Internal vacancy - Supply Chain Officer (Business Analyst for Education Programme) NOB, FT, Niamey, Niger #133650

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to Education! 

Organizational Context:

UNICEF Niger Country Programme (2023-2027) is aligned to the Government “Programme de réconcilitation” and the UNSCDF. The programme supports the government of Niger to meet its commitment to respect, protect and fulfil children’s rights in line with international conventions and standards. The country programme is guided by the principles of children’s rights, equity, gender equality, inclusion and resilience, and supports evidence-based, integrative and innovative programming. The vision of the program is that all girls and boys, from birth to late adolescence, survive, thrive, learn, develop their full potential, are protected from all forms of violence and exploitation, and thus contribute to positive social change in their communities.

In its role as the GPE (Global Partnership for Education) grant agent and coordinator of the education sector pool, UNICEF Niger has established a management unit under the Education Programme to oversee the implementation mechanisms of the pooled fund, minimize fiduciary risks, and report to all pooled fund partners on performance in alignment with the Procedures Manual, the partnership framework priorities, and the program objectives. The education sector common fund is a collaborative, multi-partner initiative supporting Niger, anchored by the country's Finance Laws and managed by the Government according to a procedures manual rooted in national systems. UNICEF's role is to coordinate partner support, facilitate the use of authorized procedures, monitor the appropriate and efficient use of resources, and report on field outcomes for the benefit of Nigerien students.

Purpose of the Job:

The Supply Chain Officer (Business Analyst for Education Programme) reports to the Education Specialist as per the Country Office set-up for supervision and guidance. The Supply Chain Officer will support the administration, management, implementation, and coordination of activities related to the acquisition of goods, works, and consultancy services under the FCSE (Education Sector Common Fund). Incumbent will ensure all procurement and management actions are conducted professionally, transparently, and ethically, adhering to partner requirements and guidelines. The incumbent will also support management collaboration with programmes in defining supply interventions to meet programmatic needs and achieve results for children, and provides technical and advisory support to governments, national systems and partners on supply chain management.

How can you make a difference? 

1. System strengthening & Capacity building

- Support consistent application of procurement procedures and tools.
- Monitor use of procurement and contract management tools and follow up on required updates.
- Contribute technical inputs to procurement plans and strategy reviews.
- Help strengthen procurement integrity through improved monitoring and reporting practices.

2. Technical and advisory support

- Review TORs, technical specifications, tender documents, and no objection requests in line with established thresholds.
- Follow up on action plans from oversight missions and ex post reviews.
- Provide initial advice on procurement complaints and escalate complex cases.
- Coordinate with finance colleagues to align procurement with fund planning.
- Support preparation of procurement-related updates and progress reports.

3. Coordination & Partnerships

- Maintain working relations with government counterparts, UN agencies, and partners.
- Participate in Technical Working Groups and provide secretariat support as needed.
- Work with Technical Assistance teams and support preparation for Steering Committee discussions.

4. Knowledge Management & Learning

- Capture and share lessons learned and good practices in procurement.
- Contribute to knowledge products, research, and benchmarking.
- Support capacity-building activities for partners and stakeholders.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

Education: 

A university degree is required in Business Administration, Management, Economics, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Procurement, Contract/Commercial Law, International Development, Education or related social science field.

Work Experience:

A minimum of two (2) years of relevant experience, at the national levels, in supply, logistics, procurement, contracting, administration and/or other directly related technical fields is required.

Strong knowledge of procurement procedures, particularly for donor-funded projects is required.
High integrity and problem-solving abilities within public procurement is required.
Strong communication and teamwork skills is required.
Proficiency with standard software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Email, and other communication tools) is required.
Understanding of development and humanitarian work is desirable.
Emergency experience is an advantage.

Skills required:
Good analytical skills and negotiating skills.
Ability to manage and monitor the effective use of financial and material resources.
Ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious working relationships, both within and outside the organization.
Fast learner, adapts and responds to change, tolerates ambiguity.
Ability to contribute to formulation of strategies and policies.
Good understanding of supply chain processes, from programme needs assessment, through planning, procurement and contracting, logistics and delivery, monitoring and evaluation.
Good knowledge and understanding of UNICEF programmes, public procurement principles, financial and legal aspects of supply chain issues, ethics and risk management of supply chain operations.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in French is required. Knowledge of English or a local language is an asset. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (1)

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (1)

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact (1)

(4) Innovates and embraces change (1)

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

(6) Thinks and acts strategically (1)

(7) Works collaboratively with others (1)

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable [strong and qualified female candidates] are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category.]

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.