Procurement Associate, GS-6, fixed-term appointment, post #117041, Nur-Sultan duty station (open to Kazakhstan nationals only)

Procurement Associate, GS-6, fixed-term appointment, post #117041, Nur-Sultan duty station (open to Kazakhstan nationals only)

Position Level: GS-6
Contract Type: fixed-term appointment
Duty Station: Nur-Sultan
Duration: full-time, office-based

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.
Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.
And we never give up.
For every child, a fair chance

Background

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

For more than two decades, UNICEF has been working closely with the national government, local representatives and civil society to improve the situation of children in Kazakhstan, ensuring equal access to quality social services, and primarily, healthcare and education.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=E1xkXZs0cAQ

How can you make a difference?

The purpose of the job:
Under the supervision and guidance of the supervisor, the Supply and Logistics (Procurement) Associate performs highly skilled work on UNICEF supply chains, and manages the more complex cases and client requests, which frequently requires the evaluation of difficult situations and adaptation of procedures and processes to resolve such cases. This is the senior GS level for specialized supply chain work and requires advanced specialized knowledge acquired through formal training and experience. The function is characterized as highly independent and provides opportunities for Associates to lead and carry out responsibility for end to end supply chain management from the beginning to the end of the process and provide input into the design and development of improved supply chain services and delivery mechanisms. The incumbent may supervise lower level GS staff.

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks

Supply Chain Service Delivery and Response

Planning:
•In consultation with supervisor, provide input to the Country Programme Action Planning and advise on Supply requirements for the Plan of Operations and Annual Work Plans. Participate in the forecasting, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the supply chain operations, including establishment of performance indicators, and assessment of fit for purpose of products and services.
•Support supply emergency preparedness and response activities including establishment of Long Term Arrangements (LTAs), Logistics Capacity Assessment and Contingency Plan update, and pre-positioning of stock.

Procurement/contracting:
• Provide input to and advice on the annual supply plan. Conduct data review and analysis for category management and development of procurement strategies. Conduct market research in relevant areas for UNICEF and advice on best approaches to obtain best value for money and sustainable procurement. Support product innovation and market shaping initiatives for specific categories of supplies and services.
• Liaise with clients in planning procurement and contracting initiatives, supporting development of appropriate specifications, terms of reference, and logistics arrangements and timelines. Take into account opportunities to strengthen sustainability of supply chains.
• Ensure establishment of Long Term Arrangements (LTAs) and act on specific procurement requisitions as might be required. Prepare and process Request for Quotations (RFQs), Invitations to Bid (ITBs) and Requests for Proposals (RFPs), as might be requested by the Supervisor. Organize bid openings, and conduct technical and financial analysis of offers as might be required. Conduct clarifications and negotiations with suppliers. Maintain highest level of integrity, ethical standards and accountability in the procurement of goods, contracting of services and construction work.
• Prepare requests for award including submissions to Contract Review Committee. Prepare purchase orders and contracts in SAP (ERP – Enterprise Resource Planning system), and submit for relevant approvals, ensuring completeness of documentation in UNICEF systems.
• Keep stakeholders/partners informed on the progress. Liaise with suppliers, ensuring timely follow-up on delivery schedules Implement appropriate vendor management practices e.g. supply performance reviews.
• Ensure appropriate filing of procurement cases and maintain up to date records for future reference including for audit.

In-country logistics:
• Provide logistics input to the supply plan, including advising on infrastructure constraints (e.g. customs clearance, port capacity, transport options and warehousing capacity) and different delivery mechanisms. Advise on budget requirements for various delivery modalities, and ensure establishment of budget with clients.
• Liaise with supply colleagues as well as clients and using supply dashboards to ensure pipeline monitoring and establishment of appropriate logistics capacity. Monitor progress of offshore and/or regional procurement and take action to ensure timely customs clearance of supplies entering the country. Perform research, collect data and conduct analysis, produce reports and ensure information accuracy in corporate systems to enable informed decision-making.
• Provide specialized support in the area of logistics, following standard processes and contributing, directly or indirectly, to the effective delivery of programme supplies. Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to support logistics operations management and contribute to effective service delivery.
• Identify needs for contracting of logistics third party services (e.g. customs clearance, warehousing, transport, distribution) and manage contracting of such service providers including establishment of KPIs and performance monitoring mechanisms.
• Manage documentation processing for execution of logistics operations (e.g. customs clearance, invoice verification), and take appropriate actions to resolve operational issues, escalating complex issues to the supervisor.

