PRINCIPAL FUNCTIONS
Under the supervision of the Head of Procurement and in accordance with the OPCW Core Values of Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for Diversity/Gender Equality the post holder will perform the following duties;
- Plan and manage all contractual and procurement aspects of a procurement project; establish and maintain work programmes and schedules for contracts to be established.
- Assist the Supervisor with checking “Requisitions” received from branches/divisions for completeness and compliance with OPCW Rules and Regulations and adequacy of the goods, services and related procurement and contract specifications. Seek clarification from and provide guidance to requestors in particular with regard to insufficient specifications.
- Preparation and distribution of solicitation (RFQs, ITBs and RFPs), coordinate requests for clarification and follow-up on the replies.
- Analyse and evaluate all commercial aspects of bids. Ensure that all steps are taken to maintain the integrity and transparency during the procurement process. Preparing commercial evaluations and recommending best value for money suppliers. Preparing submissions to the Committee on Contract.
- Draft, negotiate, and conclude high value and/or complex contractual agreements in order to obtain optimum conditions with suppliers. Verify and sign contractual agreements in the absence of the Head Procurement and authenticate higher value contracts for subsequent signature by the appropriate senior management. Assist the Supervisor with consulting the Office of the Legal Advisor (LAO) for legal advice on contracts.
- Assist the Supervisor with keeping the schedule of contract renewals including follow-up with branches. Liaise with Heads of Branches (HOB) and branch staff through written or oral advice on day-to-day procurement matters and procedures, and assist in the development of specifications for their procurement needs. Identify and provide recommendations to HOB(s) on ways of developing the optimum type of contract which best meets their requirements.
- Address budgetary and contractual discrepancies in collaboration with BFB officers, HOBs, and when judged necessary the Supervisor and/or LAO. Provide support to the Supervisor as required and bring to the attention of the Supervisor ways of improving the workflow and efficiency of the Unit.
- Represent the Procurement Office in cases which require contractual/procurement advice, in particular larger projects.
- Keep abreast of new developments in the field of Procurement. Actively seek to improve programmes or services and take an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things.
- Maintain templates and recommend to the Supervisor enhancements. Liaise with responsible officers within Information Services Branch (ISB) to adapt SharePoint to meet the needs for procurement. Secure overall proper recording and filing for reference purpose and audits.
- Deputise for the Supervisor and when necessary and act as Secretary to the Committee on Contracts during his/her absence.
- Performs other duties as required.
RECRUITING PROFILE
Education (Qualifications):
Essential: Advanced university degree preferably in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Commerce, Law, Supply Chain Management or another relevant technical field. A first level university degree in combination with additional qualifying experience (minimum 4 years) in these areas may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Desirable: University degree or qualification in Law.
Required Certification: Additional study or training or a recognised qualification in procurement is preferred.
Experience:
Essential: At least 2 years of related experience in a procurement office including experience in issuing tenders, evaluations and negotiations with suppliers and drafting commercial contracts preferably within an International Organisation or Non-Governmental Organisation or national government. Where only a first degree is held, at least 4 years’ experience as noted above is required.
Desirable: Experience in drafting commercial contracts.
Skills and Abilities: (key competencies):
- Strong negotiation and persuasion skills;
- Strong analytical skills and working knowledge of quantitative methods to measure supplier capacity systems;
- Good working knowledge of contract law and expertise in the complex contract issues and in the context of UN policies and standards;
- Good knowledge of sources of supply, market trends and pricing;
- Sound judgement in applying expertise to resolve issues;
- Ability to motivate and provide technical guidance to subordinates and new staff;
- Ability to plan work assignments, juggle competing demands and work under pressure of frequent and tight deadlines;
- Very good communication (spoken and written) skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences on procurement-related matters and prepare a variety of written documents, contracts, reports in a clear, concise style;
- Very good interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people in a multi-cultural environment;
- Computer literacy including proficiency in MS Office and basic knowledge of SharePoint.
Language Requirements:
Fluency in English is essential and a good working knowledge of one of the other official languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish) is desirable.
