Procurement Assistant

Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

UN Women is dedicated to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment in Afghanistan.  Staff and consultants of UN Women Afghanistan Country Office (ACO) are expected to contribute to a professional working environment in which the strengthening of national capacities and human potential is prioritized.  Respect for diversity and human dignity is required, as is the active pursuit of a collaborative and inclusive approach to both internal and external stakeholders, including colleagues and partners. In Afghanistan, UN Women works in four thematic areas i.e. Governance and Participation, Ending Violence Against Women, Women Economic Empowerment, and Women Peace and Security. This particular position contributes to the effective delivery of programmes and projects under these four interlinked areas.

Under the overall guidance of the Operations Manager in Afghanistan CO and the daily supervision of the Administrative/Procuement Associate, the Procurement Assistant supports the execution of transparent and efficient procurement services and processes consistent with UN Women rules and regulations.  She/he also works in collaboration with programme and operations staff to successfully deliver procurement services.

Duties and Responsibilities

Implement procurement strategies in accordance with UN Women rules, regulations, policies and strategies

• Research and draft responses to enquiries for clearance by the Operations Manager;
• Provide inputs to the implementation of procurement management policies and strategies on cost saving and reduction;
• Implement procurement management policies and strategies;
• Contribute to the development of sourcing strategies.

Coordinate procurement processes for the Afghanistan Country Office

• Provide inputs to the preparation of procurement plans for programmes/projects;
• Review procurement requests and initiate procurement procedures for office and projects equipment, supplies and services, as necessary;
• Prepare Request for Quotations (RFQ), Invitation to Bids (ITBs) or Request for Proposals (RFPs) documents, receipt of quotations, bids or proposals, as necessary;
• Perform Buyer role in Atlas, prepare/close Purchase Orders (POs) and contracts in and outside Atlas;
• Organize travel including purchase of tickets, Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) calculation;
• Prepare submissions to the Procurement Review Committee (PRC), as necessary.

Coordinate contract management processes for the Afghanistan Country Office

• Provide administrative support to contract management processes; maintain databases;
• Develop and update the rosters of suppliers;
• Maintain filing system.

Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing

• Participate in trainings for the operations/projects staff;
• Provide support to the synthesis of lessons learnt and best practices.

Ensure proper control of assets

• Maintain records of assets management and prepare reports;
• Provide input to inventory reports;
• Implement the inventory and physical verification control in the office and projects;
• Update the databases or other relevant electronic management systems with asset, human resources and procurement data for use by CO/ MCO, Regional Office and HQ;
• Arrange shipments and conference facilities.

Organize logistical services

• Process requests for visas for all UN travelers;
• Arrange hotel reservations for visiting UN/UN Women officials;
• Organize hotel and event arrangements for all official UN Women meetings/ functions, engagements, ensure that all requirements are catered for as required;
• Arrange transportation for high-level officials;
• Perform other administrative tasks as assigned by supervisor.

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leading by Example

Functional Competencies

• Knowledge of procurement processes, systems, administrative rules and regulations;
• Knowledge in the use of spreadsheets and database packages;
• Ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines;
• Ability to administer and execute administrative processes and transactions;
• Ability to perform work of confidential nature and handle a large volume of work;
• Good IT and web-based management skills.
• Ability to travel inside and outside the country.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

• A secondary school certificate with minimum 5 years of progressively relevant experience will be considered.
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or other related field with at least 3 years of progressively relevant professional experience.
• Specialized training in Procurement is an asset;
• Procurement Certification from an internationally recognized provider such as CIPS is an asset;

Experience:

• At least 3-5 years of progressively responsible experience in procurement, administration or related experience;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc);
• Experience in handling of web-based management systems, such as Atlas is an asset

Language Requirements:

• Excellent communication skills, written and oral in English, and in Pashto/Dari