JOB DETAILS:

United Nations Development Programme Jobs 2024 – Venezuela
International Jobs. United Nations Development Programme looking for “Procurement Strategic Specialist”. Applicants with an Advanced degree may apply on or before 04-Jul-24.

United Nations Development Programme Procurement Strategic Specialist Jobs 2024

The United Nations Development Programme has published a job vacancy announcement on 27/06/2024 for qualified applicants to fill in the vacant post of Procurement Strategic Specialist to be based in Caracas , Venezuela.

Company Name: United Nations Development Programme

Job Title: Procurement Strategic Specialist

Duty Station: Caracas , Venezuela

Country: Venezuela

Application Deadline: 04-Jul-24

About the Company:

• Leads on the strategic planning, oversight and management of the procurement and supply chain management for health products in compliance with UNDP’s rules, policies and procedures, the grant agreements and corporate agreements with the Global Fund ensuring integration across functional areas.
• Conceptualize and implement a client-orientated procurement management system including tender processing and evaluation, e-procurement, contractor appraisal, evaluation and negotiation of offers, contract and contractor management, legal considerations and payment conditions and, risk assessment.
• Together with MPPS disease programs, PAHO and other health health sector specialists, undertakes quantification and forecasting (Q&F) for health products.
• Leads on the coordination, management, supervision and oversight of the procurement team to achieve programme goals, ensuring GF procurement business processes mapping and elaboration/establishment of internal Standard Operating Procedures, control of the workflows with the procurement team and harmonization of the workflows in the PMU and the Country Office; Assess the PMU PSM capacity and propose a formal training plan, including ‘on the job ‘training to address the identified gaps.
• Coordinate monitoring and updates of stocks, consumption/distribution and pipeline information, to avoid stock outs and overstocks.
• Leads substantive monitoring of procurement and supply chain management for health products and proactively leads on reviews for underperformance, bottlenecks and ensures the accountability for the timely implementation of corrective action(s) to ensure consistent supply of health products and expiries with international standards.

• Leads on the timely preparation and implementation of quality procurement and supply chain management documents and reports required by the donor, including procurement and supply management plans, quality control plans and supports the Programme Coordinator in the negotiation of grant agreements and timely reprogramming requests and identification of cost savings.
• Prepare and/or reviews specifications and terms of reference to ensure completeness, accuracy and compliance with quality standards.
• Ensures full compliance of procurement and health product (including quality control, insurance) management activities in line with UNDP’s rules, policies, procedures, and ensures SOPs are followed and validated by internal reviews.
• Prepares (and/or updates) and submits a Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) for GF health products, updates the annual QAP implementation workplan, and ensures implementation of all QAP activities.
• As part of the QAP activities, prepares (and/or updates) and submits a Quality Control (QC) plan, including sampling plan for health products, and ensures implementation of all QC activities, including training in QC, actual sampling, transport to QC lab, reporting on QC activities on a quarterly basis to PSU and to GF.
• Coordinates with suppliers, PSU and national partners the timely delivery of goods and services, manages and oversees clearing and forwarding agents.
• Ensures proper monitoring and control of procurement processes including organization of RFQ, ITB or RFP, receipt of quotations, bids or proposals, their evaluation, negotiation of certain conditions of contracts in full compliance with UNDP rules and regulation and review and certification of submissions to the Contracts, Assets and Procurement Committee (CAP) and Advisory Committee on Procurement (ACP).
• Oversees logistical aspects of procurement, including selection of the most appropriate mode of transport, and definition of appropriate incoterms.
• Leads on performing risk-based assessments, to manage UNDP procurement activities to continued access to needed products and services and prevent stock outs or expired health products and develops and implements risk management matrix/plan with the procurement team and other PMU staff and implementing partners and ensures adequate oversight and support is provided, with timely incident reporting.
• Supervises and oversees adherence to contractual agreements, recommend amendments and contract extension, evaluate and record supplier performance and advise concerned parties with respect to contractual rights/obligations, including Service Providers and Sub-recipients (SR) and contribute to capacity assessment and submissions of value of money (Monitors suppliers’ performance with respect to the quality and timely delivery of goods and services).
• In coordination with the Programme Coordinator, leads on addressing audits and investigations in the context of procurement and supply chain management and ensures timely follow up on management actions.
• With the support of Logistic Associate, based upon monthly stock and transit data, prepares and submits monthly insurance reports.
• Monitors storage conditions for drugs and other health products, visits storage facilities centrally and in the region and formulates the recommendations in order to create the appropriate conditions for storage and distribution of drugs and health products.
• Work closely with the management unit at MPPS to prepare joint supervision visits, data analysis and follow up actions.
• Coordinate and participate during the expiry products inventory and their destruction in collaboration with MPPS and national authorities.
• Follow up with Global Fund on the approval of any new quantification exercise.
• Oversees correct in and outstanding, storage and inventory procedures.
• Oversees the correctness of data in the warehouse inventory system or lead the development of the supply chain arrangements for the adequate storage and efficient distribution and logistic information system (LMIS) for health products throughout the national supply chain until the last mile, for products to be procured under the GF grants in collaboration with the key stakeholders. Supports in coordination with other PSM TA providers on setting up of a LMIS.
• Promptly notifies national and international partners in case of damage or destruction of products during transport or storage in warehouses, and oversees the preparation of reports, documents, documentation related to the damage; revises quantification to address urgent needs; other activities related to the damage of shipments or stores.
• Sets appropriate controls for proper tracking of goods from transport and handling to final destination.
• Ensures management of assets procured under GF grants. Support PSM associate to register and control the PMU-GF goods and products received in Quantum and other databases.
• Prepares and updates the PSM risk management plan and ensures its implementation.
• Ensures Sub Recipient contract related activities as capacity assessment, procurement process, evaluation of the proposals, prepares Value for Money (VFM) submissions and follow-up, develops contract conditions and ensures contract management, provide oversight of SRs on all procurement and assets management, supervises PSM related reporting and evaluates contract performance in collaboration with M&E and PMU Coordination units.

