Associate Procurement Officer – HQSMS Focal Point

Position description

Title: Associate Procurement Officer – HQSMS Focal Point
Duty station: Budapest, Hungary
Section/Unit: OIMS/PSP
ICA Level: UNOPS LICA 9/NOB
Duration: from 01/03/2026 to 31/12/2026 (possibility of extension)

• General Background
  The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect and assist refugees, forcibly displaced and stateless persons. Private Sector Partnerships (PSP) is a Service within the Division of External Relations (DER) and is responsible for mobilizing private sector income and engagement across more than 40 markets. Fundraising operations require frequent procurement of specialized services (e.g., digital marketing, payment, donor management and fundraising agency services) and goods. To ensure compliance, value-for-money and speed, HQSMS provides policy, oversight and quality assurance for procurement actions, guided by UNHCR Administrative Instruction on Procurement (UNHCR/AI/2021/05/Rev.2/Corr.2) and the Rules and Procedures of UNHCR Committees on Contracts (UNHCR/AI/2018/5/Rev.2). This role establishes a centralized PSP focal point within HQSMS to streamline PSP procurement reviews and approvals and to institutionalize fundraising-specific procurement knowledge and standards across the network.
• Purpose and Scope of Assignment
  Under the direct supervision of the PSP Operations Officer in Copenhagen, and with a functional reporting line to the Procurement Section at HQ SMS, the Associate Procurement Officer acts as the global focal point for reviewing PSP procurement cases within HQSMS. The incumbent will manage the end-to-end Procurement Review Authority (PRA) pipeline for PSP cases and serve as the secondary reviewer for all PSP procurement actions (tenders, non-formal tenders, waivers, contract amendments, and EPF), in close coordination with PSP markets and relevant stakeholders. The objective is to deliver timely, compliant and business-enabling reviews by channeling cases through a single PRA hub within HQSMS, in line with delegated authorities and applicable rules and regulations.
  The incumbent will coordinate closely between the PSP Strategic Sourcing Unit in Copenhagen that is responsible for sourcing for the network, and the Procurement Section at HQSMS. A direct relationship will exist with constant communication between the incumbent, the PSP sourcing team and HQSMS.
• Key Functions & Responsibilities
  • Lead the centralized PSP PRA review process for all procurement actions above the USD 40,000
  threshold, ensuring completeness, compliance and value-for-money across RFQs, ITBs, RFPs, waivers,
  amendments and EPF cases.
  • Serve as the designated secondary reviewer on PSP procurement actions, providing authoritative advice
  on solicitation strategies, evaluation methods, contractual instruments, and risk mitigations.
  • Interpret and apply UNHCR procurement policy (UNHCR/AI/2021/05/Rev.2/Corr.2) and Committees on Contracts rules (UNHCR/AI/2018/5/Rev.2), advising PSP operations on thresholds, documentation and routing (e.g., PRA, LCC/RCC/HCC) based on delegated authorities.
  • Ensure quality of solicitation documents and evaluation reports; ensure robust technical criteria, transparent scoring and defensible award recommendations; verify financial analysis and negotiated outcomes.
  • Provide expert guidance on waiver justifications, single-source cases and non-compliant scenarios;
  propose corrective actions and mitigation plans.
  • Own a PSP procurement knowledge base within HQSMS; capture lessons learned and precedents
  • Champion innovation and sustainability in PSP procurement, including supplier diversity, environmental and ethical standards, and data protection requirements.
• Monitoring and Progress Controls
  • Quarterly PRA dashboard covering case volumes, cycle times (Service Level Agreement adherence),
  outcomes (approvals, re-work), and risk/compliance flags.
  • Monthly status update on the PSP plan for case reviews and active solicitations, including market
  support provided and bottlenecks removed.
  • Peer-reviewed quality checks on a representative sample of cases per quarter with documented
  findings and action plans.
  • Published and maintained PSP procurement templates, guidance notes and FAQs; updated at least biannually.
• Qualifications and Experience
• Education
  • Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Supply Chain, Procurement, Business
  Administration, Public Administration, Law or a related field. A first-level degree with additional relevant
  experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.
  • Relevant professional certification (e.g., CIPS, CPSM) is a strong asset.
• Work Experience
  • Minimum 3 years (with Bachelor’s degree a) or 2 years (with Master’s degree) of progressively
  responsible experience in public-sector procurement and/or supply chain, or any other relevant field,
  including international experience.
  • Demonstrated experience conducting or advising on procurement reviews (PRA/Committee or
  equivalent) for complex services, preferably in fundraising/marketing/digital domains.
  • Proven track record in competitive solicitations (RFQ/ITB/RFP), waiver/single-source cases, contract
  management and vendor performance management.
  • Experience working with UN or international organizations; familiarity with UNHCR procurement
  framework is desirable.
  • Hands-on experience with ERP/e-procurement platforms and collaboration tools (e.g., SharePoint, Excel/Power BI).
• Key Competencies
  • Policy mastery and sound judgement: interprets procurement rules to enable business outcomes while
  safeguarding compliance.
  • Stakeholder management and communication: clear, solution-oriented guidance to non-procurement
  audiences; persuasive writing for justifications and reports.
  • Analytical rigor: financial/commercial analysis, risk assessment, and use of data/visualization for
  decision support.
  • Planning and organization: manages a high-volume, time-bound PRA pipeline and competing priorities.
  • Integrity and accountability: upholds UN values, confidentiality and impartiality in all review processes.
  • Teamwork and capacity-building: coaches colleagues, shares knowledge and fosters a culture of
  continuous improvement.
  • Language: Fluency in English and Hungarian is required; working knowledge of another UN language is
  an asset.
• *Please note that this LICA-9 position replaces the previously advertised IICA-1 vacancy. Applicants who applied for the earlier vacancy are required to submit a new Application under this announcement.

Eligibility: Local Individual Contractor Agreements (LICA) apply to individuals recruited in the country where the functions are to be performed, irrespective of nationality. International individual contract holder cannot be hired under a local individual contract in the same country.

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