Health Procurement Specialist
Dhaka
- Organization: UNOPS - United Nations Office for Project Services
- Location: Dhaka
- Grade: LICA 10
-
Occupational Groups:
- Public Health and Health Service
- Procurement
- Closing Date: 2025-11-27
General Information
Job Highlight
About the Region
The Asia Pacific Regional Office, based in Bangkok, Thailand, provides strategic leadership and oversight for UNOPS operations across 17 countries, ensuring high performance, operational excellence, and alignment with organizational goals. Operations currently span Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Pacific Islands. Across these countries, we work closely with key stakeholders to strengthen partnerships and maximize impact through five main operating units: Afghanistan (AFCO), Myanmar (MMCO), South Asia Multi-Country Office (SAMCO), East Asia and Pacific Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO), and the Asia Regional Health Cluster (ARHC). Through these entities, we provide agile, client-focused service delivery across diverse sectors - including infrastructure, health, procurement, and project management - supporting the implementation of sustainable development solutions across the region.
About the Country/Multi-Country Office
The South Asia Multi-Country Office (SAMCO) supports UNOPS operations across six countries: Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. SAMCO delivers a broad range of services and technical expertise in climate change, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), infrastructure, procurement, human resource management, and fund management. Each country office is staffed with local technical experts and maintains strong partnerships with national governments, ensuring context-specific solutions and effective project implementation.
About the Project Office
Since 2003, UNOPS has partnered with the Government of Bangladesh and key development partners to advance national development priorities aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNOPS supports a range of projects focused on capacity development and infrastructure, leveraging its expertise in procurement, human resource management, finance, and project management to deliver efficient, sustainable solutions.
Job Specific Context
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) is implementing a range of reform measures to strengthen the resilience, efficiency, and equity of the health system in line with the recommendations of the Health Reform Commission (2025). These reforms aim to align Bangladesh's health system with the principles of equity, participation, and accountability ensuring that health is realized as both a constitutional right and a public good. In this regard, the Ministry has prepared a comprehensive proposal titled "Health Sector Transformation in Bangladesh", outlining the strategic priorities, implementation modalities, and expected outcomes of the reform agenda. The proposal emphasizes eight key strategi areas including governance and institutional reform, primary healthcare restructuring, workforce planning, financial sustainability, digital transformation, medicine regulation, documentation of transition strategies, and stakeholder communication.
The Ministry seeks the technical and strategic partnership of the World Health Organization (WHO) to support the implementation of these reform initiatives. WHO will provide technical assistance, policy advice, and coordination support to ensure that the reform measures are effectively implemented and aligned with global best practices in health system strengthening.
Role Purpose
The assignment aims to develop a comprehensive Procurement Policy and Guideline, complemented by a digital, user-friendly planning template for district and upazila health authorities. The initiative will standardize procurement planning, enable fast-track approvals for urgent needs, enhance efficiency and transparency, and strengthen local capacity for timely procurement of medicines, medical supplies, equipment, and minor infrastructure.
Objectives of the Assignment
Review the existing Rules of Business, organizational setup, and workflow to identify duplication, bottlenecks, and accountability gaps.
Develop a Procurement Policy and Guideline for district and upazila authorities aligned with national laws (PPA/PPR) and MoHFW frameworks.
Develop a Fast-Track Procurement mechanism for urgent needs.
Outline a digital procurement template for planning, approval tracking, and reporting.
Functions / Key Results Expected
The consultant will undertake the following tasks:
Conduct desk review of existing policies, CMSD guidelines, and procurement workflows.
Identify bottlenecks causing delays and inefficiencies in procurement
Develop a District and Upazila Procurement Policy and Guideline, including standard procedures, roles, timelines, and fast-track provisions.
Develop a digital procurement template, compatible with government PPR systems or Excel-based offline use.
Develop a monitoring and accountability framework to track efficiency, compliance, and timeliness of procurement.
Expected Deliverables:
Sl. No. |
Activities |
Deliverables |
Timeline |
1 |
Procurement System Review and Data Collection – Conduct desk review and stakeholder interviews to assess existing procurement workflows, approval processes, and coordination mechanisms within MoHFW and related entities. |
Gap Analysis Report – Comprehensive report highlighting procurement delays, institutional capacity gaps, process redundancies, and workflow bottlenecks. |
Day 1–10 |
2 |
Development of Draft Procurement Policy and Guideline – Design updated procurement policy framework, integrating fast-track procedures, compliance requirements, and transparency mechanisms in line with PPR and donor standards. |
Draft Procurement Policy and Guideline – Draft document detailing revised procurement procedures, approval thresholds, and operational tools for efficiency improvement. |
Day 11–18 |
3 |
Validation and Finalization – Conduct a technical consultation with key stakeholders to validate the draft policy and finalize revisions. Submit the endorsed version for approval and dissemination. |
Final Submission Package – Validated and formatted Procurement Policy and Guideline incorporating feedback and implementation roadmap. |
Day 19–20 |
Skills
Competencies
Education Requirements
Required
Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Social science /Public Administration, Health Systems Management, Organizational Development, or Supply Chain Management or related fields with 7 years of relevant experience OR
Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above or related fields with 5 years of relevant experience is required
Experience Requirements
Required
Relevant experience is work in institutional reform, public sector organizational restructuring, supply chain system strengtheningor related areas.
Proven track record in reviewing or designing organograms, business process reengineering, and change management.
Familiarity with public procurement systems (PPR).
Excellent analytical, writing, and facilitation skills.
Desired
Experience of working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country is desired.
Experience in development or humanitarian contexts is desired.
Language Requirements
| Language | Proficiency Level | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| English | Fluent | Required |
| Bengali | Fluent | Required |
Additional Information
- Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
- Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
- Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
- Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
- UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.
- Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
- We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.
Terms and Conditions
- For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.
- For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.
- For more details about the contract types, please click here.
- All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
- It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.