Org. Setting and Reporting

UNRWA, the largest United Nations operation in the Middle East with over 30,000 staff working across five areas of operation, is looking for highly committed personnel wishing to make a change.

If you are looking for a rewarding opportunity to make a tangible difference for one of the most vulnerable communities in the world, UNRWA would like to hear from you.

The Head, Field Procurement and Logistics Office reports to Director of UNRWA Affairs or Deputy Director of UNRWA Affairs as applicable.

Responsibilities

– Plans, develops, and manages the procurement activities of the Field Office including multimillion expenditure for procurement of broad range of commodities, services and construction works; serves as a principal advisor on procurement and logistics to the Field Office management.

– Is responsible for all aspects of supply chain management within the Field in support of its operations, Departments and Programmes, resource allocation, sourcing, supplier management, inventory logistics and channels for distribution, forecasting, supply chain initiatives as well as flow and processes management, including:
• Ensuring compliance with established tendering and quotation procedures for the supply of goods and services.
• Conducting quality control on supplies and materials received.
• Carrying out local market research and procuring local supplies.
• Facilitating the receipt of supplies by land, sea, and air through liaison with customs, port, shipping and government authorities and the processing of customs, tax exemption, insurance, clearing and forwarding documentation.
• Supervising the sale of surplus, obsolete or unserviceable stock and stock control, warehousing and asset management functions.

– Develops and ensures the efficient implementation of the procurement annual plan and overall procurement strategies using the best procurement practices and approved policies.

– Represents the Field Office in contacts with internal and external parties on contractual matters and advises thereon; recommends to the Field Director appropriate action to be taken in relation to procurement contracts and/or orders; authorizes procurement contracts up to an approved limit.

– Analyses all procurement proposals to determine appropriate strategy or approach, performs market research to develop proposals on revisions of procurement plans, procedures and policies.

– Is responsible for managing the receipt, storage, issue and distribution of basic commodities to the refugee special hardship cases and pregnant women and nursing mothers in the Field; the pre-packing of food rations and the operation and maintenance of the related machinery and equipment.

– Is responsible for all aspects of the motor transport management within the Field; including driver testing, vehicle maintenance, registration and insurance and related machinery and equipment.

– Leads, manages, and trains the procurement team to perform the procurement activities as planned and efficiently.

– Serves as a member of Committee and Board as applicable.

Competencies

UN Core Values of Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for Diversity, and Core Competencies of Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results apply by default. Default managerial competencies may apply.

Professionalism: Shows pride in work and in achievements. Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter. Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results. Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns. Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Vision: Identifies strategic issues, opportunities and risks; clearly communicates links between the Agency’s overall strategy and the Department’s goals; generates and communicates broad and compelling directions.

Planning and organizing: Proven ability to plan and organize work, requiring understanding of strategic direction and the ability to integrate the work into the Agency’s/ Field’s plans and work programmes; foresees risks and allow for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Technological awareness: Keeps abreast of available technology. Understands applicability and limitations of technology to the work of the office. Actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks. Shows willingness to learn new technology.

Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listen to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; ability to defend and explain difficult issues with respect to key decisions and positions to staff, senior officials, advisory committee’s and oversight bodies; ability to communicate complex concepts orally; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed;

Client orientation: Considers all those to whom support and services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from the clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients; environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in support, services and products deliveries; meets timeline for delivery of support, services and products to client; establishes and maintains effective relationships with outside collaborators, suppliers and other contacts including representatives of donor communities; states and the public;

Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow. Empowers others to translate vision into results. Is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives. Establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support. Anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions. Drives for change and improvement; does not accept the status quo. Shows the courage to take unpopular stands.

Building trust: Provides an environment in which others can talk and act without fear of repercussion; manages in a deliberate and predicable way; operates with transparency; places confidence in colleagues, subordinates and clients; follows through on agreed upon actions; treats sensitive or confidential information appropriately.

Managing performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision making authority. Makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member. Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a
task and matches task to skills. Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines. Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff. Encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative. Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff. Appraises performance fairly.

Teamwork: Strong interpersonal skills including ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries and ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people in multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.

Proficiency in the use of internet and the MS office programmes for word processing, spreadsheet, database management and presentation; working knowledge of the use of computer applications relevant to supply chain management and procurement including knowledge and work experience with any modern ERP system is desirable.

For guidance on how to prepare for competency-based interviews: https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=AYI

Education

Advanced university degree (Master degree or equivalent) in a supply chain management discipline, business administration, public administration, commerce or other related field is required.

Additional study, course-work or training in the areas relevant to supply chain management, procurement and/or a recognized qualification in procurements and logistics is preferable.

Work Experience

At least eight years of progressively responsible relevant professional experience in
procurement and logistics operation in large commercial or international organization is required.

At least five years of relevant experience at the international level preferably in a developing
country is required.

Unless already serving as an international staff member in the UN Common System, a
minimum of 2 continuous years of relevant international experience outside UNRWA, and
outside the country(s) of citizenship is required.

Proven record of delivery procurement programmes and services is required.

An advanced university degree (Master degree or equivalent) from an accredited education
institution in a supply chain management discipline, business administration, public
administration, commerce or other related field is required.

Knowledge of UNRWA and UN Procurement rules and directives, of UN policies, procedures and operations as well as leading-edges supply chain management or procurement and logistics methods is desirable.

Working Knowledge and experience in the Agency operations area and knowledge of Middle
East Culture is desirable.

Languages

Excellent command of written and spoken English is required.
Knowledge of Arabic language is desirable.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

Type of Contract and Duration: Temporary Appointment for 4 months with the possibility of further extension.

The incumbent will be required to reside in her/his duty station and may travel occasionally to other areas of the Agency’s operations in the Middle East.

Possession of a valid driving license.

Applicants have to complete the Personal History Profile (PHP) in Inspira in order to be considered. The PHP should be completed with full relevant work experience as per the requirements in the Job Opening, in order to be considered.

UNRWA welcomes applications from qualified candidates with disabilities.

A roster may be created from the selection exercise, and successful candidates may become eligible for appointment to the same post or a similar post.

Join our eco-friendly organization dedicated to environment sustainability and targeting to be plastic free by 2025.

Equivalency:
A first level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
NB: work experience alone or formal qualifications with no relevant work experience are not considered an acceptable combination.

UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states, regional bodies, business foundations and individual contributions. The mission of UNRWA is to help Palestine refugees achieve their full potential in human development under the difficult circumstances in which they live.

For more details on UNRWA, please visit: https://www.unrwa.org/

United Nations Considerations

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Commissioner-General of UNRWA and to assignment by him or her.

UNRWA is committed to achieving gender parity at all levels of staffing under the current UN-wide gender agenda and strongly encourages applications from qualified applicants from under-represented groups.

At UNRWA, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. UNRWA is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

UNRWA Considerations
UNRWA staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of efficiency, competence, neutrality, impartiality and integrity. This includes respect for and commitment to human rights, diversity and non-violent means of dealing with all kinds of conflict. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for UNRWA jobs. Candidates will not be considered for employment with UNRWA if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. The Agency may disqualify applicants who have separated for reason of misconduct, who left a UN Agency while misconduct processes were pending, or who appear on the UN Sanctions List.
UNRWA is a non-smoking work environment.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.