Procurement Senior Officer

The UNOPS Africa Regional Office, based in Nairobi, Kenya, oversees the delivery of over 250 projects across 40 countries, with a focus on fragile and conflict-affected settings. Supported by more than 1,000 personnel across five multi-country offices—spanning North, West, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Horn of Africa—the office advances national priorities through strategic initiatives in Climate Action, Health, Infrastructure, Peace and Security, Middle-Income Country Support, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The Regional Office provides strategic leadership, operational support, and oversight in key areas including Partnerships, Communications, Management and Oversight, Infrastructure and Project Management, Health and Safety, and Security. By promoting excellence in project delivery, fostering knowledge sharing, and driving continuous improvement, the office contributes to sustainable infrastructure, transparent resource management, and a better quality of life for communities across the continent.

Based in Nairobi, UNOPS East and Southern Africa supports sustainable development across 14 countries, including Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Tanzania, Zambia, Zanzibar, and Zimbabwe. Since 1995, UNOPS has expanded its footprint in Kenya, delivering services in project management, infrastructure, procurement, and financial management. Across the region, the office implements diverse, partner-funded initiatives that respond to national priorities. In Mozambique, this includes delivering specialized equipment (EU), supporting health services (UNICEF), promoting agro-processing (KOICA), and advancing peacebuilding efforts through a Multi-Donor Fund. UNOPS also supports agricultural input distribution and the Northern Crisis Recovery Project, both funded by the World Bank. In Malawi, efforts include developing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centres in partnership with the EU and the British Council. These initiatives reflect UNOPS’ commitment to strengthening national capacities, enhancing service delivery, and supporting progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the region.

This vacancy is at ICSC level 9; equally qualified internal International ICA (IICA 1) and Local ICA (LICA 9) applicants are encouraged to apply.

Zambia’s broader energy goals is to increase energy access in rural areas through the Rural Electrification Authority(REA) and is implementing the Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Transformation(ASCENT) project with the World Bank.

To this effect, UNOPS signed a World-Bank funded 24-month project with Zambia rural electrification Agency (REA) which aims at the procurement ,installation, Testing and commissioning ,Operations and Maintenance of solar for public institutions such as schools, hospitals, and government buildings in Zambia”.

The Procurement Senior Officer will report to the ESAMCO Procurement Manager and serve as the procurement focal person in UNOPS Zambia. The incumbent may also be assigned to provide procurement support for new projects which may be signed in the future.

The Procurement Senior Officer is responsible for developing and implementing strategic and effective procurement services reflecting best practices in international public procurement; compliance with UNOPS procurement rules and regulations; appropriate risk management; and obtaining the best value for money for the acquisition of goods, services and contracting of works. The role analyzes and interprets relevant rules and regulations and provides advice and solutions to a wide spectrum of complex issues related to procurement.

The Procurement Senior Officer has a deep understanding of procurement policy and processes, as well as their application to appropriate situations. In addition to responsibility for the deliverables of the work team, the role focuses on strategic relationship building and demand management, mainly related to aggregation and dealing with complex organization structures, preparation of business cases and understanding of the supply market, as well as sharing knowledge with projects in order to achieve reductions of costs and savings.

By role-modelling the highest degrees of personal and professional ethics, the Procurement Senior Officer maintains a collaborative, quality-driven, client-focused and results-oriented approach to their procurement role. S/he works in close cooperation with the office leadership and project managers, reporting to management on central issues related to procurement activities.

Procurement Operations

• Execute procurement activities in accordance with UNOPS rules, regulations, policies and strategic frameworks.
• Maintain a client-focused procurement management system, supported by effective internal controls.
• Collaborate with project managers to review procurement plans and develop fit-for-purpose strategies that incorporate sustainability and value-for-money principles.
• Implement or support all phases of the procurement lifecycle, including strategic planning; pre-purchasing; requirements definition; sourcing; solicitation; management of submissions; evaluation; review and award; post-purchasing; contract finalization and issuance; logistics; and contract management.
• Develop and manage rosters of suppliers.

Procurement Process Management

• Prepare procurement plans on time and as expected.
• Monitor implementation of procurement plans for alignment with project timelines and strategic objectives.
• Review and validate requirements to ensure clarity, completeness and suitability from a procurement standpoint.
• Follow guidelines for embedding sustainability across the procurement process.
• Coordinate the end-to-end solicitation process, including Requests for Quote (RFQs), Invitations to Bid (ITBs), and Requests for Proposal (RFPs) in line with UNOPS policies.
• Coordinate the receipt and evaluation of quotations, bids and proposals.
• Participate in the negotiation of conditions of contracts in full compliance with UNOPS rules and regulations.
• Prepare submissions to the Contract and Property Committees (CPCs)
• Enter and update supplier information in the UNOPS ERP system - oneUNOPS (oU).
• Monitor contractor performance and certification of completed work for compliance with contractual terms and payment.
• Provide advice, remedial action, or solutions to project managers on procurement issues.
• Draft Long Term Agreements (LTAs) and/or service or works contracts and other instruments when necessary, and create purchase orders (POs) in the ERP system.

Use of E-Procurement Tools

• Utilize the e-sourcing module in line with goals and standards set by the Procurement Group.

Knowledge Building and Knowledge Sharing

• Organize, facilitate or deliver training and learning initiatives for personnel on procurement.
• Provide sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice by synthesizing lessons learned and disseminating best practices in procurement.
• Collect and productively utilize feedback, ideas and internal knowledge about processes and best practices.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 4 years of relevant experience OR
• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 2 years of relevant experience is required.

Desired

• A globally or nationally recognized professional certificate or membership (e.g. CIPS) is desired.

Required

• Relevant experience is work in advising on and implementing policies and procedures to deliver a range of complex procurement programmes and strategies within international/ multi-national organizations, or related areas.
• Experience in the use of collaboration and productivity tools (e.g. MS Office, G-Suite, etc) and web-based management systems is required.

Desired

• Experience of working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country is desired.
• Experience in development or humanitarian contexts is desired.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
• UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.
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• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.