Job: Procurement/Contracts Management Officer

Vacancy code VA/2013/B5001/4341 Position title Procurement/Contracts Management Officer Level ICS-10 Department/office GPSO, Mine Action Duty station Bamako, Mali Contract type International ICA Contract level IICA-2 Duration 6 months Application period 04-Dec-2013 to 15-Dec-2013 Print

United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity

Background Information - UNOPS

UNOPS 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. Within these three core areas of expertise, UNOPS provides its partners with advisory, implementation and transactional services, with projects ranging from building schools and hospitals, to procuring goods and services and training local personnel. UNOPS works closely with governments and communities to ensure increased economic, social and environmental sustainability for the projects we support, with a focus on developing national capacity. Working in some of the world's most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices in development, humanitarian and peacebuilding contexts, always satisfying or surpassing partner expectations. We employ more than 6,000 personnel and on behalf of our partners create thousands more work opportunities in local communities. Through our headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark and a network of offices, we oversee activities in more than 80countries. UNOPS is committed to achieving a truly diverse workforce.

Background Information - MACMine Action Cluster Based in New York, the UNOPS Mine Action Cluster provides a range of mine action services in emergency and post-conflict settings, on behalf of the United Nations, governments and other partners. Established in 1997 and part of the UNOPS Global Partner Services Office, the Mine Action Cluster has helped partners significantly improve the lives of people in more than 30 countries around the world. It delivers fast and efficient procurement, recruitment and management services to facilitate humanitarian aid and launch emergency mine clearance. The cluster is also responsible for the administrative oversight of its field offices, in line with partner requirements and UNOPS rules and regulations.Functional Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of Head of Support Services of the Mali Programme, the Procurement/Contracts Management Officer will be responsible for full compliance of procurement and supply chain activities with UNOPS rules and policies and donor requirements; implementation of the effective internal control procedures, proper design and functioning of a client-oriented procurement and supply chain management system. S/he will be responsible for for effective and timely delivery of UNOPS' contracts management services, in full compliance with the UNOPS financial rules and regulations and donor requirements. S/he will analyze and interpret the financial rules and regulations, analyze operational effectiveness reports,design monitoring tools and develop systems with the assistance of the Head of Support Service. S/he will implement a quality plan for each contract and will engage in daily consultation with senior managers across the spectrum of activities covered by the contracts that they are managing. They will alert the Head of Support Service and the Programme Manager of any financial or operational irregularities such as contractors failing to meet the targets of contract work plans and propose a course of action to remedy this. They will provide solutions to a wide spectrum of complex issues related to procurement of services and contract management. They will travel to the field and visit sites being worked on by contractors. Depending on a role this position will be assigned to within the project administration setup in a specific country/programme (i.e. office structure, DOAs, ATLAS functions, segregation of duties, etc.), the incumbent will have responsibilities determined by UNOPS rules and regulations embodied in its regulatory framework – Organizational Directives, Administrative Instructions and other documents as periodically issued and updated by UNOPS.

Tasks will include:

Contracts management:

