Procurement Senior Manager

UNOPS

UNOPS supports the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner.

Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices, always satisfying or surpassing our partners’ expectations. With over 7,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, wherever they need it. A flexible structure and global reach means that we can quickly respond to our partners' needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale.

South East Asia Multi-Country Office (SEAMCO)

The South East Asia and Pacific Multi Country Office (SEAMCO) supports, develops and oversees the UNOPS portfolio of projects in South East Asia and the Pacific. SEAMCO will be established in January 2023 following the merger of the Thailand Multi-Country Office, which covered 20 countries across  North East Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific, and the Cambodia Multi-Country Office, which covered 4 countries South East Asia - 3 countries in the Mekong Sub-region (Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam) and the Philippines.  SEAMCO currently covers 24 countries across North East Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific. With its head office in Bangkok, the Multi-Country Office comprises nine SEAMCOs: SEMCO Thailand, SEAMCO Indonesia,  SEAMCO Pacific Operations Cluster, SEAMCO Papua New Guinea, SEAMCO China, SEAMCO Vietnam, SEAMCO Lao PDR, SEAMCO Philippines and SEAMCO Cambodia.

In 2022, the UNOPS SEAMCO implemented projects worth more than USD 95.7 million, in the areas of Energy Transition, Digital Transformations, Sustainable Environmental Management, Climate Change, Waste Management, Rule of Law and Access to Justice, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Post Conflict Reintegration, Emergency Relief, Post COVID19 Economic Transformations, and Health, through HR, procurement, construction, contract management, fund and program management services.  

The Multi Country Office head office in Bangkok provides strategic direction, operational support, delivery oversight and assurance of the excellence of business processes and quality standards across all of the entire Multi Country Office locations. It is also responsible for developing, delivering and managing the portfolio of engagements in the country of the MCO location itself. 

Operational Context

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Head of Support Services, the Procurement Senior Manager is responsible for the management and oversight of all Procurement services in SEAMCO. The Senior Manager ensures the proactive and timely planning and securing of resources to ensure that the team has the required and adequate personnel and capabilities to deliver responsive, compliant, efficient and quality Procurement services to the functions and client projects within SEAMCO as well as to other UNOPS entities that receive support from the SEAMCO Support Services Unit (SSU).

He/she ensures consistency in the delivery of Procurement services in all countries under SEAMCO and to all recipients of SEAMCO Procurement support, ensuring development and implementation of strategic and effective procurement services reflecting international public procurement best practices, compliance with UNOPS procurement policy, rules, regulations and procedures, ensuring appropriate risk management and obtaining the best value for money for the acquisition of goods, services and the contracting of works. 

He/she analyzes and interprets the respective rules and regulations and provides advice and solutions to a wide spectrum of complex issues related to procurement. The role requires a deep understanding of procurement policy and processes and the Procurement Senior Manager should be able to apply them to the appropriate situations. Leveraging such deep understanding and expertise, the Procurement Senior Manager anticipates challenges, systematically identifies risks, understands the operating context and the contexts of requests received, and leads the identification and implementation of effective solutions. 

In addition to responsibility for the deliverables of the work team, the incumbent’s work is focused on strategic relationship building and demand management, mainly referred to aggregation and dealing with complex organizational 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.

The Procurement Senior Manager contributes to business development efforts by providing briefing materials and participating in business development meetings including meetings with potential clients.

Maintaining the highest degree of personal and professional ethics, the Procurement Senior Manager promotes a collaborative, client-focused, quality and results-oriented approach in the SEAMCO.  

The Procurement Senior Manager works in close collaboration with the programme/project colleagues in SEAMCO and with UNOPS HQ personnel, particularly with the Procurement Group (PG), as well as Government officials, to successfully deliver procurement services.

1. Procurement support and strategic services 

2. Development and Implementation of  procurement strategies 

3. Management of procurement processes

4. Implementation of sourcing strategy, Quality Assurance  and e-procurement tools

5. Monitoring and process controls

6. Team Management

7. Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing

Duties and Responsibilities 

Under the general guidance and supervision of the Head of Support Services, the incumbent responsibilities include the following: 

• Provide expert support to business developers in THMCO in negotiation and formulation of new initiatives and projects related to procurement

• Contribute towards the development and delivery of Procurement Advisory services 

• Contribute towards the assessments of country Procurement capacity gaps 

• Review, analyze and streamline locally prescribed processes, procedures and tools to ensure high efficiency and cost-effectiveness  

• Coordinate with the relevant personnel, including relevant project/programme/fund managers and clients of the procurement business stream, to understand their needs and plans.

• Conduct review of current procurement processes and provide reports and briefs on relevant issues, as well as project and work plans to remedy identified issues and bring forth improvements.

