Chief, Procurement Unit -- United Nations, Thailand

Posting Title:     Chief, Procurement Unit
Job Code Title:     PROCUREMENT OFFICER
Department/Office:     ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
Duty Station:     BANGKOK
Posting Period:     16 October 2015 - 21 December 2015
Job Opening Number:     49815

Special Notice 

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. ESCAP is committed to promoting diversity and gender equality within the Secretariat. Women candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

The successful candidate will require an additional internal certification in order to be designated to carry out the significant functions in the management of financial, human and physical resources at the relevant level.

Org. Setting and Reporting

The mandate of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is to promote inclusive economic, social and environmental development and support regional cooperation and integration in the Asian and Pacific region. ESCAP’s role as a regional development arm of the United Nations Secretariat is to support its membership, through its analytical, normative and technical cooperation, to respond to the development priorities and changing needs of the Asian and Pacific region.

This position is located in the Division of Administration. The incumbent reports directly to the Director of the Division. 

Responsibilities

• Within delegated authority, the Chief of the Procurement Unit is responsible for the following duties: Leads, oversees, and monitors all procurement-related activities in support of ESCAP’s programme of work, including for its offices away from Bangkok and other non-ESCAP clients; as required. Serves as a senior procurement and contracting expert with responsibility for the world-wide procurement of a wide variety of supplies and services associated with highly complex (technically and legally) contracts and procurement activities. 
• Provides technical advice on procurement activities to officials of substantive units and offices outside Bangkok during all phases of the procurement cycle. 
• Analyzes and evaluates procurement requests and ensures appropriateness of technical specifications. 
• Develops and prepares highly complex contracts for procurement of non-routine and technologically advanced commodities or long-range services; issues international tender invitations; evaluates responses to tenders, and makes recommendations for finalization of purchases and award of contracts; signs procurement orders up to the authorized limit, and, in cases where the amount exceeds authorized signature authority, prepares submissions to the Contracts Committee for review and subsequent approval by the authorized official. 
• Develops new tactical approaches to contracts, as well as new methods for their application, based on market research. 
• Contributes to development of institutional procurement policies and procedures; develops standards and criteria for the evaluation of goods, services, supplier capacity, etc. 
• Maintains under constant examination production patterns in exporting countries; evaluates the productive capacities and performance of manufacturers to identify supply sources. 
• Establishes approaches for negotiations and conducts or coordinates all phases of negotiations with all concerned parties, including the negotiation of disputes arising from contracts. 
• Maintains records of delegations of procurement authority across ESCAP, including offices away from Bangkok, to ensure up-to-date delegations at all times. 
• Reviews periodically levels of delegated authority to offices away from Bangkok with a view to determine appropriateness in relation to volume of procurement undertaken by these offices. 
• Organizes and contributes to periodic training and briefing sessions to Heads of offices/requisitioners/administrative officers/administrative assistants to whom procurement authority has been delegated so that they keep abreast of latest developments in procurement and have a solid understanding of processes to be followed and principles to be applied. 
• Provides direction and guidance to more junior staff. 
• Performs other duties as required. 

Competencies

Professionalism: Knowledge of internationally recognized procurement standards and of all phases of international procurement techniques and operations used in contracting for highly complex and technologically advanced goods and services. Knowledge of contract law and expertise in handling complex procurement and contract issues. Knowledge of quantitative methods to measure supplier capacity systems and ability to identify sources of supply, market trends and pricing. Ability to shape and influence agreements with requisitioning units and vendors. Ability to apply technical expertise to resolve a range of complex and/or sensitive issues/problems. Ability to develop procurement policies, procedures and new programmes. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies. Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required. Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work. Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning. Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary. Uses time efficiently.

Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view. Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect. Identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions. Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems. Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects. Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Managing Performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority. Makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member. Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills. Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines. Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff. Encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative. Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff. Appraises performance fairly.

Judgement/ Decision-making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly. Gathers relevant information before making a decision. Considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them. Takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization. Proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information. Checks assumptions against facts. Determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision. Makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business administration, public administration, commerce, law 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.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in procurement, contract management, administration, or related area, is required. Supervisory experience, preferably in an international or multi-cultural team, is required. Experience in procurement and contract management within the United Nations system or public international organization is highly desirable. Experience working with an ERP system, such as SAP, is an asset. Experience working in different locations/offices is an advantage. Experience working with a wide portfolio of procurement areas, such as construction, information technology, conference services, personnel outsourcing, and/or services is an asset.

 

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage. 

Assessment Method

Qualified applicants may be evaluated through a competency-based interview and/or other assessment methods.

United Nations Considerations  

Candidates will be required to meet the requirements of Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter as well as the requirements of the position. The United Nations is committed to the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity for all its human resources, including but not limited to respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to whether they have committed, or are alleged to have committed criminal offences and/or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.  

The United Nations shall place no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. (Charter of the United Nations - Chapter 3, article 8). The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the At-a-Glance on "The Application Process" and the Instructional Manual for the Applicants, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of inspira account-holder homepage.

Applications are pre-screened by the system according to the published requirements of the job opening on the basis of the information provided in the application. In relation to the requirements of the job opening, applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their qualifications, including their education, work experience, and language skills. Each applicant must bear in mind that submission of incomplete or inaccurate applications may render that applicant ineligible for consideration for the job opening. Initial screening and evaluation of applications will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted. Applications cannot be amended following submission. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to a reference-checking process to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at midnight (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

Moreinfo: https://careers.un.org/lbw/jobdetail.aspx?id=49815