Warehousing and inventory management:
• Manage UNICEF warehouse facilities and operations in line with UNICEF policies and procedures. Assess warehousing capacity including facilities, conditions of equipment, manpower, and processes. Propose corrective actions to supervisor. Assess new warehouse facilities when required. If necessary, implement and organize new warehouse facilities which may include installation and assembly of temporary warehouse structures (e.g. Wiik-Halls/Rub Halls).
• Maintain appropriate warehousing and inventory management processes in support of the country programme implementation. Ensure accurate and complete accounting, reporting and internal control systems are in place, and relevant records are properly maintained.
• Assess availability of space and prepare stacking and storage plans to ensure appropriate storage and optimize use of space.
• Supervise receipt of consignments and dispatch of supplies.
• Prepare stock reports. Monitor inventory to track trends and account for the inventory status from source to beneficiary. Carry out regular physical counts of inventory in the warehouse. Prepare documentation for commodity disposal through Property Survey Board committee.

Alternative delivery mechanisms and procurement services:
• Support assessment of and collaboration with implementing partners including civil society, for establishment of Programme Cooperation Agreements (PCAs), and monitoring of supply components under Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT).
• Participate in events/meetings that build partnerships and collaborative relations with UN organizations to support harmonized and collaborative procurement and logistics arrangements.
• Facilitate Procurement Services (PS) transactions in collaboration with programme sections and UNICEF Supply Division (SD). As appropriate, support CO counterparts on forecasting and costing of PS-channel supplies. Monitor the issuance of Purchase Orders (POs) and/or Copenhagen Warehouse Stock Transfer Orders on PS Sales Orders. Follow up with SD and UNICEF freight forwarders as needed on timely delivery/shipment of PS orders. Support communications and follow up with COs with regard to partnership requests and negotiations as required.
• Maintain up-to-date files for all Procurement Service transactions, including a system for monitoring the different stages of each transaction.
• Monitor the incoming pipeline of PS shipments. If required based on the division of responsibilities agreed in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Cost Estimate (CE), supervise the arrival, customs clearance, storage, packing and in-country distribution of PS commodities to the agreed delivery point.
• In collaboration with Supply colleagues and Programme Sections, identify opportunities for capacity building of Government counterparts and improving the supply chain process to make it more effective.

Other duties/responsibilities:
• In cases where the incumbent has managerial responsibility of lower level GS staff, the incumbent will ensure timely and effective performance management of staff, providing practical advice and guidance to ensure individual and team objectives are met.
• In collaboration with supervisor, Supply Division, Regional Office and the global supply community, provide input to help ensure knowledge exchange and learning is prioritized to continuously build capacity of individuals and the team. Develop and facilitate training of newcomers, establish processes or manuals to support effective workflows.

Impact of Results
The Supply & Logistic Associates’ impact is founded on the provision of input into the design and development of improved services, systems and delivery processes. The impact directly affects the quality and timeliness of the delivery of a range of different specialized services for which the unit is accountable. Working with a high degree of operational independence, Associates are accountable for the achievement of overall service delivery results to clients.
Their client interface focuses on handling of specialized and complex supply chain processes and delivery of services with clients. They liaise with concerned clients and with suppliers to solve issues on purchase orders, contracts, delivery and payments. These relationships are important to ensure that service standards and deadlines are met and that proposals and actions adhere to policies and rules. The Associates’ work relationships require skills to promote understanding and acceptance of regulations, rules and procedures and/or otherwise improve client services. External contacts involve liaising with similar organizations for collaboration, research and data/information gathering to compile and assess best practices. Furthermore, extensive external contact with suppliers is required, including to negotiate or clarify unique, complex issues or processes. Collaboration with partners and Governments is also applicable.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education: Completion of secondary education is required, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to supply chain, business administration, contract/commercial law, or another relevant technical field.

Work Experience: A minimum of 6 years of relevant administrative experience in supply chain management or a commercial context is required. Understanding of development and humanitarian work is an advantage.

Language Proficiency: Fluency in English and Russian is required. Fluency in Kazakh would be an asset.

Competency Profile:
1) Core Values:
• Care
• Respect
• Integrity
• Trust
• Accountability
2) Core competencies:
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)
3) Functional Competencies:
• Analyzing (2)
• Learning and Researching (2)
• Planning and organizing (2)
• Following Instructions and Procedures (2)
4) Skills:
• Thorough knowledge of a range of specialized topics, including the relevant supply chain policies, partnership mechanisms, rules and regulations.
• High level of proficiency or skill is required in the interpretation and application of specialized rules and regulations to the particular circumstances of complex individual cases.
• Experience using MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other UNICEF office tools.
• Demonstrated understanding of the relevant supply chain processes and ability to consistently apply relevant policies, procedures and good practices in the daily work. Good judgement in order to handle complex cases including considerations for exceptions.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with clients, suppliers and colleagues and gain the assistance and cooperation of others in a team endeavor.
• Ability to use supply related modules within UNICEF ERP system.
• Ability to establish priorities and plan his/her own work and plan, coordinate and monitor the work of those under his/her supervision.
• Ability to draft clear and concise reports or rationale for supply related decisions on key issues.

For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability (https://www.unicef.org/about/unicef-culture)
View our core competencies framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf
View our functional competencies framework at  Functional Competencies.pdf

Remarks:
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
• UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
• UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.