Procurement Officer P4 (2 Positions) - Abuja, Nigeria; Kinshasa, DRC

WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles.

Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance.

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.  The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes.  Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

These jobs are found in Headquarters (HQ), Regional Bureaux (RBs) or Country Officers (COs). Job holders report to the Regional/Country/Division Deputy Director or the designate. Job holders are likely to operate in an environment where the complexity of managing procurement operations is high e.g. involving high value/volume, or a range of procurement needs such as cash and vouchers, small holder farmer procurement, local, regional and international procurement, and production and procurement of special nutritious foods.

Nigeria is a federal constitutional republic. It is the most populous country in Africa and the seventh most populous country in the world. Nigeria has over 500 ethnic groups. The crisis-induced by non-state armed groups remains the principal driving factor of instability in northeast Nigeria. Since 2010, they have increasingly expanded their operational capabilities. In May 2013 a state of emergency was declared by the Government in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States. 

WFP Nigeria is a relatively new Country Office having been established in 2016. There are approximately 2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) reported to be in Nigeria (IOM/DTM Round 27), of which the majority are in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States. The June 2019 Cadre Harmonisé (CH) reports nearly 3 million people in need of food assistance in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States. WFP operations focus on crisis response to prevent deterioration of food and nutrition security, reduce malnutrition and minimize gender inequalities. WFP activities are concentrated in rural areas of north-eastern Nigeria that are more vulnerable and food insecure.

DRC, the second-largest country in Africa and a low-income country, is ranked fifth out of 178 countries on the 2019 Fragile States Index, placing it in the highest category of risk. The country is currently the second-largest hunger crisis in the world after Yemen. Hunger and conflict fuel one another, with armed conflict and widespread displacement prevailing for the past 25 years, and multiple crises compounding DRC’s humanitarian challenges. The already high prevalence of food insecurity and malnutrition across the country further increased in 2019. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) of August 2019, 15.6 million people, representing 26 percent of the rural population analyzed, were facing a crisis (IPC phase 3) and emergency (IPC phase 4) acute food insecurity. 

Procurement is an integral part of the support required by the DRC country office operations. During 2019, local procurement amounted to approximately USD 90 million, of which goods and services (G&S) procurement was 28 percent (USD 26.8 M). The operations require a strengthened and structured planning process, an up-to-date vendor roster with a comprehensive market analysis, and ensure all corporate procedures, guidelines, systems and reporting are fully implemented and monitored. These will allow to maximise economies of scale in sourcing, minimise transaction costs, and ensure efficient use of resources. 

Lead on or provide technical advice and oversight to procurement field operations of high complexity, partnering with key supply chain functions to ensure an integrated supply chain approach to meeting the food assistance needs of beneficiaries. Job holders require a high level of experience and knowledge to credibly influence supply chain strategies at senior levels across functions and with local partners. 

1. Participate in the development and implementation of country sourcing strategies or specialist procurement initiatives that support effective and cost optimising purchase decisions.
2. Provide oversight, guidance and support with/to COs with complex procurement needs (such as involving high value commodities, a wide range of programmes, combination of specialised nutritional foods) on implementing best practice procurement policies and procedures, ensuring a strategic, forward purchasing approach to procurement in compliance with wider WFP policies, standards and regulations.
3. Lead the implementation of highly complex procurement projects in COs to ensure successful procurement of food and non-food commodities or services.
4. Develop and maintain strong relationships with all relevant suppliers in order to improve service delivery and resolve supplier related issues.
5. Manage and coordinate effective relationships with inspection and superintendent firms to ensure quality control, specification conformity, volume assessment, monitoring and verification of deliveries.
6. Work in close collaboration with senior cross functional colleagues to align procurement activities and promote an integrated supply-chain approach to food assistance.
7. Oversee the preparation of accurate and timely reports of procurement activities to contribute to a WFP wide view that enables informed decision making and consistency of information presented to stakeholders leading to performance optimization.
8. Manage or oversee all auditing of procurement activities ensuring recommendations are responded to appropriately to ensure conformity with compliance rules.
9. Lead and motivate a large or highly specialized procurement team providing coaching, training and guidance as required to ensure appropriate development and enable high performance.
10. Provide expert advice and guidance to WFP staff and external partners and governments, building capacity to take a strategic and proactive approach to the procurement of food and non-food commodities and services.
11. Take responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives in all areas of work, to ensure equal participation of women and men.
12. Contribute to preparedness actions, providing technical recommendations and guidance and monitor the management of procurement specific risks.
13. Act in an assigned emergency response capacity as required to meet emergency food assistance needs.
14. Other as required.

• Experience in coordinating supply chain operations (including procurement of food, goods, and services).
• Experience managing the physical purchase of commodities/goods/services in complex situations (e.g., evaluating offers and making recommendations).
• Experience managing suppliers including but not limited to retailers, wholesalers and traders.
• Experience supervising others.
• Experience of Vendor Management.

Education: Advanced University degree in Economics, Commerce, Business Administration, Engineering, Legal or Accounting or other relevant fields, or First University degree with additional relevant work experience and/or training/courses.

Language:

• Fluency (proficiency/Level C) of English. 
• Intermediate knowledge (Level B) of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) and/or WFP working language, Portuguese, is desirable.
• Fluency in French Langauge is mandatory for Kinshasa, DRC Duty Station. 

The selected candidate will be employed on a fixed-term as well as a rotational contract with a probationary period of one year. 

WFP offers an attractive compensation and benefits package, including basic salary, post adjustment, relocation entitlement, travel and shipment allowances, 30 days’ annual leave, home leave, an education grant for dependent children, pension plan and medical insurance. For more details please visit icsc.un.org

07 October, 2020

Female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply

WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.