Sustainable Procurement Specialist

Our vision is a world where people can live full lives supported by sustainable, resilient and inclusive infrastructure and by the efficient, transparent use of public resources in procurement and project management.

North Africa, an arid region, faces severe climate change impacts: the region is experiencing rising temperatures at a faster rate than the global average, more frequent heatwaves, and prolonged droughts. These worsen water scarcity, imperil food security, and strain fossil-fuel-dependent energy grids due to increased cooling demands. The region, rich in solar and wind potential, struggles with a green transition due to infrastructure, regulatory, and investment hurdles.

These climate challenges intersect with high unemployment, poverty, inequality, and governance issues. UNOPS North Africa Multi-country Office has long addressed these by implementing projects fostering sustainability in all sectors. To bolster these efforts, UNOPS seeks a sustainable procurement specialist. This sustainable procurement specialist will support the Partnerships unit in developing new development projects that include sustainable procurement activities, and support other teams through knowledge sharing and technical assistance. Through their work, the Partnerships unit will be able to develop compelling procurement project proposals, which have the sustainability dimension at their core, and to better foresee budget expenses and timelines.

Under the direct supervision of the Partnerships Specialist, the UN Volunteer will support the Partnerships unit in the development of new procurement projects and, mainstreaming of sustainable procurement practices. They will undertake the following tasks:
Sustainable procurement
● Elaboration of analysis of requirements and synthesis of proposals for cost-saving and reduction strategies for the new projects.
● Contribution to the implementation of the strategic procurement in the office, including sourcing strategy, supplier selection and evaluation, quality management, customer relationship management, e-procurement introduction and promotion, and performance measurement.
● Preparation of procurement plans for newly developed projects and monitoring of their implementation once projects are signed, in close collaboration with the Partnerships Unit and Project Managers.
● Development and management of the rosters of qualified suppliers, elaboration of supplier selection and evaluation, and quality and performance measurement mechanisms.
● Synthesis of lessons learnt and best practices in Procurement.
● Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
● Mainstreaming of sustainable procurement practices through knowledge sharing and peer learning with other procurement professionals and the Partnerships team.
● Reinforcement and leverage of expertise and capacity for UNOPS’ contributions to the 2030 Agenda and to the repositioning of the UN Development System: this will involve analyzing UNOPS’ past contributions and identifying opportunities to enhance future impact in sustainable procurement and sustainable development within the UN system.
● Support for cross-country engagement, peer learning, and promotion of knowledge management.
● Strengthening of the Partnerships team's knowledge base and capabilities to better plan procurement projects.
● Provision of technical advice based on the latest developments and best practices.
● Organization and facilitation of peer learning events and knowledge exchange platforms.
● Preparation of high-quality technical reports, case studies, Request for Quotations ( RFQ), Invitation To Bid (ITB) or Request for Proposal (RFP), receipt of quotations, bids or proposals, and other products as required.
● Contribution to the preparation of progress reports on the foresight and ideation activities of the hub.

Partnerships:
Support the Partnerships team in:
● Identifying funding/partnership opportunities to boost sustainable procurement practices within governments, UN agencies, bilateral and multilateral organizations, non-governmental organizations, foundations, and the private sector.
● Production of foresight analysis to identify emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities in sustainable development and sustainable procurement within the specific North African context.
● Analysis of the procurement policy landscape, technological advancements, and societal shifts to anticipate future demands and needs.
● Developing expressions of interest, concept notes, and proposals for potential new procurement projects.
● Preparing publication and sharing of information and knowledge about sustainable procurement with colleagues, clients, and partners.
● Preparation of briefing materials as required for meetings, mission travel, and/or discussion on project activities related to sustainable procurement.
● Any other task assigned by the Partnerships Specialist about sustainable procurement.