Procurement Assistant

This position is located in the Procurement Unit within the Division of Administration. The Procurement Assistant reports to the Chief Procurement Officer and Senior Procurement Assistant. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean is one of the five regional Commissions of the United Nations. It was founded in 1948 with the purpose of contributing to the region’s economic and social development. Its mission includes the design, monitoring and evaluation of public policies and the provision of advisory services, expertise and training to Governments, as well as support for regional and international cooperation and coordination activities. 

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority and depending on location, the Procurement Assistant at this level may be responsible for the following duties:

• Reviews, records and prioritizes purchasing requests and obtains additional information/documentation as required; provides assistance to requisitioners in preparing scope of work and specifications of goods and services; proposes product substitutions consistent with requirements to achieve cost savings; determines the availability of funding sources.
• Identify and recommend sources of procurement; interview potential suppliers.
• Produces tender documents (e.g. Invitations to Bids, Requests for Proposals and Requests for Quotation) based on the nature of the requirements and cost of procurement involved.
• Prepares abstracts of offers and compile data contained in quotations, proposals and bids to determine which supplier can deliver the required goods/services at the best terms and lowest costs possible with due consideration to quality, delivery time, prompt payment and other discounts, transportation costs, etc.
• Enters into negotiation of terms and conditions of orders under the guidance of Procurement Officers; obtains credit and other information on proposed suppliers.
• Finalizes purchase orders and contracts for approval by the Procurement Officer; may authorize purchases in line with delegated signature authority, and, if required, prepares submission to the Contracts Committee for review and subsequent approval by the authorized official.
• Resolves issues/problems related to delivered goods, including discrepancies between purchase orders and items/quantities shipped or received; prepares and signs Return to Vendor forms for unacceptable and/or damaged goods received.
• Maintains relevant internal databases and files; keeps track of any contractual agreements, direct provisioning contracts, etc. and informs affected users of contractual rights and obligations.
• Researches, retrieves and presents information from a variety of internal and external sources on sources of supply, vendors by commodity, etc., as well as obtain specifications for new products and equipment on the market.
• Assists with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making.
• Assists with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures.
• Drafts a variety of correspondence.
• Supervises and assigns and reviews the work of more junior staff.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Education

• High school diploma or equivalent. Note: For positions in the General Service category, candidates are required to clearly indicate in their Applicant Profile (AP) relevant information confirming completion of High School.

Job – Specific Qualification

• Relevant training courses or certifications in the field is desirable.

Work Experience

• At least seven (7) years of experience in procurement, administrative services or related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to five (5) for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in procurement is required. Working knowledge and experience in Supply Chain and Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP), such as SAP, is required. One (1) year or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat and Spanish is a working language of ECLAC. For the position(s) advertised, fluency in both English and Spanish is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

Source: https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/233341?language=en