Senior Procurement Assistant (GS-5)

About Us

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, which entered into force on 29 April 1997. The OPCW, with its 193 Member States, oversees the global endeavor to permanently and verifiably eliminate chemical weapons.

The ultimate aim of the OPCW is to achieve our vision of a world free of chemical weapons in which chemistry is used for peace, progress, and prosperity, and to contribute to international security and stability, general and complete disarmament, and global economic development. Under the OPCW's oversight 96% of the chemical weapons stockpiles declared by possessor States have been verifably destroyed.

The OPCW was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons.

Our mission for a world free of chemical weapons makes people's lives better. Apply to be a part of our team to make the world a better place for all. 

General Information

• Contract Type
  Fixed-term General Service
• Grade
  GS5
• Estimated monthly remuneration: Euro
  3,620
• Closing Date
  24/09/2022

Responsibilities

Job Summary

Operating under the direction of the Head Procurement, the incumbent shall expedite procurement activities, ensuring the correct application of the Financial Rules and Regulations and procedures as laid down in the relevant Administrative Directives of the OPCW, in order to obtain best value for money for the purchase of goods and services required by the Organisation.

The incumbent will also manage all procurement and contract management work with ethical integrity, leaving a comprehensive audit trail, ensuring good practice and transparency throughout the procurement and contract management process.

Main Responsibilities

As a Senior Procurement Assistant, you will be responsible for the following: 

1. Analysing requisitions of goods/services/works, ensuring completeness of specifications and supporting documentation, advising and support requisitioning units from solicitation, through awarding of the contract, to contract administration.
    
2. Compiling data, preparing and distributing documents, to support successful procurement to programs and operational activities, (e.g. issue solicitations, evaluate offers and negotiate/award contracts), ensuring that standard processes are followed and that contracts are awarded based on Best Value for Money (BVM) principles.
    
3. Reviewing and prioritising requisitions, ensuring all supporting documentation is received, and funding is available, in order to enable the procurement of goods and services.
    
4. Preparing abstracts of the financial proposals in the form of Commercial Evaluations (CE) in compliance with the solicitation evaluation criteria, support the requisitioning units with evaluation guidance in the preparation of Technical Evaluations (TE) in compliance with the Technical Specifications and solicitation evaluation criteria and if required, prepare submissions to the Committee on Contracts (CoC) for review and recommendation.
    

To view the complete job outline click here

Qualifications and Experience

Education

Essential:

High School Diploma or equivalent of higher secondary education
 

Desirable:

• Post-secondary education in the field of procurement and supply chain management, contract management or marketing/sales, or commercial law, or civil or technical engineering.

• Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Procurement and Supply or equivalent.

Knowledge and Experience

Essential:

• At least four years of progressive responsibility and experience in procurement and contracting.

• Alternatively, at least six years’ experience in areas of supply chain management, or marketing/sales, or commercial law, or civil or technical engineering.
   

Desirable:

Working experience in a multi-cultural working environment and/or foreign country, for an international organisation (IO), or for an (international) non-governmental organisation (NGO). 

Skills and Competencies

Essential:

• Good analytical, data-processing, numerical and text drafting skills;
• Customer-service orientated – a helpful ‘service’ orientation;
• Flexibility and ability to work steadily with several ongoing assignments;
• Work independently following established rules and procedures;
• Detail orientated approach to work;
• Team focus, flexibility to support colleagues when and where needed;
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to work harmoniously in a diverse environment;
• Computer literacy, including good working knowledge of Windows based word-processing, spreadsheets and databases.

Languages

Fluency in English is essential and a good working knowledge of one of the other official languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish) is desirable.

Additional Information

Staff members in the General Services category are normally recruited and paid on a local basis.

This appointment is for the duration of two years, with a six-month probationary period, and is subject to the OPCW Staff Regulations and Interim Staff Rules.

The mandatory age of separation at the OPCW is 65 years.

Fixed-term staff members participate in the OPCW provident fund. A monthly staff contribution is met with a doubled amount by the OPCW to ensure separating staff have the capital necessary to move on to new challenges.

The Director-General retains the discretion to not make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade, or to make an appointment with a modified job description. Several vacancies may be filled.

Only fully completed applications submitted before the closing date and through OPCW CandidateSpace will be considered. Only applicants under serious consideration for a post will be contacted.

Applications from qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged.

General Terms and Conditions

Important notice for applicants who are currently insured under the Dutch Social Security system

Although headquartered in the Netherlands, the OPCW is not a regular Dutch employer but a public international organisation with its own special status. Please be advised that if you are currently insured under the Dutch Social Security system, you will be excluded from this system as a staff member of the OPCW. You will consequently be insured under the organisation’s system. The above also applies to your dependents unless they are employed by a regular Dutch employer, they are self-employed in the Netherlands, or are receiving Dutch social security payments.

Please refer to the website of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment for more information about the possible consequences for you and your dependents, such as exclusion from ‘AWBZ’ and ‘Zorgverzekeringswet’ coverage: ‘Werken bij een internationale organisatie’.