Procurement Officer - Temporary
Organizational Context
This position is based in the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for Eastern Africa (ROEA) in Nairobi, Kenya. The role serves as the head of the Eastern and Southern Africa Procurement Hub, reporting to the Chief Procurement Officer in Vienna and the UNODC Regional Representative for Eastern Africa, and working within the ROEA Operations team.
Job Purpose
The Procurement Officer is responsible for coordinating, supporting, and overseeing the procurement function for UNODC's Regional Offices in Eastern Africa (ROEA) and Southern Africa (ROSAF). This role provides end-to-end procurement support for national, regional, and global programmes and projects. The incumbent acts as a procurement and contracting expert for complex goods and services, including planning, developing, and managing procurement activities, particularly for infrastructure and construction projects. Key functions include ensuring compliance with policies, managing contracts, resolving procurement challenges, and liaising with national authorities and other UN entities.
Responsibilities
The Procurement Officer leads and manages all procurement activities, ensuring compliance with UN policies and providing end-to-end support. This includes serving as an expert for technically and legally complex procurements across a wide range of goods and services, and planning/managing procurement for major construction projects. The role involves reviewing requests, guiding buyers, developing procurement procedures, and conducting negotiations. The incumbent prepares and manages complex contracts, evaluates bids, and approves procurement orders within delegated authority. Responsibilities also include developing strategies for complex procurement cases, ensuring compliance with financial regulations, coordinating with other UN entities, and promoting Long-Term Agreements. The role contributes to developing regional procurement guidance, streamlining processes, and implementing new tools. Additionally, it involves training staff, managing reporting and auditing, supervising procurement staff, analyzing data, and overseeing the use of Low Value Acquisition.
Work Experience
A minimum of five years of progressive professional experience in procurement is required, including experience with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Experience with construction projects, managing teams within the UN or international organizations, using e-tendering solutions, and data analytics is desirable.
Skills
Professionalism, Accountability, Client Orientation, knowledge of international procurement standards, contract law, quantitative methods, data analysis, negotiation, contract management, team supervision, and experience with ERP and e-tendering systems.