• Support the implementation of  the required strategic procurement activities in the SEAMCO: establish Long Term Agreements and Blanket Purchase Agreements for common user items and services in the MCO, develop sourcing strategies specific to local context for the countries under THMCO (supplier selection and evaluation, quality management, customer relationship management, performance measurement, etc.), etc.;

• Support the implementation of project specific procurement processes, including formulation of strategy for obtaining best results, developing criteria for evaluation, preparation and conducting of ITBs and RFPs, evaluation of bids and proposals, pre-award negotiation of contract conditions with winning bidder(s), submissions for review and award to UNOPS Contract Committees, prepare Purchase Orders and Contracts in and outside of oneUNOPS;

• Review unsuccessful procurement processes conducted by procurement personnel; undertake remedial actions when and where possible to positively conclude the process.

• Work on integrating sustainable procurement and innovation within the procurement strategy.

• Oversight, technical supervision, guidance and mentoring of the procurement business stream’s operations and personnel;

• Provide interpretation of procurement policies and guide the personnel on the appropriate application of procurement policies and procedures in their daily work;

• Ensure full compliance of SEAMCO’s procurement activities with UNOPS policies and strategies by designing and operationalizing a client-oriented procurement management system for SEAMCO to monitor and control the implementation of procurement plans and procurement processes conducted by SEAMCO procurement personnel;

• Manage the process of periodic (annual, semi-annual and quarterly) procurement planning for the projects and oversee their implementation ensuring effectively-functioning processes to avoid costly delays and lost opportunities for the projects. Assistance in preparation of realistic procurement plans and development of appropriate procurement strategies

• Assistance in identification of procurement needs at the project development stage

• Assistance in preparation of technical specifications, terms of references, scope of works;

• Assistance in cost estimations for the required goods/services/works

• Responsible for quality of solicitation documents

• Guiding the personnel throughout the solicitation, evaluation and submission for award processes whenever required

• Assistance in contract management and leadership in dispute resolution issues

• Quality assurance (clearance) for procurement actions and documentation requiring a PA approval (solicitation documents, shortlists, requests for awards, submissions to LCPC and HQCPC, contracts, agreements, etc.) and obtaining, on timely manner, of the necessary approvals and clearances from the relevant PA; The incumbent should become within the 6 first months UNOPS Procurement Reviewer if not already the case.

• Provide expert support on quality assurance for procurement related documentation, process and actions

• Provide expert support on quality assurance of products being procured.

• Creation, development and management of rosters of suppliers, elaboration of supplier selection and evaluation, quality and performance measurement mechanisms.

• Ensures that the e-sourcing tools are used in accordance with PG goals and standards in this area.

• Establish a meaningful course of action for the completion of the task and deliverables

• Successfully meet the agreed deadlines

• Ensure that services are delivered within agreed timelines (key performance indicators) 

• Lead and manage all personnel under the Procurement business stream 

• Facilitate the engagement and provision of high quality results and services of the team supervised through effective recruitment, work planning, performance management, coaching, and promotion of learning and development.

• Provide oversight, ensuring compliance by team members with existing policies and best practices.

• Organize, facilitate and/or deliver training and learning initiatives for Business Unit personnel on Procurement-related topics.

• Lead and conduct initiatives on capacity development and knowledge building for procurement personnel, including network development, plans, learning plans and activities, procurement practice information and best practice benchmarking.

• Oversee team’s contributions to Procurement knowledge networks and communities of practice including collaborative synthesis of lessons learnt and dissemination of best practices in procurement management.

• Guide team’s collection of feedback, ideas, and internal knowledge about processes and best practices and utilize productively. 

• Design, develop and / or implement training programmes and capacity building initiatives, potentially for both internal and external partners, and for delivering training tools and techniques to improve the quality of UNOPS procurement services

Impact of Results 

The effective and successful achievement of results by the Procurement Senior Manager directly affects the overall efficiency of the region and specific project initiatives, in regards to procurement management, impacting the timely and effective implementation of the respective programmes and the SEAMCO’s operations.  Timely, market-aware, and accountable delivery of services, ensures SEAMCO performance, efficiency and client satisfaction, which promote the image and credibility of the team and SEAMCO as an effective service provider in project services and management. This enhances UNOPS’ competitive position as a partner of choice in sustainable development and project services in the given geographical area.

Education: 

• Advanced Degree preferably in Procurement and/or Supply Chain Management, Law, Humanities, Commerce, Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Economics or related field.

• A First University degree in combination with additional two (2) years’ qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

• Equivalent certification in Supply  Chain Management, Procurement and Supply, Logistics or similar field in combination of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

• Knowledge of UN/ /UNOPS Procurement Rules and Regulations is a distinct advantage.

Experience: 

• A minimum of seven (7) years’ experience in executing procurement processes is required in combination with a relevant advanced university degree or its equivalent  

• Experience in the international context (working in an international organization, working as an international personnel, etc.) is required

• Experience handling procurement cases for infrastructure projects is required 

• Experience working in South East Asia and/or the Pacific countries is a distinct advantage

• Experience managing a large team (over 5 people) is required

• Experience managing personnel in multiple locations is an added advantage 

• Experience in the Procurement field in the UN Common system is a distinct advantage

• Experience in the usage of computers and Google Suite application

Language Requirements:

• Full working knowledge of English is required.

1. Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement (IICA)
2. Contract level: IICA 3
3. Contract duration: Ongoing ICA – ‘Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.’

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• 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. For more information on a retainer contract 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.