Procurement Officer

Organizational Context

The Department of Operational Support provides advisory services across the UN Secretariat, with the Procurement Division ensuring effective, fair, and transparent procurement for UN Headquarters, field missions, and other organizations. This role is within the Facilities, Construction and Security Section of the Procurement Division, reporting to the Chief of Section.

Job Purpose

The Procurement Officer serves as a senior expert in procurement and contracting for complex supplies and services. This role involves providing technical advice throughout the procurement cycle, analyzing requests, and ensuring technical specifications are appropriate. The officer develops and prepares complex contracts, manages international tenders, evaluates bids, and makes award recommendations. They also develop new procurement strategies based on market research, contribute to policy development, and may conduct negotiations and consultancy missions, while also providing guidance to junior staff.

Responsibilities

Serve as a senior procurement and contracting expert for complex technical and legal contracts. Provide technical advice on procurement activities to substantive units across all phases of the procurement cycle. Analyze and evaluate procurement requests, ensuring technical specifications are appropriate. Develop and prepare complex contracts for non-routine and advanced commodities or long-range services. Issue international tenders, evaluate responses, and recommend contract awards. Sign procurement orders within authorized limits and prepare submissions for the Contracts Committee for higher values. Develop new contract approaches and methods based on market research. Contribute to institutional procurement policies and procedures, establishing standards for evaluating goods, services, and supplier capacity. Monitor production patterns and evaluate manufacturer performance to identify supply sources. Establish negotiation strategies and conduct or coordinate negotiations, including dispute resolution. May undertake consultancy missions and provide direction to junior staff.

Work Experience

A minimum of two years of experience in conducting international tender exercises to award contracts within the last five years is required. Two consecutive years of experience in facilities management, property leasing, and engineering design/construction procurement is also required. Experience in data sourcing, cleaning, preparation, and visualization/metrics in procurement or supply chain management is desirable.

Skills

Professionalism, knowledge of international procurement standards and techniques, contract law expertise, quantitative methods for supplier capacity assessment, market trend analysis, negotiation skills, policy development, planning and organizing, client orientation, and ability to provide guidance.

Explore related opportunities