Procurement Assistant

About the role

The Procurement Assistant supports the Department of Operational Support in Valencia, providing expert procurement services to UN entities. The role involves handling purchasing requests, preparing tender documents, and ensuring transparent, cost‑effective procurement processes.

Key responsibilities

• Review, record and prioritize purchasing requests, assist requisitioners with scopes of work and specifications, and propose cost‑saving product substitutions.
• Identify and recommend suppliers, interview potential vendors, and produce tender documents such as Invitations to Bids, Requests for Proposals and Requests for Quotation.
• Prepare abstracts of offers, compile quotation data, and support negotiations under the guidance of Procurement Officers.
• Finalize purchase orders and contracts, authorize purchases within delegated authority, and manage contract approvals.
• Resolve delivery issues, process returns for damaged goods, and maintain internal procurement databases.
• Research market sources, collect and analyse procurement data, and prepare reports and presentations.
• Supervise junior staff and draft correspondence as needed.

Required profile

• High school diploma or equivalent; professional certification in supply chain (e.g., CIPS Level 4) is desirable.
• Minimum 7 years of procurement or contract administration experience (5 years with a university degree).
• Experience conducting tender exercises, especially in ICT, and working with ERP systems (SAP) and e‑tendering platforms (Ariba).
• Knowledge of UN procurement regulations, public‑sector procurement processes, and financial rules.
• Fluent in English (UN Level II); French is the other working language of the Secretariat.

Required skills

• SAP
• Ariba