World Food Programme Vacancy for Procurement Associate

ABOUT WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

This position is part of the Supply Chain unit and reports to the Senior Logistics Officer, who is team leader of the Supply Chain unit. The incumbent will be under overall supervision of the Head of Supply and EPR. Job holders at this level demonstrate responsibility and initiative to respond independently to queries and problems with only general guidance. There is a requirement to use judgment in dealing with unforeseen problems on daily basis.

JOB PURPOSE

The main purpose of assignment is to provide coordination, administrative services and research to support the efficient and effective procurement services for the WFP Nepal country office. The primary purpose of the Procurement Associate role is to support the procurement team and processes within the organization’s Supply Chain unit. This includes, but is not limited to, sourcing, negotiating, and procuring goods, services, and works in accordance with established organizational policies, procedures, and guidelines. The incumbent will be tasked with ensuring the timely and cost-effective acquisition of goods and services, while also upholding standards of quality, integrity, and transparency throughout the procurement process. Furthermore, the Procurement Associate will be responsible for fostering collaborative relationships with suppliers, contractors, and internal stakeholders to optimize procurement outcomes and contribute to the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the organization’s supply chain operations. Additionally, the role involves the assessment of procurement needs, the development of procurement plans, and the implementation of strategies to mitigate risks and maximize value for the organization.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Position Title: Procurement Associate
Contract Type: Special Service Agreement (SSA)
Level: SSA6
Contract Duration: 6 months
Duty Station: Kathmandu
Vacancy Number: 833255
Date of Publication: 05.06.2024
Deadline of Application: 14.06.2024

WFP offers a competitive benefits package including salary plus a medical insurance (www.cignahealthbenefits.com)

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Under the overall guidance of the National Logistics Officer, the incumbent shall carry out the following tasks:

Provide operational coordination and administrative services, to support procurement projects and activities, following standard processes and contributing to the effective procurement of food, non-food items, transport services and other services as per client units’ requisition.
Support the establishment of vendor list including potential suppliers of transporters, food, goods and services, and superintendent service providers.
Ensure the periodic review of the lists of all vendors and recommend for short-listing based on their performance evaluation. Provide orientation to vendors as well as support/conduct pre-bid meetings, wherever applicable and respond to the queries of bidders.
Liaise with requesting units and provide guidance to optimize the procurement of goods and services; help develop procurement plans and processes ensuring compliance with procurement policies and WFP standards, and the achievement of project specified timeframes.
Determine appropriate procurement solicitation method such as Request for Quotation (RFQ), Invitation to Bid (ITB) and Request for Proposal (RFP) for purchase of food commodities, non-food items and transport, superintendent and other services according to WFP rules, procedures and regulations.
Issue a tender, terms and conditions and conclude Agency Agreement for Overland Transportation. Monitor all the shipments via Kolkata corridor (both food commodities and non-food items).
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Prepare Purchase Orders, tender terms and conditions, contracts, Long Term Agreements and any supporting documentation for approval by the appropriate stakeholder, and approve purchases within delegated authority, to enable the swift purchase of food commodities, transport, goods and other services.
Provide support for the implementation of Cash Based Transfers (CBT), participate in the monthly Cash Working Group meetings.
Ensure relevant contracts with Financial Service Providers (FSPs) for CBT interventions are in place, support in completing the periodic assessment of quality and effectiveness of contracted FSP.
Ensure payment to transporters, food suppliers, Q and Q vendors, food laboratory and other food and non-food related service providers as per the contractual terms.
Provide orientations to the cooperating partners, transporters, food suppliers and other goods and service providers on WFP procurement system, policies and rules and regulation, as and when required.
Provide feedback to the National Logistics Officer and the Head of the Supply Chain in preparing the LOUs, MOUs, Operational Agreement with the Line Ministries, CPs and IPs as required.
Monitor the Supply Chain filing system and ensure the Supply Chain files are properly maintained and all related correspondence are properly filed.
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Ensure timely procurement of food commodities. Effect reallocation and diversion as per programme/pipeline requirement. Liaise, monitor and follow up with suppliers, for timely delivery of food to the WFP projects in close coordination with field logistics staff.
In coordination with the FSQ Officer, monitor on quality of food, sampling, inspections and keep tracking of samples collected and sent to laboratories for analysis. Ensure Food Quality and Safety Management approach for Q & Q services along the supply chain for food procured.
Ensure completion of Customs waiver/VAT requirements for related procurement. Ensure preparation of required documents for VAT reimbursement for local purchase and Tax duties exemption for imports of food commodities and non-food items.
Assist in preparing the shipping documents and obtaining the import permit from the Government of Nepal for WFP shipments of commodities, imported via Kolkata Port in India
Ensure WFP audit polices are adhered, so documentation is maintained, completed orderly files and documents & other administrative function to comply with audit policies.
Coordinate with HQ, RB for international & regional food and non-food item and service purchase and monitor food /non-food items delivery to WFP nominated warehouses/EDPs and rendered services.
Perform other related duties as required.

FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITIES

Capability Name: Description of the behaviors expected for the proficiency levelTendering and Contracting: Displays basic understanding of processes to support the contracting/tendering implementation at WFP by collecting necessary information.Vendor Management: Leverages basic understanding of business needs to define vendor requirements and selection criteria.

Commodity & Product/Service Intelligence: Appropriately handles products/services based on an understanding of sources, technologies, properties, and public procurement principles/practices.

Systems & Reporting: Demonstrates strong understanding of procurement systems, Corporate operating System and tools to conduct range of analyses and generate reports to drive decision making.

Ethics and Compliance: Maintains accurate records of activities in line with compliance standards to increase ease of response to basic audit queries.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education: Completion of secondary school education. Or a post-secondary certificate in the related functional area.

Experience:

• Minimum six years of experience in public procurement of Food, Transport, Goods and Other Services.
• Knowledge of custom clearance process desirable
• Demonstrated familiarity with locally purchased commodities/goods/services.
• Additional experience in finance/budget management, audit, logistics is desirable.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Demonstrated experience with local procurement of food commodities, engineering, transport, finance and other services.
• Demonstrated knowledge of procurement processes and linkages with other operations (e.g. food/nutrition programme, engineering, logistics)
• Experience conducting supplier market research and coordinating with retailers, wholesalers and traders.
• Experience with UN or public procurement processes is desired.
• Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Language: Fluent (level C) in Nepali language. Fluency in both written and spoken English language.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK: COMMON STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOUR
All WFP Employees are expected to demonstrate the competencies and standards of behaviour aligned with our core values and defined in the WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK, namely:

Leading by example with integrity,
Driving results and delivering on commitments,
Fostering inclusive and collaborative teamwork,
Applying strategic thinking,
Building and maintaining sustainable partnerships

HOW TO APPLY

To be considered, interested candidates are invited to apply via (https://www.wfp.org/careers/job-openings). Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Request for Disability related Reasonable Accommodations:

It is important to WFP to create an accessible and inclusive workplace for everyone.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.  If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the selection and hiring process, please direct your request and inquiries to nepal.hr@wfp.org. A member of the HR team responsible for reasonable accommodation will contact you to confidentially discuss your needs.

This email is intended solely for addressing disability related accessibility requirements and should not be used to send applications. Therefore, any applications or CVs sent to this email address will not be considered formal applications and WFP will not respond for any query regarding this subject.

WFP has a zero-tolerance approach to conduct such as fraud, sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to WFP’s standards of conduct and will therefore undergo rigorous background verification internally or through third parties. Selected candidates will also be required to provide additional information as part of the verification exercise. Misrepresentation of information provided during the recruitment process may lead to disqualification or termination of employment

WFP will not request payment at any stage of the recruitment process including at the offer stage. Any requests for payment should be refused and reported to local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action.

To apply visit: wfp.org/careers