Procurement Officer – International Consultant – Level II Job Vacancy at WFP

Purpose

• Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives: Understands WFP’s Strategic Objectives and the link to own work objectives.
• Be a force for positive change: Flexibly adapts individual contributions to accommodate changes in direction from supervisors and internal/external changes (such as evolving needs of beneficiaries, new requirements of partners).
• Make the mission inspiring to our team: Recognizes and shares with team members the ways in which individual contributions relate to WFP’s mission.
• Make our mission visible in everyday actions: Sets own goals in alignment with WFP’s overall operations, and is able to communicate this link to others.

People

• Look for ways to strengthen people’s skills: Assesses own strengths and weaknesses to increase self-awareness, and includes these in conversations on own developmental needs.
• Create an inclusive culture: Participates in open dialogue, and values the diverse opinion of others, regardless of background, culture, experience, or country assignment.
• Be a coach & provide constructive feedback: Proactively seeks feedback and coaching to build confidence, and develop and improve individual skills.
• Create an “I will”/”We will” spirit: Participates in accomplishing team activities and goals in the face of challenging circumstances.

Performance

• Encourage innovation & creative solutions: Shows willingness to explore and experiment with new ideas and approaches in own work.
• Focus on getting results: Consistently delivers results within individual scope of work on time, on budget and without errors.
• Make commitments and make good on commitments: Commits to upholding individual accountabilities and responsibilities in the face of ever-changing country or functional priorities.
• Be Decisive: Makes rational decisions about individual activities when faced with uncertain circumstances, including in times of ambiguity regarding information or manager direction.

Partnership

• Connect and share across WFP units: Seeks to understand and adapt to internal or cross-unit teams’ priorities and preferred working styles.
• Build strong external partnerships: Demonstrates ability to understand and appropriately respond to and/or escalate needs of external partners.
• Be politically agile & adaptable: Portrays an informed and professional demeanor toward internal and external partners and stakeholders.
• Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships: Provides operational support on analyses and assessments that quantifies and demonstrates WFP’s unique value as a partner.

1. Design procurement strategy to buy food from traders and smallholder farmers (SHF) as well as non-food items (NFI) to ensure smooth operations in Tanzania and in the neighboring countries.
2. Provide oversight, guidance, and support to the Country Offices procurement team to implement best practice procurement policies and procedures, ensuring a strategic and proactive approach to procurement in compliance with wider WFP policies, standards and regulations.
3. Support the head of supply chain in the implementation of the supply chain strategy, and lead and participate in actions of national capacity strengthening.
4. Consolidate and analyze data to inform Country sourcing strategies or plan specialist procurement initiatives that support effective and cost optimizing purchase decisions, whether from traditional suppliers or off-takers.
5. Lead the procurement of food and non-food items (NFI) and manage operational activities for the Country Office including issue tenders, evaluate offers and negotiate/award contracts).
6. Collate information and draft appropriate responses to recommendations to support auditing of procurement activities and ensure conformity with compliance rules.
7. Conduct supplier performance evaluation evidenced by procurement data and other relevant factors.
8. Maintain a pool of reliable suppliers for all procurement items; Identify, develop and maintain strong relationships with all relevant suppliers and vendors.

9. Manage and coordinate effective relationships with inspection and superintendent firms to ensure quality control, specification conformity, volume assessment, monitoring and verification of deliveries.

10. Work in close collaboration with cross-functional counterparts including regional bureaus (Johannesburg and Nairobi) and HQ procurement to align procurement activities and promote an integrated supply-chain approach to food assistance.

11. Provide active support to cash-based transfer (CBT) activities by identifying and contracting retail stores, where needed.

12. Coordinate and prepare accurate and timely reports of procurement activities to contribute to a WFP wide view that enables informed decision making and consistency of information presented to stakeholders, leading to performance optimization.

13. Manage the procurement teams ensuring appropriate development and enable high performance.

14. Build capacity of WFP staff and external partners to take a strategic and proactive approach to the procurement of food and NFI and services e.g., through coaching, mentoring and provision of training sessions etc.

15. Contribute to preparedness actions, providing technical recommendations and guidance and monitor the management of procurement specific risks.

16. Act in an assigned emergency response capacity as required to meet emergency food assistance needs.

17. Perform other duties as assigned.

1. Timely, cost-effective and efficient procurement of food, goods, and services from traders and small-scale suppliers.
2. Procurement operations and staff are managed, and leadership and oversight are provided on procurement issues.
3. Effective partnership is maintained with the key supply chain stakeholders and functions, such as logistics, to ensure an integrated supply chain approach to meeting the food assistance needs of beneficiaries.
4. Innovative projects initiated and/or supported for smallholder farmers (SHF).
5. Timely, concise, and effective analytical procurement report (corporate, periodic and ad hoc) for informed decision making.

1. Experience with procurement activities (such as purchasing and vendor research).
2. Experience conducting cost analyses.
3. Experience working with vendors or other partners.

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.