Graduate Job Recruitment at United Nations World Food Programme

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

We are recruiting to fill the positions below:

Job Title: Procurement Associate

Requisition #: 124010
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Type of Contract: SSA 6
Unit/Division: Supply Chain
Duration: 11 months

Background and Purpose of the Assignment

• To provide coordination, administrative services and research to support the efficient and effective procurement services.
• Job holders at this level demonstrate responsibility and initiative to respond independently to queries and problems with only general guidance.
• There is a requirement to use judgment in dealing with unforeseen problems on a daily basis.
• Job holders have a level of expertise and knowledge to adapt and contribute to the development of systems and processes in order to continually improve the level of support provided.
• Job holders supervise, provide technical advice, coach and coordinate a team of support staff.

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• Provide operational coordination and administrative services, to support procurement projects and activities, following standard processes and contributing to the effective procurement of goods and services.
• Identify and recommend potential suppliers, and compile data/documents to support the selection of suppliers, ensuring standard processes are followed.
• Review, record and prioritise purchasing requests, and provide support to requisitioners, in order to support the procurement of appropriate goods and services, at lowest cost to WFP.
• Contribute to negotiations with new suppliers on terms and conditions of orders, alongside a senior officer, in order to obtain the best terms and lowest costs for WFP.
• Prepare Purchase Orders, contracts and any supporting documentation for approval by the appropriate stakeholder, and approve purchases within delegated authority, to enable the swift purchase of goods and services.
• Resolve issues related to delivered goods, using initiative, liaising with all parties and following standard processes, to ensure timely and accurate resolution of problems.
• Research, collect and analyse data in order to produce reports to enable informed decisionmaking by Procurement Officers, and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
• Manage updates and further develop databases and records, to ensure information is accurate, organised, and available for others to access, and supports reporting requirements.
• Maintain relationships with internal counterparts, to support the alignment of procurement activities with wider programmes and ensure a coherent approach to meeting food assistance needs.
• Supervise the work of support staff, providing practical advice and guidance, to ensure individual and team objectives are delivered to agreed standards and deadlines.
• Follow standard emergency preparedness practices to support WFP to quickly respond and deploy food and needed resources to affected areas at the onset of the crisis.

Qualifications & Experience Required
Education:

• Advanced University Degree in Political Science, International Development, Development Economics, International Relations, Law, Marketing, Communications or other relevant fields, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.

Experience:

• Demonstrated familiarity with locally purchased commodities/goods/services (e.g., cash-based, in-kind donations).
• Experience conducting supplier research and coordinating with retailers, wholesalers and traders.
• Demonstrated knowledge of procurement processes and linkages with other operations (e.g., logistics).

Knowledge & Skills:

• Effective writing, presentation and communications skills, proficiency in Microsoft Office applications

Languages:

• Fluency (level C) in English language and the duty station’s language, if different.

Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply

Application Deadline  10th September, 2020.

Job Title: Procurement Officer, P4

Requisition #: 124304
Locations: Abuja, Nigeria; Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
Slot: 2 Openings

Organizational Context

• This job is found in Headquarters (HQ), Regional Bureaux (RBs) or Country Officers (COs). Job holders report to the Regional/Country/Division Deputy Director or the designate. Job holders are likely to operate in an environment where the complexity of managing procurement operations is high e.g. involving high value/volume, or a range of procurement needs such as cash and vouchers, small holder farmer procurement, local, regional and international procurement, and production and procurement of special nutritious foods.

Abuja, Nigeria Country Context

• Nigeria is a federal constitutional republic. It is the most populous country in Africa and the seventh most populous country in the world. Nigeria has over 500 ethnic groups. The crisis-induced by non-state armed groups remains the principal driving factor of instability in northeast Nigeria. Since 2010, they have increasingly expanded their operational capabilities. In May 2013 a state of emergency was declared by the Government in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States.
• WFP Nigeria is a relatively new Country Office having been established in 2016. There are approximately 2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) reported to be in Nigeria (IOM/DTM Round 27), of which the majority are in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States. The June 2019 Cadre Harmonisé (CH) reports nearly 3 million people in need of food assistance in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States. WFP operations focus on crisis response to prevent deterioration of food and nutrition security, reduce malnutrition and minimize gender inequalities. WFP activities are concentrated in rural areas of north-eastern Nigeria that are more vulnerable and food insecure.

