National Procurement Specialist

The National Procurement Specialist will provide operational support with procurement processes for assigned projects and programme activities in the FAO Fiji Office. The role involves procurement planning, sourcing, solicitation, evaluation, contracting, vendor and contract management, asset management, procurement monitoring, compliance, and capacity development.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the focal point for procurement support to assigned project activities and ensure timely and compliant procurement actions
• Prepare, consolidate and regularly update annual and project-specific procurement plans in line with approved work plans, budgets, delivery forecasts and FAO procurement rules and procedures
• Advise project teams on procurement strategy, solicitation methods, specifications, terms of reference, evaluation criteria, lead times, market conditions and required documentation
• Review procurement requests for completeness, clarity, funding availability and compliance, coordinating necessary revisions
• Prepare or coordinate Expressions of Interest, Requests for Quotation, Invitations to Bid, Requests for Proposal and other solicitation documents
• Support identification of potential suppliers and service providers, market research, solicitation and receipt of offers, bid opening, technical and commercial evaluation, clarifications and preparation of evaluation records
• Coordinate submissions to procurement and review committees, prepare supporting files and monitor implementation of committee recommendations and approval conditions
• Prepare and follow up on purchase orders, contracts and related amendments ensuring all required clearances, approvals, securities, insurance and contractual documentation are in place
• Monitor procurement pipelines, delivery schedules, contract milestones and vendor performance; identify delays and risks; recommend corrective action
• Coordinate receipt, inspection and acceptance of goods and services with project teams and end users; verify contractual deliverables before payment processing
• Maintain complete procurement records and audit trails in electronic and hard-copy form
• Maintain accurate records of non-expendable equipment and other project assets; coordinate tagging, custody, transfer, physical verification, disposal and reporting
• Support office logistics and procurement of supplies, equipment, services, vehicle-related requirements and other operational inputs
• Liaise with vendors, service providers, government counterparts, implementing partners and FAO procurement units to resolve procurement and contract-management issues
• Support Letters of Agreement and other operational partnership arrangements by advising on sourcing, cost reasonableness, documentation, deliverables and procurement considerations
• Monitor procurement indicators and management alerts, prepare regular status reports and provide pipeline information for portfolio reviews and management decision-making
• Provide guidance and training to project personnel and implementing partners on procurement planning, solicitation, evaluation, contract administration, asset management and record-keeping
• Contribute procurement inputs, cost estimates, implementation schedules, market considerations and risk assessments to project formulation, resource mobilization and funding proposals
• Perform other related duties as required

Requirements

• University degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in Business Administration, Public Administration, Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Commerce, Logistics, or a related field
• At least three (3) years of relevant experience in procurement, contract management, supply chain management, logistics, or project operations support, including procurement planning, solicitation processes, bid evaluation, contract administration, and vendor management
• Working knowledge of English
• National of Fiji or resident of the country with a valid work permit
• Knowledge of FAO rules, procedures and systems would be an asset
• Knowledge of a local Fiji language would be an advantage

Skills

• Procurement Planning
• Solicitation Process
• Bid Evaluation
• Contract Administration
• Vendor Management
• Supply Chain Management
• Logistics Management
• Project Operations
• Procurement Monitoring
• Compliance Management
• Capacity Development
• Contract Management
• FAO Policies and Procedures

Languages

English