Procurement Specialist

Uzbekistan Office currently manages a portfolio of USD 414.7 million contributing to Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG3) - Good Health and Well-being - implementing the following projects:. The COVID-19 Emergency Response Project (CERP) – Strengthening pandemic resilience by upgrading over 150 Sanitary-Epidemiological Committee facilities. The project encompasses infrastructure improvements and upgrades across 45 national and regional laboratories, procurement of diagnostic and laboratory equipment, establishment of an ICT-based national epidemiological surveillance system, and comprehensive capacity building for medical personnel. Support to Development of Oncology Services Project – Enhancing access to quality cancer care by equipping the new National Oncology Center in Tashkent and 13 regional hospitals with advanced medical, diagnostic, radiological, and ICT equipment. The project also supports establishing a national Cancer Registry and providing specialized training for healthcare professionals. Kashkadarya Healthcare Infrastructure Project – Advancing healthcare reform through feasibility studies, technical designs, and the construction and equipping of two modern multidisciplinary hospitals in Karshi and Beshkent to meet national and international standards. Procurement of medical equipment for the new Multidisciplinary Medical Center in Tashkent Project - Equipping the New Multidisciplinary Medical Center with modern medical and diagnostic equipment and operationalizing it through trained medical staff 

Through these efforts, UNOPS supports Uzbekistan in strengthening its health systems and delivering improved quality of care for its citizens. 

The Procurement Specialist is responsible for developing and implementing strategic and effective procurement services reflecting best practices in international public procurement; compliance with UNOPS procurement rules and regulations; appropriate risk management; and obtaining the best value for money for the acquisition of goods, services and contracting of works. The role analyzes and interprets relevant rules and regulations and provides advice and solutions to a wide spectrum of complex issues related to procurement. 

The Procurement Specialist has a deep understanding of procurement policy and processes, as well as their application to appropriate situations. In addition to responsibility for the deliverables of the work team, s/he focuses on strategic relationship building and demand management, mainly related to aggregation and dealing with complex organization 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.

By role-modelling the highest degrees of personal and professional ethics, the Procurement Specialist maintains a collaborative, quality-driven, client-focused and results-oriented approach to their procurement role. S/he works in close cooperation with the office leadership and project managers, reporting to management on central issues related to procurement activities.

Development and Implementation of Procurement Strategies

• Ensure appropriate application of UNOPS procurement governance framework (rules, regulations, policies and tools) across office and project operations.
• Provide supply-market intelligence and analysis.
• Design and implement procurement strategies, approaches and plans to achieve cost reduction and savings goals, through applying expertise in market intelligence matched to business requirements; optimal stakeholder management principles; sustainability criteria; and appropriate work processes tailored to individual cases.
• Oversee and supervise implementation of strategic and routine procurement work plans, 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.

Management of Procurement Processes

• Embed sustainability in the end-to-end procurement process.
• Apply appropriate procurement modalities and instruments (e-sourcing, procurement and rosters of suppliers) based on individual case requirements, utilizing expert knowledge of procurement policies and instruments.
• Create, implement and oversee proper monitoring and control of procurement processes in the office and projects, including organization and receipt of Requests for Quotation (RFQs), Invitations to Bid (ITBs), and Requests for Proposal (RFPs); evaluation of quotations, bids and proposals; and negotiation of conditions of contracts in line with UNOPS procurement rules and regulations.
• Review and pre-clear solicitation documents, requests for award and submissions to Contract and Property Committees (CPCs) in the assigned role as Procurement Reviewer (in UNOPS ERP system)
• Ensure procurement contracts and contractors are optimally managed through supplier and contract performance management against agreed benchmarks and through agreed reporting mechanisms.
• Implement internal control systems.
• Elaborate on comments regarding project audit reports of the office, when necessary.

Team Management

• Facilitate engagement and provision of high-quality results and services of the team supervised through effective 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 or deliver training and learning initiatives for personnel on procurement.
• Provide sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice by synthesizing lessons learned and disseminating best practices in procurement.
• Collect and productively utilize feedback, ideas and internal knowledge about processes and best practices.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 7 years of relevant experience OR
• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 5 years of relevant experience is required.

Desired

• A globally or nationally recognized professional certificate or membership (e.g. CIPS) is desired.

Required

• Relevant experience is work in advising on and implementing policies and procedures to deliver a range of complex procurement programmes and strategies within international/ multi-national organizations, or related areas. 
• Experience in the use of collaboration and productivity tools (e.g. MS Office, G-Suite, etc) and web-based management systems is required.

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.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• 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. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• 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.