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of ISID, however, applies in greater or lesser extent to all SDGs. Accordingly, the Organization’s programmatic focus is structured in four strategic priorities: Creating shared prosperity; Advancing economic competitiveness; Safeguarding the environment; and Strengthening knowledge and institutions.

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards and quality-related activities; and (iv) convening and partnerships for knowledge transfer, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Divisions/Offices in its Headquarters, Regional Offices and Hubs and Country Offices.

The Directorate of SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation (IET) is under the overall direction of the Director General, and in close collaboration with all organizational entities within UNIDO, in particular the Office of Change Management (ODG/CHM), the Office of Legal Affairs and Compliance (ODG/LEG), the Strategic Planning and UN Engagement Division (ODG/SPU), and the Office of Evaluation and Internal Oversight (EIO), the Directorate of SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation (IET), headed by a Managing Director, is responsible for the development of innovative UNIDO services in the areas of agro-industry and agribusiness, sustainability standards and fair production, and climate-relevant or climate-improving technologies.

It is also, in collaboration with ODG, responsible for developing innovative technical cooperation concepts, identifying new sources and means of finance and entering into new partnerships with a broad range of relevant stakeholders.

The Directorate houses the Divisions of Coordination and Integration Support (IET/CIS), Quality, Impact and Accountability (IET/QUA), Agribusiness and Infrastructure Development (IET/AGR), Innovative Finance and International Financial Institutions (IET/IFI), Fair Production, Sustainability Standards and Trade (IET/PST), Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), and Climate and Technology Partnerships (CTP).

The Directorate also ensures close coordination and collaboration among the Divisions and relevant entities in the Directorate of Global Partnerships and External Relations (GLO) and the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS).

The Division of  Agribusiness and Infrastructure Development (IET/AGR)  is under the overall guidance of the Director General, the direct supervision of the Managing Director, Directorate of SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation (IET), and in close coordination with other organizational entities within UNIDO, the Division of Agribusiness and Infrastructure Development (IET/AGR) supports Member States in their efforts to pave the way to sustainable rural development and a structurally transformed and modernized agribusiness sector.

Capitalizing on the experience gained by UNIDO in this field over decades and on tried-and-tested and to-be-developed service modules, the Division will explore innovative approaches to maximise the potential that exists in agribusiness development, addressing emerging global trends, in particular food security, poverty alleviation and climate change.

It will explore new ways to contribute to global efforts to reduce hunger, accelerate food systems transition, and generate income and employment, especially among women and youth.

The Division provides technical cooperation services to assist the modernization of agriculture and agro-industry, especially in less-developed countries, ensuring that enterprises add value to primary agricultural production, substitute the imports of food and other value-added agricultural products, and participate effectively in local, regional and global value chains. Where needed, it will develop infrastructure and agro-industrial parks and capacities for agro-industrialization, value addition, quality assurance and food safety.

It will also bring innovative approaches to Member States to fully benefit from carbon-neutral and biodiversity-enhancing agricultural and agro-industrial production and development opportunities in the green and blue bioeconomy.

The position is located under the Rural Development, Agroindustries and Industrial Parks Unit (IET/AGR/RAP). IET/AGR/RAP aims to improve rural livelihoods by extending and professionalising agro-industrial production, infrastructure supply and employment. It provides technical cooperation services to develop formal and informal enterprises and entrepreneurs that produce and source agricultural products– directly or through business-development service agents – with support for business planning, technology adoption, investment planning, product improvement, quality compliance and marketing.

The Unit also promotes the planning for developing the necessary infrastructure for the transportation of intermediary and final products and related basic infrastructure (land, electricity, water, communication, waste treatment, etc.) required for agro-processing and value addition, making use, among others, of sustainable agro-industrial parks.

PROJECT CONTEXT

Project 220136: Creative Tunisia 2.0 – Job creation in the crafts sector through support for migrant workers in Tunisia

The “Creative Tunisia 2.0” project aims to strengthen socio-economic inclusion in Tunisia, particularly for young people, women and migrant workers, by capitalising on the success of the previous project (Creative Tunisia 1.0). To encourage the move towards a higher value-added sector, the project targets the improvement of professional prospects and the creation of sustainable businesses by strengthening the skills of SMEs in management and organisation and the inclusive and sustainable integration of young people. It will also enhance targeted stakeholders’ access to training in the craft, design, and fashion sectors while enhancing entrepreneurial opportunities for these groups.

