United States of America: Director of Procurement, D2

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Office of the Assistant Secretary-General for Supply Chain Management (OASG OSCM) in the Department of Operational Support. The Director reports to the Assistant Secretary-General for Supply Chain Management (ASG OSCM) vested with the procurement authority.

Responsibilities

• Directs and manages procurement management strategy of the Organization to strengthen an efficient, agile, client-oriented and accountable procurement operation; improve transparency and risk management, and promote innovation and circular procurement.
• Responsible for ensuring that the principles of procurement are reflected in day-to-day procedures and practices of the Division, proper internal controls are established at all levels of the Division, and the levels of risk (operational, financial and fraud) are identified.
• Provides overall advice and guidance on procurement matters to United Nations entities globally.
• Contributes to the formulation of the department’s overall strategies and policies in the area of procurement by participating in various committees, preparing documents on operational issues, and acting, as required, in an advisory capacity to the USG/ASG; contribute to the overall management of the Department’s activities and operations.
• Provides leadership to the development of innovative and change management projects that include the collaborative engagement of other UN entities;
• Advances the professionalization of the procurement workforce and provides guidance to the UN Secretariat global procurement practitioner community.
• Formulates and implement the substantive work programme of the Office/Division under his/her supervision, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery.
• Oversees the management of activities undertaken by the Division, ensuring that timely procurement support is provided to all clients; co-ordinates work in the different areas both within the Division and Department, and with other organizations of the United Nations System including with the Procurement Network of the High-level Committee on Management to identify procurement synergies with other United Nations entities.
• Co-ordinates and oversees the preparation of reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies such as the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budget Questions, Fifth Committee, the General Assembly and other policy-making organs, as appropriate.
• Reports to intergovernmental bodies on budget/programme performance or on programmatic/substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those presented in biannual and/or annual reports.
• Ensures that the outputs produced by the Division maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced by the division under his/her supervision meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates.
• Undertakes or oversees the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Division, including preparation of budgets, assigning and monitoring of performance parameters and critical indicators, reporting on budget/programme performance, preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting, evaluation of staff performance, interviews of candidates for job openings and evaluation of candidates.
• Oversees the recruitment of staff for Division taking due account geographical and gender balance and other institutional values.
• Inspires, manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision; foster teamwork and communication among staff in the Division and across organizational boundaries.
• Chairs meetings, seminars, etc., on substantive-related issues; represents the Organization at international, regional, inter-agency meetings, seminars and conference; provides programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue, or holds programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions.
• Performs other related duties as requested by the senior management of the Organization.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Exhibits broad knowledge of all facets of international procurement, including knowledge of emerging procurement techniques, practices, and solutions, knowledge of sustainable procurement practices and category management, as well as knowledge of broader economic and market perspectives; in-depth cost analysis evaluation techniques combined with knowledge of administrative and management direction of procurement operations of significant complexity, volume and financial and/or operational impact; demonstrated ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives; independent judgment in handling major procurement issues and problems; superior negotiation skills and ability to persuade and influence others. 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
• Creativity: Actively seeks to improve programmes or services; offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs; promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas; takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks “outside the box”; takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things; is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches.
• Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from 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 projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.
• 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 improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.
• Judgement/Decision-making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent degree) in business or public administration, procurement, logistics, supply chain management, commerce, finance, accounting, engineering, law or related area.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Certification from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) or equivalent is desirable.

Work Experience

• Over fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in procurement, contracting, logistics, supply change management or related area is required.
• At least ten years of direct procurement experience including supervising large scale, complex and high-value procurement operations is required.
• Experience in category management and in developing category strategies is desirable.
• Experience leading the development of innovative and change management projects is desirable.
• Experience working with ERP systems in the area of purchasing or supply chain is desirable.
• Experience in logistics and shipping procedures and operations is desirable.

Languages

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

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