UN Procurement Associate Job Careers – United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)
Job Title: Procurement Associate
Organization: United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)
Duty Station: Uganda
Reports to: Head of the Unit or Information Technology Officer
Grade: G6
About US:
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) is the United Nations frontline agency against world hunger. It is the largest and longest serving humanitarian agency in Uganda. Currently WFP focuses on three priority areas: Saving lives in Emergencies; Building Resilience through Predictable Safety Nets; Improving Nutrition & Mother-and Child Health; and Supporting Small Holder Farmers to Access Markets. WFP has operations in various parts of the Country.
Job Summary: The Procurement Associate will provide coordination, administrative services and research to support the efficient and effective procurement services. The position requires a demonstration of responsibility and initiative to respond independently to queries and problems with only general guidance. It requires the use of judgment in dealing with unforeseen problems daily and requires the holder to a level of expertise and knowledge to adapt and contribute to the development of systems and processes to continually improve the level of support provided to client units. The position is based in Kampala and the incumbent will supervise, provide technical advice, coach and coordinate a team of support staff.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- Provide operational coordination and administrative services, to support procurement projects and activities, following standard processes and contributing to the effective procurement of goods and services.
- Identify and recommend potential suppliers, and compile data/documents to support the selection of suppliers, ensuring standard processes are followed.
- Review, record and prioritise purchasing requests, and provide support to requisitioners, in order to support the procurement of appropriate goods and services, at lowest cost to WFP.
- Contribute to negotiations with new suppliers on terms and conditions of orders, alongside a senior officer, in order to obtain the best terms and lowest costs for WFP.
- Prepare Purchase Orders, contracts and any supporting documentation for approval by the appropriate stakeholder, and approve purchases within delegated authority, to enable the swift purchase of goods and services.
- Resolve issues related to delivered goods, using initiative, liaising with all parties and following standard processes, to ensure timely and accurate resolution of problems.
- Research, collect and analyse data in order to produce reports to enable informed decision-making by Procurement Officers, and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
- Manage updates and further develop databases and records, to ensure information is accurate, organised, and available for others to access, and supports reporting requirements.
- Maintain relationships with internal counterparts, to support the alignment of procurement activities with wider programmes and ensure a coherent approach to meeting food assistance needs.
- Supervise the work of support staff, providing practical advice and guidance, to ensure individual and team objectives are delivered to agreed standards and deadlines.
- Follow standard emergency preparedness practices to support WFP to quickly respond and deploy food and needed resources to affected areas at the onset of the crisis.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- The ideal candidate for the United Nations UN World Food Programme (WFP) Procurement Associate job placement should hold a University degree, equivalent, or its equivalent in Procurement, Finance, Economics or Business Studies from a reputable institution.
- Certification in Procurement professional courses an added advantage.
- A minimum of six years of progressively responsible experience in supply chain. Procurement, specificity an added advantage.
- Good working knowledge and experience using MS Office applications is necessary.
- Knowledge of WFP procurement policies and rule, regulation and procedures is desirable.
- Demonstrated familiarity with locally purchased commodities/goods/services (e.g., cash based, in-kind donations).
- Previous experience in conducting supplier research and coordinating with retailers, wholesalers and traders.
- Demonstrated knowledge of procurement processes and linkages with other operations (e.g., logistics).
- Demonstrated familiarity with locally purchased commodities/goods/services (e.g., cash based, in-kind donations).
- Experience conducting supplier research and coordinating with retailers, wholesalers and traders.
- Demonstrated knowledge of procurement processes and linkages with other operations (e.g., logistics).
- Languages: Proficiency in both oral and written English is essential;
Competencies:
- Tendering and Contracting: Displays basic understanding of processes to support the contracting/tendering implementation at WFP by collecting necessary information.
- Vendor Management: Leverages basic understanding of business needs to define vendor requirements and selection criteria.
- Commodity and Product/Service Intelligence: Appropriately handles products/services based on an understanding of sources, technologies, properties, and public procurement principles/practices.
- Systems & Reporting: Demonstrates strong understanding of procurement systems, Corporate operating System and tools to conduct range of analyses and generate reports to drive decision making.
- Ethics and Compliance: Maintains accurate records of activities in line with compliance standards to increase ease of response to basic audit queries.
How to Apply:
All candidates who desire to join the United Nations World Food Programme are encouraged to submit their applications online at the link below.
Deadline: 30th July 2018
: List of Current Job Vacancies / Opportunities in Uganda