Procurement Assistant

Organizational Setting

The main aim of the FAO country offices, which are headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist Governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.
The current portfolio of projects managed by the FAO Representation in Ethiopia includes activities related to Agriculture (crops), Livestock, Fisheries, Natural Resource Management, Food information Systems and livelihoods support in emergency settings.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative, the technical guidance and direct supervision of the International Procurement Officer, the Procurement Assistant will perform the following duties:

Technical Focus

The candidate will be involved in conducting procurement of goods, works and services from the requests from the delivery and implementation of various funded projects in FAO Ethiopia and the Sub Regional office of Ethiopia.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Assist the Procurement Associate to regularly close Purchase Orders and arrange proper archiving of procurement files, and monitoring of the database maintained by the procurement unit. The Procurement Assistant will follow up with the other procurement buyers to ensure the database is timely populated;
• Assist the Procurement Associate to conduct market survey for FAO’s strategic products that are procured in local and international market through Requests for Information (RFI) and Expression of Interests (EOIs), such as crop seeds, vegetable seeds, agricultural tools, fishing kits, by preparing templates, launching through the FAO Portal, assisting in the opening and evaluations. Based on the interests received, ensure coding and database is completed for all interested suppliers;
• Assist the Procurement Associate in the preparation of a Procurement Plan for the office, taking into account strategic procurement considerations and supply chain management;
• Become familiar and highly conversant with the Procurement Rules and Regulations of the Organization (MS 502 and MS 507), and provide support to colleagues, whenever required;
• Handle general procurement tasks, when required by the Procurement Associate, such as reviewing completeness of purchase requisitions, preparing tenders, expression of interest, purchase orders, contracts, timely payments, timely closure of contracts;
• Collect all necessary standard correspondences regarding procurement related issues and ensure a proper database of standardized emails and communications provided by the International Procurement Officer are kept in the shared-drive for the procurement unit;
• Raise POs and other related procurement tasks in GRMS;
• Produce weekly reports on the Procurement Database and its content and submit it to the Procurement Associate, prior to the weekly meeting; Flag any missing information related to Supplier’s performances and files;
• Assist in preparing the calculations for the application of liquidated damages. When these are not applicable, prepare all required justifications and keep them in FAO’s ERP;
• Monitor the UNGM In-tend Portal and ensure all awarded tenders contain communication to unsuccessful bidders without delay;
• Support other staff in case of additional work/procurement related task;
• Consider all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seek to see things from clients’ point of view;
• Establish and maintain productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect;
• Identify clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions;
• Monitor on-going market developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep them informed and anticipate problems;
• Keep clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects;
• Meet timeline for delivery of products or services to client;
• Maintain regular contact with his/her peers in the Procurement Unit and external clients, vendors and suppliers;
• Establish and maintain productive partnerships with his/her colleagues and supervisor by gaining their trust and respect;
• Ensure that the highest ethics and standards of transparency are maintained;
• Act as an example for colleagues and external vendors and partners;
• Perform any other related duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Candidate should be national of Ethiopia
• Minimum of diploma degree related to Administration, Procurement and Purchasing, Law or Project Management, Administration or similar. Technical or vocational certificate in procurement as additional asset
• A minimum of two (2) years’ experience in administrative tasks, inventory, logistics or related field
• Good knowledge of the local language(s) (level B) and working knowledge (level C) of the FAO official language used at the duty station (English) is required

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Ability to maintain databases and ensure proper filing of unit is maintained; Good skills in excel are required for this position; Good writing skills;
• Good communication skills, ability to convey complex information
• Previous experience working with UN agencies and International organizations/ NGOs is desirable
• Strong English communication skills, both written and oral
• High level of computer literacy in MS office applications and other relevant software applications
• Qualified females are highly encouraged to apply

Selection Criteria

• Familiarity to work with UN agencies, Government and other partners
• Ability to work under pressure and willingness to travel frequently to rural areas of Ethiopia;
• High proficiency in written and oral English
• Demonstrated integrity and ethics in the conduct of his/her work

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION