Procurement Officer - Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

POSITION TITLE: Procurement Officer
ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT: Procurement Service (CSAP)Administrative Services Division (CSA) Corporate Services, Human Resources and Finance Department (CS)
GRADE LEVEL: P-4
DUTY STATION: Various duty stations
DURATION: Fixed term: one year (renewable)
POST NUMBER: Roster
CCOG CODE: 1.A.09

Applications from qualified women as well as from qualified nationals of non-and under-represented member countries are encouraged. Persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.
The incumbent may be re-assigned to different activities and/or duty stations depending on the evolving needs of the Organization.

Organizational Setting:

Procurement Service provides policy and operational support to ensure that the Organization procures goods, works and services based on "Best Value for Money" principles.

The post will be located in a decentralized office and may be responsible for procurement activities in more than one country. The Procurement Officer performs procurement activities related to the preparation of tender documents, draft and finalisation of contracts or Purchase Orders for goods, work or services for the relevant offices under supervision.

Reporting lines:
The Procurement Officer reports functionally to the Chief, Procurement Service (CSAP) and administratively to the highest ranking Officer in the duty station.

Technical Focus:
Timely, efficient and effective procurement of goods and services and Quality Assurance for Letters of Agreement in compliance with the relevant FAO Rules and Regulations.

Key Results:
The planning and delivery of procurement services in accordance with internal policies, UN procurement guidelines and International Standards

Key Functions:

• Leads and/or participates on teams and provides expertise on Organization-wide committees or working groups, and/or supervises staff.
• Supervises, oversees and/or contributes to the delivery of procurement/contractual reporting and activities/services in accordance with FAO policies and regulatory framework.
• Develops and updates the supporting operational, policy, control and/or risk management frameworks, involving the implementation of the latest approaches and methodologies, streamlined business processes, new/revised procurement policies, and related tools, systems, technologies and related procedures.
• Analyzes procurement information for inclusion in statutory reports, management reports, procurement statements, and/or reports to donors as well as other specific reports for Governing Bodies, donors and other partners.
• Responds to requests for assistance and provides procurement and regulatory advice and assistance to managers at HQ and the Decentralized Offices etc.
• Develops effective working relationships including coaching, mentoring and evaluating staff in the local procurement unit and resolves problems with external providers, donors, partners, and UN procurement executives as well as provides information/clarification to auditors.
• Participates in the development of training and related training materials and promotes best practices and capacity development at HQ and the Decentralized Offices.

Specific functions:

• Advises requisitioning units and recipient entities on the full range of procurement issues, providing support and guidance at all stage of the procurement cycle including preparation of tenders evaluation criteria, meeting objectives under tight deadlines;
• Prepares solicitation process, identifies method of solicitation, prepares tendering documents, distributes invitations to tender and conduct all aspects of bid/proposals evaluations and ensures that 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 supports the submission of cases to the Local and Headquarters Procurement Committees as appropriate;
• Participates in and conducts site inspections, bidder's conferences and contract negotiations, as necessary;
• conducts market research to keep abreast of market developments; researches and analyses statistical data and market reports on required goods and services, production patterns and availability of goods and services;
• Undertakes the Buyer function in conformity with FAO rules and regulations;
• Reviews Letters of Agreement in conformity with the Quality Assurance function as set forth in FAO rules and regulations;
• Identifies and makes initial determinations and recommendations concerning disputes or claims arising out of procurement actions;
• Organizes and participates in, as appropriate, local tender opening panels and the Local Procurement Committee (LPC);
• Coordinates with forwarding agents relating to custom clearance, packing, and shipment of goods and maintain logistics records of such procurement-related activities.

Candidates will be assessed against the following:
Minimum Requirements:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Law, Business, Administration, Economics, Public Administration or Commerce or a related field. Candidates holding a first level university degree, Bachelors’ degree or equivalent, may also be considered if possessing two additional years of relevant work experience
• Seven years of relevant experience in procurement related activities including at least three years of supervisory experience
• Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of one of the other languages of the Organization (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish). Depending on the duty station, working knowledge of a second official language may be a requirement.

Competencies:

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

Technical/Functional Skills:

• 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, revise and draft contract, formulate options and propose recommendations
• Extent and relevance of experience in identifying clients’ procurement-related needs and in providing support and guidance from clients’ point of view
• Extent and relevance of experience in logistics operations is desirable.
• Depending on the duty station, working knowledge of a second official language (in particular French) is considered a strong asset
• Knowledge of procurement-related IT tools and systems (i.e. enterprise resource planning, inventory management, procurement, database management applications, etc.)
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is desirable

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• The length of appointment for internal FAO candidates will be established in accordance with applicable policies pertaining to the extension of appointments.
• All candidates should possess computer/word processing skills.
• Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which will be followed by a competency-based interview.
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your iRecruitment online profile (see “How to Apply”). We strongly recommend that you ensure that the information is accurate and complete including employment record, academic qualifications and language skills.
• Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognised in the IAU/UNESCO list.
• Other similar positions at the same level may be filled from this vacancy notice and the endorsed candidates will be considered for the Employment Roster for a period of 2 years.
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments.

REMUNERATION:

A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. For information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, click on the following link: http://www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/salaries_allowances/salary.htm

TO APPLY:

For guidelines to applicants, please visit the application toolkit at: http://www.fao.org/employment/current-vacancies/project/en/

Send your application to:

VA No. CSA-19-15-PRJ
E-mail: CSA-19-15-PRJ@fao.org

Please note that FAO staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the Director-General and may b assigned to any activities or office of the organization.

FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT