Procurement Management Specialist

In Latin America and the Caribbean, UNOPS operates across 23 countries, delivering high-impact solutions that drive sustainable development. UNOPS focuses on building and improving resilient infrastructure—including roads, bridges, public facilities, sanitation systems, and housing—to enhance quality of life and foster inclusive growth. UNOPS also supports public health by procuring essential medicines and medical equipment, ensuring broader access to healthcare services. By strengthening institutional capacities, UNOPS promotes transparent, efficient, and equitable public management. As a trusted partner to governments and development stakeholders, UNOPS aligns its interventions with national priorities, helping countries advance the Sustainable Development Goals through practical, results-driven support.

The Barbados Country Office (CO) functions as a strategic hub to support Caribbean nations in implementing the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS), helping regional leaders advance a global agenda on climate justice and financing.  The primary mandate of the Barbados Country Office is to Speed Up and Scale Up engagements across 17 Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS), ensuring that partner expectations are met with agility and precision. Through dedicated operational presence, UNOPS Barbados Country Office streamlines complex regional logistics and fosters stronger collaboration with sovereign governments and financial institutions in the Caribbean. The office focuses on delivering high-value solutions aligned with the region’s priorities, including the economy, nature and climate, human capital, infrastructure and capacity development.

The Caribbean Resilient Infrastructure Implementation and Skills Exchange (RIISE) Facility is established as a regional mechanism designed to support governments in implementing climate-resilient infrastructure. The Facility provides demand-driven technical assistance, strengthens institutional capacity, and facilitates knowledge and skills exchange across countries in the region. 

The Facility is envisioned as a five-year initiative, initially serving countries in the Eastern Caribbean eligible for Official Development Assistance, namely Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. 

Through a growing number of short‑ and medium‑term technical assistance assignments and surge deployments, the Facility is expected to strengthen the capacity of ministries, project implementation units, and utilities responsible for delivering climate‑resilient infrastructure in these countries. 

The Facility will be implemented through a United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) Hosted Entity Partnership, which will provide the institutional platform required for the Facility’s establishment and early operations.

The functions/responsibilities/key results of this job description are generic and may not always be applicable, nor be comprehensive, for all assignments and/or missions under this job title. The specific tasks and deliverables for each retainer assignment may vary and will be detailed in the terms of reference developed for each assignment by the RIISE Secretariat.

The RIISE Facility delivers demand-driven technical assistance primarily through two service modalities: the Rapid Helpdesk, which provides short-term remote advisory support for urgent queries, and Surge Deployments, which involve medium-term engagements designed to support the effective resolution of complex project implementation needs. While RIISE operates on a "remote-first" delivery approach—utilizing digital collaboration tools by default to optimize responsiveness and cost-efficiency—the Consultant must possess the availability and willingness to travel for on-site deployments across participating Caribbean countries. In-country field presence remains a fundamental requirement for complex assignments where direct hands-on engagement, collaborative work with government counterparts, and on-site technical assessments are critical for effective delivery.

While the contract modality for this Vacancy Announcement is an ICA retainer contract on a project or assignment basis, UNOPS may offer, on a need basis, full-time employment for a specified consecutive period of time (up to one year maximum, with possible extensions), with the possibility to move between the two contract modalities subject to operational needs and the incumbent’s acceptance of the proposed assignments.

The specific tasks for each assignment may vary from one assignment to another assignment. Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the RIISE Secretariat and designated Supervisor, the Procurement Management Specialist will be called upon for specific projects to fulfill one or more of the following key tasks:

1. Procurement planning and strategy

• Support the identification and definition of procurement needs during project preparation and implementation.
• Develop or review procurement strategies and procurement plans, including packaging, sequencing, procurement methods, timelines, market approach and risk considerations.
• Conduct or support market analysis, supplier mapping, sourcing strategies and assessments of market capacity.
• Advise on appropriate procurement approaches for goods, works, non-consulting services and consulting services, taking into account the applicable government, donor and/or UNOPS framework.
• Support cost estimation and the development of realistic procurement schedules and implementation milestones.

2. Preparation and review of procurement documentation

• Prepare, review and improve terms of reference, statements of work, scopes of work, technical specifications and bills of quantities, as applicable.
• Support the preparation and quality assurance of solicitation documents, including requests for quotations, invitations to bid, requests for proposals and other applicable instruments.
• Develop or review qualification requirements, technical and commercial evaluation criteria, scoring methodologies and contractual provisions.
• Ensure that procurement documentation is clear, proportionate, internally consistent and aligned with the applicable procurement framework and the intended project outcomes.
• Coordinate with technical specialists to ensure that technical requirements are procurement-ready, measurable and suitable for competitive solicitation.

3. Support to procurement processes

• Provide technical advice during solicitation, clarification, evaluation, negotiation and award stages, as requested.
• Support the preparation or review of evaluation reports, procurement submissions, decision records and other procurement-related documentation.
• Advise on procurement risks, exceptions, deviations, complaints, conflicts of interest and integrity considerations within the applicable framework.
• Support the development of mitigation measures for procurement issues that could affect implementation timelines, competition, value for money or contractual performance.
• Provide quality assurance of procurement processes and actions, without replacing the decision-making authority of the responsible procuring entity.

