Junior Procurement Specialist

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device. Please note that this call for expression of interest is only intended for candidates who are currently residing in Rome or are living within commuting distance (i.e. within 100 km from Rome). No travel or related expenses are envisaged.

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture.
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply;
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

Organizational Setting

Procurement Service provides policy and operational support to ensure that the Organization procures goods, work and services based on 'Best Value for Money' principles. 
The Procurement Specialist will be located at FAO HQ, Rome, Italy; and will perform a variety of procurement activities aimed to assist headquarters units and field offices requiring specialized procurement support.   

Reporting Lines

The Procurement Specialist will work under the general guidance of the Senior Procurement Officer/Senior Contracts Officer and under the direct supervision of a Contracts or Procurement Officer, as appropriate for functional and policy guidance. 

Technical Focus 

Timely, efficient and effective procurement of goods and services and Quality Assurance for Letters of Agreement in
compliance with the relevant FAO Rules and Regulations.

Tasks and responsibilities

•    Review and analyze procurement requests for completeness and conformity with established FAO rules, procedures and  practice; liaise with the requesters, as necessary, and recommend to supervisor appropriate strategy/approach to best serve institutional interests including requests from Headquarters divisions or decentralized offices to undertake procurement locally;  
•    Assist in preparing evaluation criteria, for more complex procurement actions, tender documents and contracts. 
•    Assist in preparing office procurement plans, developing and implementing directly or indirectly simple procurement strategies for requested goods/services/works taking into consideration the associated risks and the related mitigation measures. 
•    Perform operational functions relating to the procurement process including, but not limited to, preparation of documents in FAO’s ERP system and other office applications related to assigned procurement actions, issuance of tenders and purchase orders/contracts, evaluation of bids/proposals, follow-up with suppliers/contractors including follow-up on orders/contracts to ensure timely delivery/contract execution, etc.  
•    Assist the supervisor in providing guidance to Organization staff  working in different offices / divisions on procurement/contracting matters and on the implementation of procurement strategies and processes in conformity with the relevant rules, procedures and practices; 
•    Make initial recommendation of awards for procurement activities directly undertaken as responsible buyer relating to the purchase of goods or contracting of services/works based on solicitation results/offers received; 
•    Review and analyze requests for ad-hoc re-delegation of authority received from country offices; 
•    Provide advice and guidance to colleagues on the use of IT procurement-related applications, including e-tendering tools, utilized in the Procurement Service; 
•    If required, be available/ready to participate in procurement missions worldwide, providing support and training to decentralized offices as necessary; 
•    Produce relevant reports to support contract monitoring;  
•    Perform other duties as required. 

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    Advanced University Degree in Law, Business, Administration, Management, Economics, Public Administration or Commerce or a related field.  
•    Work experience: 1 year in Procurement, and/or contracts/agreements drafting/review/management within an international, development, public sector or relevant private sector setup and interested in gaining experience working at FAO’s HQ in a multicultural team
•    Full proficiency/Working knowledge of English 

FAO Core Competencies

•    Results Focus
•    Teamwork
•    Communication
•    Building Effective Relationships
•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills 

•    Demonstrated knowledge of internationally recognized procurement standards and international procurement techniques and operations used in contracting for goods and services; 
•    Extent and relevance of experience in public sector procurement dealing with contractual issues; 
•    Extent and relevance of experience in identifying clients' procurement-related needs and in providing support and guidance from clients' point of view; 
•    Experience in logistics operations is an asset desirable; 
•    Knowledge of procurement-related IT tools and systems (i.e. enterprise resource planning, inventory management, procurement, database management applications, etc.) is desirable. 

Selection criteria

•    Knowledge of a second language including French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian  is considered an asset

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)
• Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/ 
• For more information, visit the FAO employment website
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
•  We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp

FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT