The Position:
The Humanitarian Supplies Procurement Specialist position is located in the Humanitarian Supplies Procurement Team within Pillar 1 – Resilience and Capacity Development in the Supply Chain Management Unit (SCMU). The position reports directly to Humanitarian Supplies Manager. The Humanitarian Supplies Procurement Specialist will work closely with other SCMU colleagues, the Humanitarian Response Division, other HQ Business Units, the Regional Offices and the Country Offices and with a number of external partners.
The position provides support to strategic and technical leadership for SCMU's humanitarian supply management, aiming to enhance resilience and streamline processes for rapid humanitarian responses. Its core objective is to strengthen UNFPA’s ability to scale up and effectively respond to crises through responsive and prepared humanitarian procurement activities.
How you can make a difference:
UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.
In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.
Job Purpose:
The Humanitarian Supplies Procurement Specialist will lead and manage a dedicated team to oversee the day-to-day procurement operations, ensuring efficient and effective procurement of essential humanitarian supplies. This role involves coordinating procurement processes, managing supplier relationships, and ensuring compliance with UNFPA policies thereby contributing to timely and impactful humanitarian responses.
The position requires the ability and willingness to travel to field locations on short notice as part of its core responsibilities. Acceptance of the job offer signifies agreement to comply with this requirement.
Qualifications and Experience:
Education:
Advanced university degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Economics, International Commerce, Logistics or equivalent is required. A first level university degree combined with a professional Supply Chain Management certification such as CIPS at Level 4 Certificate and/or CILT at Level 4 qualification may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. Training or certification in Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management will be an added advantage.
Knowledge and Experience:
- A minimum of five (5) years of relevant progressively responsible experience in supply chain, where:
- At least one year (1) year hands-on experience working in complex humanitarian operating environments in low-resource countries, with a deep understanding of the unique cultural and political sensitivities, logistics challenges and regulations pertinent to these contexts.
- At least two (2) years’ experience with health supply chain
- Solid understanding of humanitarian aid principles especially those related to sexual and reproductive health, gender issues, and population dynamics is required.
- Experience in managing a team, particularly within a matrix organizational structure is a required.
- Professional written and spoken presentation skills, including for the development of reports, presentations, and the ability to synthesize complex supply chain documents for both technical and non-technical audiences is required.
- Strong interpersonal skills and capability to develop and maintain broad diversified partnerships is required.
- Experience using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is required.
- Experience working within a matrix organizational structure is an asset.
- Knowledge of UNFPA’s Strategic Plan, UNFPA Humanitarian Thematic Fund, UNFPA Strategy and Operational Plan to Scale-up and Strengthen Interventions on Gender-based Violence in Emergencies, 2023-2025 is an asset.
Languages:
Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of another official UN language is desirable.
We are no longer accepting applications for this position.