• Ensure full compliance of procurement /contracting activities within UN/UNOPS rules, regulations, policies and strategies – and manage under the direction of Head of Support Service the implementation of harmonized procurement, contracting services and elaboration of Statement of Works developed in conjunction with the Operations and Support Services Departments.
• Prepare Statement of Works (SoW), Terms of Reference (TOR), Contracts, Grant Agreements and other documents required for project implementation in cooperation with UNOPS legal specialists as needed.
• Assist in international bidding processes. Under the direction of Program management and UNOPS GPSO MAC manage the pre-qualification and short-listing of bidders, preparations of bids, issuance of bids, pre-bid conference, receipt and opening of bids, bid evaluation, submission to UNOPS HQCPC (Headquarters Contracts and Property Committee) for recommendation of award, contracts negotiations, contract finalization and issuance.
• Develop a management plan for all UNOPS mine action contracts in country including, but not limited to, verification of insurance and goods procured, evaluation of subcontractor's personnel qualifications, monitoring delivery of contractual terms, certification of reports and payments, and issue of contract amendments, verification of services delivered against contractual requirements, alignment of specifications and standards. Provide objective oversight over various contract management processes and ensure their transparency.
• Management of procurement contracts and implementation of the internal control system which ensures that Purchase orders are duly prepared and dispatched. Timely corrective actions on POs with budget check errors and other problems.
• Develop and implement systems for internal control that would ensure compliance with contractual terms and conditions, in collaboration with the operations team.
• Make recommendations for payments upon review of reports and comments from the Operations.
• Monitor and analyze contract performance against agreed benchmarks and through agreed reporting mechanism. Advise senior management on any potential issues and recommend remedial actions or solutions.
• Negotiate, within the terms and conditions of the contract, solutions to conflicts/problems arising in case of poor performance or non-compliance with contractual obligations.
• Frequently convene meetings with contractors to allow ample opportunity for the identification and early resolution of potential disputes.
• Coordinate with staff conducting activities required by the contract including logistical support, accreditation, licensing, verification of goods, monitoring of activities and performance of the subcontractors.
• Realize syntheses of lessons learnt and best practices in procurement /contract management.
• Ensure key meetings and work procedures are properly documented and institutionalized.
• Develop appropriate contract management tools, guidelines and manuals for standardization and knowledge sharing purposes.
• Engage and involve government counterparts as appropriate, to facilitate contract management as well as to contribute to the capacity building plan.

Procurement and supply management

• Project procurement business processes mapping and elaboration/establishment of internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in Procurement, control of the workflows in the Procurement Unit.
• Analysis of requirements and synthesis of proposals for cost-saving and reduction strategies.
• Implementation of the strategic and sustainable procurement in the programme including sourcing strategy, supplier selection and evaluation, quality management, customer relationship management, e-procurement introduction and promotion, performance measurement.
• Timely and duly prepared procurement plans for the office and monitoring of their implementation.
• Implementation of proper monitoring and control of procurement processes including organization of RFQ, ITB or RFP, receipt of quotations, bids or proposals, their evaluation, negotiation of certain conditions of contracts in full compliance with UNOPS rules and regulation.
• Management of e-procurement module and development and management of the rosters of suppliers, elaboration of supplier selection and evaluation, quality and performance measurement mechanisms.

• Implement any other tasks as assigned by the Head of Support Services, or the Program Manager.

Competencies

• Teamwork – Strong interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations with people in a multiâ€cultural,multiâ€ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.
• Planning & Organization – Ability to manage, organize,plan and implement work assignments, juggle competing demands and work under pressure of frequent and tight deadlines. Remains calm, in control even under pressure. Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback.
• Judgment – Demonstrated ability to apply good judgment and decision making skills.
• Communications – Strong spoken and written communication skills. Promote a knowledge sharing and learning culture in the office. Ability to advocate and provide policy advice.
• Problem Solving – Strong analytical and problem solving skills and ability to handle a range of management and coordination issues.
• Commitment to Continuous Learning – Willingness to keep abreast of new developments. Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills
• Professionalism – Sound knowledge of, and exposure to, procurement and financial management issues. Ability to analyze procurement service requirements and lead procurement processes using specific procurement methods (RFQ, ITB,RFP).

Education/Experience/Language requirementsEducation:

• Advanced University Degree(Masters Degree or equivalent) in the field of business administration,management, or related field with minimum of 5 years of relevant experience including procurement management.
• Alternatively, First level university degree or equivalent qualification administration combined with additional 2 years relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience at the national or international level in procurement and supply chain management is required
• Minimum of 3 years of progressively responsible professional experience in contracts management is required
• Experience in UN financial rules and regulations is highly desirable
• Knowledge of the UN system and familiarity with UNOPS procedures is highly desirable
• Knowledge of ATLAS system is an asset
• Prior experience in Humanitarian Mine Action is an asset;

Language

• Fluency in spoken and written English is a requirement; working knowledge of French is a requirementAdditional Considerations
• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time (CET)
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• For staff positions UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

Contract type, level and duration Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement (IICA) Contract level: IICA-2 Contract duration: Six (6) months For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link: http://www.unops.org/ENGLISH/WHOWENEED/CONTRACT-TYPES/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements-ICAs.aspx

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