4. Contracting and contract management advisory support

• Provide advice on contract structure, key commercial conditions, performance requirements, payment mechanisms, securities, warranties, liquidated damages and other relevant provisions.
• Support the preparation or review of contracts, purchase orders, amendments, variations and related documentation, as applicable.
• Advise on contract administration, supplier performance management, change control, claims prevention and dispute avoidance.
• Support the development of contract management plans, performance indicators, monitoring tools and supplier performance mechanisms.
• Provide procurement-related advice during contract implementation and close-out.

5. Public procurement systems and institutional strengthening

• Assess procurement systems, processes, organizational arrangements, standard documents, procedures and tools and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Review interfaces between procurement and related functions such as finance, budgeting, technical units, logistics, legal services and contract management.
• Support the preparation or improvement of procurement procedures, standard operating procedures, manuals, templates, workflows and guidance notes.
• Provide advice on procurement reform, e-procurement, procurement monitoring and institutional capacity development, where relevant to a RIISE assignment.
• Support beneficiary institutions in strengthening procurement governance, transparency, efficiency, accountability and value for money.

6. Sustainable, resilient and inclusive procurement

• Integrate environmental, social, economic, resilience and life-cycle considerations into procurement strategies and documentation, where appropriate.
• Support the incorporation of proportionate sustainability and resilience requirements in technical specifications, evaluation criteria, supplier requirements and contract provisions.
• Advise on procurement approaches that support local market development, supplier diversity, responsible sourcing and resilient supply chains, where consistent with the applicable procurement framework.
• Coordinate with RIISE safeguards, GESI, climate and technical specialists to ensure procurement approaches appropriately reflect cross-cutting requirements.

7. Capacity development and knowledge sharing

• Develop and deliver workshops, coaching, practical guidance and on-the-job capacity development for government counterparts and RIISE stakeholders.
• Prepare procurement templates, checklists, reference materials, lessons learned and practical tools that can be reused across RIISE assignments.
• Document good practices and recurring procurement challenges and contribute to RIISE knowledge products and peer-learning activities.
• Provide technical inputs to RIISE guidance materials and operational tools related to procurement.

8. RIISE Assignment Deliverables

a. Primary Assignment Reports (Modality-Specific)

• RIISE Helpdesk Report: For short-term Rapid Helpdesk assignments, the Specialist must deliver the response and advisory inputs using the standardized RIISE Helpdesk Report Template.
• Assignment Closure Report / Final Technical Report: For Surge Deployments and other medium-term assignments, a comprehensive report must be submitted by the incumbent within 10 working days of the assignment’s end.

b. Mandatory Components of the Final Technical Report

Regardless of the assignment, final technical outputs must adhere to RIISE’s Deliverable Standards and include, as applicable, the following components:

• Knowledge Transfer Summary: A mandatory section documenting the specific skills, methodologies, tools or capabilities shared with and transferred to government counterpart staff during the assignment.
• Safeguards and Risk Summary: A concise summary of relevant safeguards and risk issues identified, measures recommended or implemented, residual risks and any required follow-up actions.
• Actionable Recommendations & Limitations: Clear recommendations accompanied by prioritized action items, responsible parties where applicable, and an explicit section noting the limitations and assumptions taken into account during the assignment.

c. Administrative Closure Deliverables

• Intellectual Property (IP) Handover Confirmation: A mandatory administrative document that the expert must secure before the assignment can be financially closed. It must be signed by the government counterpart, confirming that all relevant technical outputs (reports, drawings, specifications, data, etc.) have been successfully transferred to the requesting government.

9. Travel 

• Official travels may be required during the assignment;
• The BSAFE course must be successfully completed prior to commencement of travel;
• The Procurement Management Specialist is responsible for ensuring they have all required vaccinations/inoculations when traveling to certain countries, as designated by local authorities. 
• The Procurement Management Specialist is required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under: https://dss.un.org/dssweb/

This recruitment aims to fill a retainer position. Depending on actual needs, the hiring unit may decide to recruit endorsed qualified professionals for contracts with different working conditions (short/long term, part/full-time, retainer, regular or ongoing positions).

Required

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Public Administration, Public Policy, Law, Economics, Finance, Engineering, International Development or another relevant field in combination with 5 years of relevant experience is required  OR 
• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above related fields in combination with 7 years of relevant experience.

Desired

• A recognized professional certification in procurement, supply chain management, contract management or a related field is desirable.

Required

• Relevant work experience is defined as progressively responsible professional experience in procurement, contracts management, supply chain management or a closely related field.

Demonstrated experience providing technical advice and practical support on procurement.

• Experience preparing or reviewing procurement strategies, procurement plans, solicitation documents, technical specifications/terms of reference, evaluation criteria and/or procurement reports.
• Experience working with public procurement systems, including applicable regulations, institutional stakeholders and decision-making processes.
• Ability to produce high-quality written technical outputs and to work with multidisciplinary teams.

Desired

• Experience in infrastructure, public investment or complex project procurement.
• Experience in procurement planning and strategy, preparation and review of procurement documentation, evaluation and negotiation, contracting and contract management advisory or public procurement systems and institutional strengthening.
• Experience working with governments, international financial institutions, UN entities, or international development organizations.
• Experience in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and/or the Caribbean.
• Experience with donor-funded procurement frameworks and requirements.
• Experience in sustainable, resilient or climate-informed procurement.
• Experience developing procurement policies, SOPs, operational manuals, templates or institutional capacity development programmes.
• Experience delivering procurement training, coaching or knowledge-sharing activities.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.