Procurement Associate

Job Posting Organization:
The job posting organization is UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project Services), which operates in Latin America and the Caribbean across 23 countries. Established to deliver high-impact solutions that drive sustainable development, UNOPS focuses on building and improving resilient infrastructure, including roads, bridges, public facilities, sanitation systems, and housing. The organization also plays a crucial role in public health by procuring essential medicines and medical equipment, ensuring broader access to healthcare services. UNOPS promotes transparent, efficient, and equitable public management and aligns its interventions with national priorities to help countries advance the Sustainable Development Goals through practical, results-driven support.

Job Overview:
The Procurement Associate is responsible for providing efficient and timely support services in procurement and contract administration for various programs managed by the UNOPS office. This role emphasizes a quality-driven, client-focused, and results-oriented approach to ensure compliance with UNOPS procurement rules, regulations, policies, and strategies. The Associate will work closely with other procurement personnel and various stakeholders, including program support officers, chief technical advisors, portfolio managers, and portfolio assistants. The position requires the ability to work with minimal supervision while ensuring that procurement processes are executed smoothly and effectively.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Procurement Associate will execute approved steps to embed sustainability in the procurement process, ensuring complete submissions to the Contract and Property Committees (CPCs). Responsibilities include preparing and processing Purchase Orders (POs), Contracts, Long Term Agreements (LTAs), or their amendments, conducting routine market research to determine supply sources, maintaining the local supplier database, generating status reports, and ensuring the availability of all supporting documents for audit and review purposes. The Associate will collaborate with project personnel in preparing procurement plans, maintain procurement monitoring processes, provide proposals on modes for the provision of goods and services, review requisitions, prepare specifications for Requests for Proposal (RFPs), and liaise with vendors throughout the procurement cycle. Additionally, the Associate will prepare shortlists of suitable contractors/suppliers, issue tender documents, evaluate bids, and maintain records of the CPC regional sub-group. Contract administration duties include following up on contract signing, obligating funds, disseminating contract advertisements, and maintaining databases of suppliers and contractors. The Associate will also organize training and learning initiatives for personnel on procurement and contribute to knowledge networks by synthesizing lessons learned and disseminating best practices.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a secondary school diploma (or equivalent) with 6 years of relevant experience, or a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Procurement, Supply Chain, Law, Commerce, Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Economics, or related fields with 2 years of relevant experience. A globally or nationally recognized professional certificate or membership (e.g., CIPS) is desired but not mandatory.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes a secondary school diploma or a Bachelor’s degree in relevant fields such as Procurement, Supply Chain, Law, Commerce, Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, or Economics. Candidates with a professional certification in procurement are preferred.

Experience:
Relevant experience is required in advising on and implementing policies and procedures to deliver a range of complex procurement programs and strategies within international or multi-national organizations, or related fields. Candidates should have a proven track record of managing procurement processes effectively and efficiently.

Languages:
Fluency in Portuguese is required, with intermediate proficiency in English and Spanish being desirable. Candidates must demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively in these languages, both verbally and in writing, to engage with diverse stakeholders.

Additional Notes:
The position is classified at the Associate seniority level (ICS 06) and is a full-time role under the ICA - LICA - Support - Regular contract type. The contract level is LICA 6, and the position is ongoing with a posting start date of August 27, 2026, and an application deadline of September 10, 202

• UNOPS emphasizes diversity and equal employment opportunities, encouraging applications from qualified women and candidates from underrepresented groups. Background checks are conducted for all final candidates to ensure a safe and respectful work environment.