• Leads on the coordination, building strategic partnerships and maintains strong working relationships with the Ministry of Health, programme implementers, national stakeholders, technical partners, and UN entities to ensure transparent and effective procurement and supply chain management of health products.
• Supports the national procurement planning processes (including quantification committees of the MoH) for the programmes based on evidence gained during implementation of the programmes.
• Maintains close co-ordination between the programmes and other health and development initiatives in the country, to promote partnership building and avoid duplication of procurement and supply chain management of health products activities and to exchange critical and technical information and resolve implementation issues.
• Leads on the engagement with the Global Fund PSM Specialist and develops a strong professional relationship based upon mutual trust and respect and supports during missions.
• Leads on developing funding requests to complement UNDP’s PR role with other health and development activities and the development of project documents and initiation of the programmes in the context of procurement and supply chain management of health products, including logistical management information systems, waste management, etc.

• Liaises with Global Fund and Local Fund Agents (LFA) teams on all PSM related matters, builds in coordination with other PSM TA providers capacity of PSM systems in all possible aspects.
• Provides information and communicates with UNDP HQ (LSO, PSU), UNDP- GFPHPT on PSM related issues and provides data to the Project Manager for communication with the GF and MPPS.
• Creates and supports PSM coordination mechanisms of partners and collaborates with other PSM partners for health products in the country.
• Collaborates and coordinate on regular basis with National Central Medical Stores and other actors involved in the National medical supply chain.
• Implementation of OAI recommendations related to PSM.

• In collaboration with the Finance Specialist, oversees financial flows related to procurement.
• Ensures reconciliation between inventory and accounting system data.
• Monitors PSM  annual plan and overall budget and expenditures.
• Monitors QAP budget and expenditure.
• Ensure communication with LFA and other Global Fund entities and ensures timely responses and clarification.
• Ensures correct and timely payment for logistics services in close collaboration with the CO’s Finance Unit.

• Jointly with the senior management team, discuss possibilities for resource mobilization and identify potential donors for the health and development unit.
• Supports the Program Coordinator in the development of a health and development portfolio for the Country Office in Venezuela.

• ACHIEVE RESULTS – LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.
• THINK INNOVATEVELY – LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems.
• LEARN CONTINUOUSLY – LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences.
• ADAPT WITH AGILITY – LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands.
• ACT WITH DETERMINATION – LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.
• ENGAGE AND PARTNER – LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.
• ENABLE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION – LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

• BUSINESS DIRECTION & STRATEGY
  • NEGOTIATION AND INFLUENCE: Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiate mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and create ‘win-win’ situations.
  • SYSTEM THINKING: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgment to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact other parts of the system.
• BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
  • KNOWLEDGE FACILITATION: Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally.
• BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
  • RISK MANAGEMENT: Ability to identify and organise action around mitigating and proactively managing risks.

Technical Competencies

• OPERATIONS
  • PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT: The ability to acquire goods, services, or works from an outside external source.
• EXTERNAL RELATIONS & ADVOCACY
  • PARTNERSHIP MANAGEMENT – RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT: Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding.
• AGENDA 2030: PEOPLE
  • HEALTH: Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (GFATM).

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Pharmacy, Management, Logistics, Procurement and Supply Management or related field is required, or
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor´s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with additional 2 years of qualifying experience, will be given due consideration in lieu of Master´s degree.
• CIPS level 4 is a requirement for this position. If certification is not available at the time of recruitment, it should be obtained within one year.

• Minimum of 7 years (with Master´s degree) or 9 years (with Bachelor´s degree) of relevant experience at the national or international level in public sector procurement management.
• At least 3 years of international experience in pharmaceutical supply chain management, quantification, and/or PSM systems, preferably in developing countries is required.

• Strong PSM experience including in forecasting, quantification, supply chain management is an asset.
• Experience working with Global Fund programmes in PSM is an asset.
• Experience in negotiating project issues with government partners is an asset.
• Experience working with UNDP, GF, UN agencies or international organization.
• Experience in stakeholder management.
• Country level experience in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Work experience in a challenging operating environment.
• Experience in knowledge transfer and capacity development of national counterparts.

• Fluency in Spanish is required.
• Working knowledge of English.