Procurement Associate

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of extreme weather shocks.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.

WHY JOIN WFP?

• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.
• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.
• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.
• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT:

The Pacific region comprises 14 Small Island Developing States covered by the WFP Pacific Multi-Country Office, many of which face some of the highest levels of disaster risk globally due to recurrent natural hazards, geographic dispersion, logistical constraints, and the increasing impacts of climate change. These factors create a complex operating environment for emergency preparedness and response, where timely, accurate and well-structured operational information is essential to support evidence-based decision-making, coordination and service delivery.

WFP’s engagement in the Pacific focuses on strengthening national and regional capacities for emergency preparedness and response, including through logistics, emergency telecommunications, disaster risk management, adaptive social protection, anticipatory action and food security. This work places strong emphasis on supporting government-led systems and improving the ability of humanitarian partners to reach and support the most at-risk populations before, during and after emergencies.

Within this context, WFP provides leadership and coordination support to both the Logistics Cluster and the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster. In the Pacific, these clusters operate in a preparedness configuration under the Pacific Humanitarian Team, enabling sustained readiness, partner coordination, capacity strengthening and rapid scale-up of common logistics and telecommunications services when emergencies occur. While the two clusters maintain distinct mandates, technical responsibilities and reporting requirements, their work often intersects in relation to operational planning, field monitoring, service mapping, partner engagement and inter-cluster coordination.

The Procurement Associate will provide coordination, administrative services and research to support the efficient and effective procurement services.

Position Title: Procurement Associate

Contract Type: Service Contract

Level: SC6

Duration: 6-12 Months

Duty Station: Suva, Fiji

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Under the leadership of the Head of Supply Chain and direct supervision of the Procurement Officer, the Procurement Associate will undertake the following duties:

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Provide operational coordination and administrative services, to support procurement

projects and activities, following standard processes and contributing to the effective

procurement of goods and services.

2. Identify and recommend potential suppliers, and compile data/documents to support the

selection of suppliers, ensuring standard processes are followed.

3. Review, record and prioritise purchasing requests, and provide support to requisitioners, in order to support the procurement of appropriate goods and services, at lowest cost to WFP.

4. Contribute to negotiations with new suppliers on terms and conditions of orders, alongside a senior officer, in order to obtain the best terms and lowest costs for WFP.

5. Prepare Purchase Orders, contracts and any supporting documentation for approval by the appropriate stakeholder, and approve purchases within delegated authority, to enable the swift purchase of goods and services.

6. Resolve issues related to delivered goods, using initiative, liaising with all parties and following standard processes, to ensure timely and accurate resolution of problems.

7. Research, collect and analyze data in order to produce reports to enable informed decision-making by Procurement Officer, and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.

8. Manage updates and further develop databases and records, to ensure information is accurate, organized, and available for others to access, and supports reporting requirements.

9. Maintain relationships with internal counterparts, to support the alignment of procurement activities with wider programmes and ensure a coherent approach to meeting food assistance needs.

10. Supervise the work of support staff, providing practical advice and guidance, to ensure individual and team objectives are delivered to agreed standards and deadlines.

11. Follow standard emergency preparedness practices to support WFP to quickly respond and deploy food and needed resources to affected areas at the onset of the crisis.

QUALIFICATION

Completion of secondary school education is required. A post-secondary certificate or diploma in Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Finance, Logistics, or a related field is desirable. Professional certification in procurement and supply chain management would be an advantage.

EXPERIENCE

• A minimum of six (6) years of progressively responsible professional experience in procurement, supply chain management, finance, logistics, contract management, business administration, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience in procurement operations, sourcing, evaluation, contract administration, and supply chain processes.
• Experience working with Coupa systems and procurement platforms, including data analysis, reporting, and monitoring of procurement activities.
• Proven ability to engage and collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders, including suppliers, government counterparts, and partner organizations.
• Experience working in international, development, humanitarian, or complex operational environments is desirable.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Strong knowledge of procurement, sourcing, contract management, and supply chain processes, with the ability to independently manage end-to-end procurement activities.
• Sound understanding of procurement policies, compliance requirements, and risk management principles, ensuring adherence to organizational procedures and standards.
• Strong analytical, planning, and problem-solving skills, with proficiency in ERP systems and Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, for procurement reporting and data analysis.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with suppliers, partners, and cross-functional teams in multicultural environments.

LANGUAGES

• Fluency in English (oral and written) is required. Knowledge of another UN language or a relevant local language is an advantage.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact: global.inclusion@wfp.org

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruiting system. We do not consider CVs or applications sent by email, LinkedIn, or any other channel.

• We strongly recommend that your Workday profile is accurate and complete, and that all sections are filled in, including your employment history, academic qualifications, language skills, and UN grade (if applicable). Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.

• If you experience technical issues while submitting your application, you may contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org. Please note that this email is only for technical issues with an application - unsolicited applications or documents sent to this inbox will not receive a reply.

• At the application stage, the only required documents are your CV and Cover Letter. Additional documents (passport, certificates, recommendation letters, etc.) may be requested later in the process.

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.