Kinshasa, DRC Country Context

• DRC, the second-largest country in Africa and a low-income country, is ranked fifth out of 178 countries on the 2019 Fragile States Index, placing it in the highest category of risk. The country is currently the second-largest hunger crisis in the world after Yemen. Hunger and conflict fuel one another, with armed conflict and widespread displacement prevailing for the past 25 years, and multiple crises compounding DRC’s humanitarian challenges. The already high prevalence of food insecurity and malnutrition across the country further increased in 2019. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) of August 2019, 15.6 million people, representing 26 percent of the rural population analyzed, were facing a crisis (IPC phase 3) and emergency (IPC phase 4) acute food insecurity.
• Procurement is an integral part of the support required by the DRC country office operations. During 2019, local procurement amounted to approximately USD 90 million, of which goods and services (G&S) procurement was 28 percent (USD 26.8 M). The operations require a strengthened and structured planning process, an up-to-date vendor roster with a comprehensive market analysis, and ensure all corporate procedures, guidelines, systems and reporting are fully implemented and monitored. These will allow to maximise economies of scale in sourcing, minimise transaction costs, and ensure efficient use of resources.

Job Purpose

• Lead on or provide technical advice and oversight to procurement field operations of high complexity, partnering with key supply chain functions to ensure an integrated supply chain approach to meeting the food assistance needs of beneficiaries.
• Job holders require a high level of experience and knowledge to credibly influence supply chain strategies at senior levels across functions and with local partners.

Key Accountabilities (not all-inclusive)

• Participate in the development and implementation of country sourcing strategies or specialist procurement initiatives that support effective and cost optimising purchase decisions.
• Provide oversight, guidance and support with/to COs with complex procurement needs (such as involving high value commodities, a wide range of programmes, combination of specialised nutritional foods) on implementing best practice procurement policies and procedures, ensuring a strategic, forward purchasing approach to procurement in compliance with wider WFP policies, standards and regulations.
• Lead the implementation of highly complex procurement projects in COs to ensure successful procurement of food and non-food commodities or services.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with all relevant suppliers in order to improve service delivery and resolve supplier related issues.
• Manage and coordinate effective relationships with inspection and superintendent firms to ensure quality control, specification conformity, volume assessment, monitoring and verification of deliveries.
• Work in close collaboration with senior cross functional colleagues to align procurement activities and promote an integrated supply-chain approach to food assistance.
• Oversee the preparation of 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.
• Manage or oversee all auditing of procurement activities ensuring recommendations are responded to appropriately to ensure conformity with compliance rules.
• Lead and motivate a large or highly specialized procurement team providing coaching, training and guidance as required to ensure appropriate development and enable high performance.
• Provide expert advice and guidance to WFP staff and external partners and governments, building capacity to take a strategic and proactive approach to the procurement of food and non-food commodities and services.
• Take responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives in all areas of work, to ensure equal participation of women and men.
• Contribute to preparedness actions, providing technical recommendations and guidance and monitor the management of procurement specific risks.
• Act in an assigned emergency response capacity as required to meet emergency food assistance needs.
• Other as required.

Standard Minimum Qualifications

• Experience in coordinating supply chain operations (including procurement of food, goods, and services).
• Experience managing the physical purchase of commodities/goods/services in complex situations (e.g., evaluating offers and making recommendations).
• Experience managing suppliers including but not limited to retailers, wholesalers and traders.
• Experience supervising others.
• Experience of Vendor Management.

Other Specific Job Requirements
Education:

• Advanced University degree in Economics, Commerce, Business Administration, Engineering, Legal or Accounting or other relevant fields, or First University degree with additional relevant work experience and/or training/courses.

Language:

• Fluency (proficiency/Level C) of English.
• Intermediate knowledge (Level B) of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) and/or WFP working language, Portuguese, is desirable.
• Fluency in French Language is mandatory for Kinshasa, DRC Duty Station.

Terms and Conditions

• The selected candidate will be employed on a fixed-term as well as a rotational contract with a probationary period of one year.
• WFP offers an attractive compensation and benefits package, including basic salary, post adjustment, relocation entitlement, travel and shipment allowances, 30 days’ annual leave, home leave, an education grant for dependent children, pension plan and medical insurance. For more details please visit icsc.un.org.

Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply

Application Deadline  7th October, 2020.

Note

• Female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply
• WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles.
• Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance