Procurement Assistant at Food and Agriculture Organization Of the United Nations

Organizational Setting

• The main aim of the FAO country offices, which are headed by a FAO Representative, is to assist governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.
• The incumbent will work in the FAO Representation in Nigeria and will be expected to support the implementation of FAO Nigeria Country Programme Framework 

Reporting Lines:

• Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative (FAOR) and direct supervision of the Procurement Specialist, the Procurement Assistant will perform the following duties:

Technical Focus

• Provides supports and performs day-to-day procurement operations, including specialized and complex processes and functions, ensuring consistency, timeliness and conformity with relevant rules, procedures and practices.
• He/ she provides procedural guidance to clients and staff across the Organization regarding procurement rules and procedures. 

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Assist the Procurement Associate to regularly close Purchase Orders and arrange proper archiving of procurement files, and monitoring of the database maintained by the procurement unit. The Procurement Assistant will ensure that the database is timely populated;
• Assist the Procurement Associate to conduct market survey for FAO’s strategic products that are procured in local and international markets through Requests for Information (RFI) and Expression of Interests (EOIs), such as crop seeds, vegetable seeds, agricultural tools, fishing kits, by preparing templates, launching through the FAO Portal, assisting in the opening and evaluations. Based on the interests received, ensure coding and database is completed for all interested suppliers.
• Assist the Procurement Associate in the preparation of a Procurement Plan for the office, taking into account strategic procurement considerations and supply chain management.
• Become familiar and highly conversant with the Procurement Rules and Regulations of the Organization (MS 502 and MS 507), and provide support to colleagues, whenever required;
• Handle general procurement tasks, when required by the Procurement Specialist, such as reviewing completeness of purchase requisitions, preparing tenders, expression of interest, purchase orders, contracts, timely payments, timely closure of contracts;
• Collect all necessary standard correspondences regarding procurement related issues and ensure a proper database of standardized emails and communications provided by the Procurement Specialist are kept in the shared-drive for the procurement unit.
• Raise POs and other related procurement tasks in GRMS.
• Produce weekly reports on the Procurement Database and its content and submit to the Procurement Specialist, prior to the weekly meetings; Flag any missing information related to Supplier’s performances and files;
• Assist in preparing the calculations for the application of liquidated damages. When these are not applicable, prepare all required justifications and keep them in FAO’s ERP;
• Monitor the UNGM In-tend Portal and ensure all awarded tenders contain communication to unsuccessful bidders without delay.
• Support other staff in case of additional work/procurement related tasks.
• Consider all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seek to see things from clients’ point of view.
• Establish and maintain productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect.
• Identify clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions.
• Monitor on-going market developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep them informed and anticipate problems.
• Keep clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects.
• Meet timeline for delivery of products or services to client.
• Maintain regular contact with his/her peers in the Procurement Unit and external clients, vendors and suppliers.
• Establish and maintain productive partnerships with his/her colleagues and supervisor by gaining their trust and respect.
• Ensure that the highest ethics and standards of transparency are maintained;
• Act as an example for colleagues and external vendors and partners;
• Perform any other related duties as required.

Minimum Requirements

Candidates will be assessed against the following:

• Candidate should be national of Nigeria or a legal resident in the country.
• Minimum of Diploma / Degree in Procurement, Administration or similar. Technical or vocational certificate in procurement is additional asset
• A minimum of five (5) years’ experience in procurement, logistics, administration or related field
• Good knowledge of the local language(s) (level B) and working knowledge (level C) of the FAO official language used at the duty station (English) is required

Technical / Functional Skills:

• Ability to maintain databases and ensure proper filing of unit is maintained; Good skills in excel are required for this position; Good writing skills;
• Good communication skills, ability to convey complex information
• Previous experience working with UN agencies and International organizations/ NGOs is desirable
• Strong English communication skills, both written and oral
• High level of computer literacy in MS office applications and other relevant software applications
• Qualified females are highly encouraged to apply.

FAO Core Competencies:

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