UN Women Procurement Specialist – Policy Support

Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

The Division of Management and Administration (DMA) is responsible for the planning, allocation and management of financial, human and administrative resources including information communications and technology, the effective and efficient delivery of essential operations services in UN Women, continuous development and improvement in operations, policies and methods to align with UN Women and stakeholders’ evolving business needs and advisory support to the Executive Director in the formulation and implementation of the UN Women overall mission, strategy and plans of actions.

Under the overall guidance of the Deputy Director of DMA and the direct supervision of the Chief of Procurement and Travel Services, the Procurement Specialist for Policy Support will be responsible for the review and development of new or existing policies and procedures in line with business requirements. The Procurement Specialist will act as advisory body and provide strategic and authoritative advises to UN-Women personal on the interpretation and application of procurement manual, policies and procedures. The Procurement Specialist function is a comprehension of capacity development activities to support the Organization and procurement reform, creating benchmark with other UN Agencies. The Procurement Specialist is expected to provide solutions to a wide spectrum of complex issues related to procurement, promote a collaborative, client-focused, quality and results-oriented approach in the section, work in close collaboration with internal and external stakeholders both at Headquarters and field levels for the successful delivery of procurement services.

Duties and Responsibilities

Manage the Development and Implementation of Operational Strategies:

• Review and revise policies, procedures, and guidelines to align with UN Women’s Strategic Plan and operational requirements.
• Aid in developing procurement strategies at headquarters and across regional, multi-country, and country offices, collaborating with supply chain stakeholders.
• Monitor and evaluate the impact of procurement policies on business needs and their effective implementation.
• Develop comprehensive system requirements for reporting, oversight, and other business needs.
• Contribute to the creation of contract management tools and procurement guides for standardization and knowledge sharing.
• Supplement the operational capacity of the Procurement Operations Support Section as required.

Ensure the Standardization and Control of Procurement Processes:

• Ensure regional offices effectively translate field and corporate procurement plans into regional sourcing strategies.
• Advocate for procurement best practices and benchmark supply chain cycles.
• Implement control systems for procurement processes, including ITB, RFP, and RFQ, and enforce compliance with standards and regulations.
• Provide support for high-value or complex procurements, including the review and establishment of solicitation documents.

Lead on Policy and Process Enhancement:

• Oversee the review and design of procurement processes in line with current and new policies.
• Simplify and streamline procedures while ensuring compliance with rules and regulations.
• Develop and maintain procurement tools, templates, and workflows, ensuring accessibility and user-friendliness.
• Identify strategic partnerships for efficiency gains in line with financial and forecasting needs.
• Ensure knowledge management and compliance with UN-Women policies and procedures.

Manage Internal and External Stakeholder Engagement:

• Coordinate and follow up on audit activities across headquarters and regional offices.
• Lead in responding to queries from UN-Women stakeholders, other UN agencies, donors, and member states.
• Propose and implement policy and procedural improvements based on stakeholder feedback.
• Maintain effective team performance and alignment with procurement objectives.

Facilitate Knowledge Building and Sharing:

• Develop and manage a comprehensive learning program for procurement training needs.
• Facilitate training and knowledge sharing within UN-Women.
• Synthesize lessons learned and best practices in procurement.
• Establish UN-Women as a Centre of Excellence in procurement practices.

Lead and manage personnel under their supervision

• The incumbent leads a team of up to 10 personnel, which includes up to 5 direct reports (at the General Service and Professional levels), as well as affiliate personnel (Service Contracts, Consultants, and Interns).
• Manage the performance of personnel under their supervision by provide managerial direction, guidance and leadership as well as performance feedback and coaching.
• Ensure performance assessment are completed on time and identify learning and development opportunities to support personnel’s engagement.
• Ensure all personnel under their supervision are fully aware of UN Women’s workplace relations policies. 

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Competencies

Core values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

• Strong knowledge of procurement systems and processes, particularly in the UN system, is an asset;
• Ability to provide policy advice and support;
• Ability to process, analyze, and synthesize complex, technical information;
• Proven ability to support the development of high quality knowledge and training materials, and to train technical teams;
• Ability to handle confidential information;
• Good negotiating skills;
• Strong IT skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in Law, Business Administration, Public Administration, Operations, Supply Chain Management, Public Policies, or a related field;
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree;
• Procurement Certification from internationally recognized institutions (e.g., CIPS-Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply) is an asset.

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in procurement and supply chain management, with a focus on the development of procurement and/or public policies, including supply chain cycles and micro processes is required.
• Managerial experience and experience in managing procurement activities across multiple countries, regions, or divisions is required.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) is required;
• Experience in ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system (Oracle Cloud or equivalent) and IPSAS is desirable.

Languages:

• Fluency in oral and written English is required;
• Knowledge of French and/or Spanish is an asset. Working knowledge of another UN official language is an asset.

Application:

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11), which can be downloaded from: . Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

Note:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (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.)