Background Information - Job-specific

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is the operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations. With over 8,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, where they need it. By implementing around 1,000 projects for our partners at any given time, UNOPS makes significant contributions to results on the ground, often in the most challenging environments.

UNOPS Zimbabwe falls under the purview of the UNOPS KEMC (Kenya Multi Country Office) located in Nairobi, Kenya, the Kenya Multi Country Office manages a growing portfolio of engagements, including associated strategic and operational risks. This includes a large portfolio of Infrastructure, procurement and project management service projects in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and several Island states.

Following devastation caused to life, livelihoods and property by tropical storm Idai in March 2019, the World Bank (WB) has allocated up to US$75 million to finance the Zimbabwe Idai Recovery Project (ZIRP); and the African Development Bank (AfDB) has allocated US$25 million for the Post Cyclone Idai and Kenneth Emergency Recovery and Resilience Project (PCIREP). The projects address both early and mid-term recovery needs in multiple sectors (food security and livelihoods, health, WASH, education, and community infrastructure rehabilitation). UNOPS has been requested to manage the WB funds for ZIRP and has established a Project Implementation Unit (PIU) and is the Implementation Agency for the AfDB project. UNOPS has engaged multiple UN partner organizations to deliver specific components of ZIRP and private sector companies to deliver on the infrastructure works under AfDB.

The PIU has been established as a facility to support the World Bank fund only. As the Fund Manager/PIU UNOPS will be responsible for multiple functions vis-a-vis the ZIRP including the design of an early recovery/emergency response facility, fiduciary management, legal and technical oversight results management, reporting, quality assurance and communications.

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Support Services Manager, the Procurement Specialist is responsible for the development and implementation of strategic and effective procurement services reflecting international public procurement best practices, compliance with UNOPS procurement policy, rules, regulations and procedures, ensuring appropriate risk management and obtaining the best value for money for the acquisition of goods, services and the contracting of works.

He/she analyzes and interprets the respective rules and regulations and provides advice and solutions to a wide spectrum of complex issues related to procurement. The role requires deep understanding of procurement policy and processes and the Procurement Specialist should be able to apply them to the appropriate situations.

In addition to responsibility for the deliverables of the work team, the incumbent’s work is focused on strategic relationship building and demand management, mainly referred to aggregation and dealing with complex organizational structures, preparation of business cases and understanding of the supply market, as well as sharing knowledge with projects in order to achieve reductions of costs and savings.

Maintaining the highest degree of personal and professional ethics, the Procurement Specialist promotes a collaborative, client-focused, quality and results-oriented approach in the Business Unit.

The Procurement Specialist works in close collaboration with the programme/project colleagues in the given geographical area and with UNOPS HQ personnel, particularly with the Procurement Group (PG), as well as the Government officials, to successfully deliver procurement services.

** Functional Responsibilities

The Procurement Specialist will work under the guidance and direct supervision of the Support Services Manager, and will be responsible for:

1. Development and implementation of procurement strategies
2. Management of procurement processes
3. Implementation of sourcing strategy and e-procurement tools
4. Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing
5. Team Management

Leads the development and implementation of procurement and contracting strategies for goods, services and works, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Appropriate application of UNOPS procurement governance framework (rules, regulations, policies and tools) in Business Unit and Project operations.
• Provision of supply-market intelligence and analysis.
• Procurement strategies, approaches and plans designed and implemented according to cost reduction and saving strategies, applying: expertise in market intelligence matched to business requirements; optimal stakeholder management principles; sustainability criteria; appropriate work processes to individual cases.
• Oversight and supervision of the implementation and results of strategic and routine procurement work plans in Business Unit, covering Pre-Purchasing: Strategy and Planning; Requirements Definition; Sourcing; Purchasing: Solicitation; Management of Submissions; Evaluation; Review and Award; Post Purchasing: Contract finalization and issuance; Logistics; and Contract Management.

Manage and guide procurement processes for the acquisition of goods, services and the construction of works for the Business Unit, focusing on achievement of the following results, in compliance with the official procurement policies, rules, regulations and procedures:

• Sustainability embedded in the procurement process.
• Appropriate procurement modalities and instruments applied (e-sourcing, procurement and Rosters of Suppliers) based on individual case requirements, utilizing expert knowledge of procurement policies and instruments.
• Creation, implementation and oversight of proper monitoring and control of procurement processes in Business Unit and projects including organization of RFQ, ITB or RFP, receipt of quotations, bids or proposals, their evaluation, negotiation of certain conditions of contracts in full compliance with UNOPS Procurement rules and regulations.
• Review and pre-clearance of solicitation documents, requests for awards and submissions to Contract and Property Committees (CPCs) in role as Procurement Reviewer (in OneUNOPS or Enterprise system).
• Procurement contracts and contractors optimally managed through supplier and contract performance management against agreed benchmarks and through agreed reporting mechanisms.
• Implementation of Internal control system.
• Elaboration of comments regarding project audit reports of the Business Units, when necessary.

Ensure introduction and implementation of sourcing strategy and e-procurement tools focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Creation, development and management of rosters of suppliers, elaboration of supplier selection and evaluation, quality and performance measurement mechanisms.
• Ensures that the e-sourcing tools are used in accordance with PG goals and standards in this area.

Team Management

• Facilitate the engagement and provision of high quality results and services of the team supervised through effective recruitment, work planning, performance management, coaching, and promotion of learning and development.
• Provide oversight, ensuring compliance by team members with existing policies and best practices.

Knowledge building and Knowledge sharing

• Organize, facilitate and/or deliver training and learning initiatives for Business Unit personnel on Procurement-related topics.
• Lead and conduct initiatives on capacity development and knowledge building for procurement personnel, including network development, plans, learning plans and activities, procurement practice information and best practice benchmarking.
• Oversee team’s contributions to Procurement knowledge networks and communities of practice including collaborative synthesis of lessons learnt and dissemination of best practices in procurement management.
• Guide team’s collection of feedback, ideas, and internal knowledge about processes and best practices and utilize productively.

** Education

• Masters Degree preferably in Procurement and/or Supply Chain Management, Law, Commerce, Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Economics or related field is required or,
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• A Bachelor's degree in combination with a minimum of seven (7) years’ qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.