The project will establish and strengthen links between the Tunisian diaspora abroad and artisans, creative hubs and SMEs in Tunisia, thereby helping to support the country’s craft, design and fashion sector. Finally, the project will improve sectoral coordination to foster the integration of return migrants and migration stakeholders.

FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the supervision of the Contracts Officer, the Procurement Assistant provides support in processing the complete procurement cycle and administrative assistance for the following areas, in particular for SAP project ID 220136 in Tunisia:

Support to operational procurement

• Assist in reviewing submitted shopping carts for completeness and clarity;
• Assist in reviewing drafted technical specifications, terms of reference, and scope of work;
• Assist in drafting bidding documents and in creating the relevant RFx event in SAP SRM for review and clearance by the relevant Procurement Officer;
• Refer requests for clarification from potential bidders to the relevant Project Manager/Allotment Holder for clarification, as necessary;
• Assist in preparing clarification and amendment notes; upload cleared notes in SAP SRM;
• Assist in the preparation of bid opening protocols and in obtaining relevant signatures where applicable;
• Assist in the preparation of the review of qualification requirements and commercial evaluation;
• As needed, prepare draft procurement case submissions to the Procurement Committee for signature by the relevant Procurement Official and Chief;
• Draft purchase order/contract document and create PO/contract in SAP SRM;
• Dispatch signed PO/contract documents to contractors;
• Assist in the management of all open POs/contracts.
• Assists in verifying invoices for payment, obtains allotment holder’s written certification; liaises with Finance to ensure timely processing of invoices; verifies the status of payments in SAP, informs agreement signatories and internal clients accordingly;
• Obtains evaluation of agreement signatories’ performance reports from the project manager upon contract completion and closes contract files after verifying that all required documentation is on file.
• Draft routine and non-routine correspondence, ensuring accuracy and compliance with UNIDO Correspondence Guidelines;
• Ensure that relevant procurement records are continuously uploaded in Open Text;
• Perform any other related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Education: A completed higher secondary education (high school diploma or equivalent) is required. Formal administrative/secretarial/clerical training or equivalent is desirable.

Credit towards total working experience may be considered on a year-by-year- basis, up to a maximum of four years, for a higher degree education (including first university degree or equivalent diploma and/or master’s degree) in a relevant field to the post.

Technical and Functional Experience:

• A minimum of six (6) years of work experience in the post’s related fields is required.
• Experience in office procedures and practices, preferably within the UN system or in a multicultural environment and with projects funded by institutional donors, is desirable.
• Experience in procurement, administration, accounting or finance, and supporting managerial/professional staff is required.
• Experience and proficiency in using Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and the Internet are required.
• Work experience in the fields of contracts, procurement services and/or financing is desirable.
• Knowledge of Grants /granting mechanisms in international projects is desirable.
• Experience with SAP or similar ERP software is desirable.

Languages: Fluency in written and spoken English and French is required.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

Core Values

WE LIVE AND ACT WITH INTEGRITY: work honestly, openly and impartially.

WE SHOW PROFESSIONALISM: work hard and competently in a committed and responsible manner.

WE RESPECT DIVERSITY: work together effectively, respectfully and inclusively, regardless of our differences in culture and perspective.

Key Competencies

WE FOCUS ON PEOPLE: cooperate to fully reach our potential –and this is true for our colleagues as well as our clients. Emotional intelligence and receptiveness are vital parts of our UNIDO identity.

WE FOCUS ON RESULTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: focus on planning, organizing and managing our work effectively and efficiently. We are responsible and accountable for achieving our results and meeting our performance standards. This accountability does not end with our colleagues and supervisors, but we also owe it to those we serve and who have trusted us to contribute to a better, safer and healthier world.

WE COMMUNICATE AND EARN TRUST: communicate effectively with one another and build an environment of trust where we can all excel in our work.

WE THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND INNOVATE: To stay relevant, we continuously improve, support innovation, share our knowledge and skills, and learn from one another.

This appointment is limited to the specified project(s) only and does not carry any expectation of renewal.
Employees of UNIDO are expected at all times to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity, both at work and outside. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for jobs at UNIDO.

All applications must be submitted online through the Online Recruitment System. Correspondence will be undertaken only with candidates who are being considered at an advanced phase of the selection process. Selected candidate(s) may be required to disclose to the Director General the nature and scope of financial and other personal interests and assets in respect of themselves, their spouses and dependents, under the procedures established by the Director General.