Unit Head (P-2)

Duty Station:	Vienna, Austria
Issue Date:	2 March 2012
Application Deadline:	12 Aptil 2012
Type/Duration of Appointment:	Fixed term extrabudgetary, 2 years (subject to a probationary period of 1 year)

Organizational Setting

The Division of General Services is one of the six Divisions in the Department of Management. It provides service functions through the Director's Office and five Sections: Facilities Management, Seibersdorf Facilities Management, Archives and Records Management, Transport and General Support and Commissary. The Commissary is a tax and duty-free store. It was established as a self-sustaining and non-profit making operation in order to facilitate the purchase of limited quantities of consumer goods by the diplomats of Permanent Missions of member states accredited to the UN organizations, staff members of the UN organizations based at the VIC as well as of other authorized organizations. Under the overall direction of the Director, Division of General Services and the direct management of the Head, Commissary Management Section, the Commissary consists of three Units: Procurement, Sales and Warehouse, and Invoice Control. The Procurement Unit's main responsibility is to establish and maintain a large international assortment of quality merchandise at competitive prices in line with the IAEA Headquarters Agreement as well as with customers' demands. The Procurement Unit is organized in line with retail sector norms, comprising three distinct teams of procurement staff, each uniquely responsible for a defined range of product classes, (1) Cosmetics, Fragrances, Accessories, etc.; (2) Non-food items, Tobacco, Hard liquor, Wine, Health Care, etc.; and (3) All food items, non-alcoholic beverages, etc. The Unit Head acts as the overall focal point for the complete assortment and supervises all Buyers and Purchasing Assistants. She/he is responsible for establishing and maintaining an attractive assortment of products and for the corresponding purchasing activities that are performed by the Unit.

Main purpose

Under the guidance of the Head, Commissary Management Section, the Unit Head establishes and maintains an international assortment of merchandise commensurate with customers' preferences and in conformity with the IAEA Headquarters Agreement clauses on the establishment of a Commissary. She/he is expected to ensure optimum stock levels at all times.

Role

The Head, Procurement Unit is: (1) a contracting authority within delegated limits; (2) a specialist in the procurement of consumer products; (3) a financial and commercial evaluator in the tendering and contracting process for the procurement of a specific range of consumer products as defined by the Headquarters Agreement; (4) a focal point in communication with suppliers.

Partnerships

The Unit Head, Procurement Unit, with oversight from the Head, Commissary Management Section provides guidance and support at all stages of the procurement cycle to staff of the Unit and exchanges work-related information with other Commissary staff. She/he maintains contacts with suppliers and responds to customer product queries. Working contacts are primarily in a customer-service role and involve the Head, Commissary Management Section, the Head, Sales and Warehouse Unit, Commissary staff of all Units, the Director of General Services, members of the Commissary Advisory Committee and its Selection Sub-Committee and national and international suppliers' representatives.

Functions / Key Results Expected

Carry responsibility for and enforce the proper operation of the Commissary's procurement activities, which involves on-going market research, stock management with respect to minimum quantities, order frequencies, reorder quantities and expiry dates of goods to avoid out of stock situations, considering seasonal fluctuations of demand. Take accountability for the contents of the orders placed and exercise delegated signatory power for purchase orders up to the value of €15 000 each, as specified in the Commissary Procurement Guide. Ensure a high level of customer satisfaction by establishing and innovatively maintaining an international assortment of high quality merchandise which is competitively priced. Continuously streamline the assortment based on best commercial practice, ensuring sufficiently high turnovers of stock items and avoiding slow moving and obsolete stock. Evaluate and compare offers of suppliers with regard to price, quality, expiry dates, transport costs, delivery modalities, currencies and reliability of suppliers; support Procurement Unit staff. In consultation with the Head, Commissary Management Section, prepare written supply agreements with major suppliers and is responsible for discussing such agreements with smaller suppliers in the best commercial interest of the Commissary; arrange for monthly price-offs and gift-with-purchase promotions as well as external shelving and sales support; troubleshoot when problems with suppliers occur; conduct regular supplier performance meetings. In consultation with the Head, Commissary Management Section, carry responsibility for the procurement of all goods-not-for-resale between a value of €3 000 and €15 000 each. Acts as one of four Commissary Low-Value-Purchasers for the procurement of goods-not-for-resale up to a value of €3 000 each.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Sound knowledge of standard business administration principles with an emphasis on procurement and marketing. In-depth familiarity with the consumer goods market as well as the ability to assess market trends and to make projections for future development within the consumer goods market. Ability to evaluate offers and analyse statistics. Sound negotiation skills. Advanced IT skills, including practical experience with MS Office, databases and dedicated retail IT systems. Interpersonal skills: Effective collaboration and partnership with officials at all levels inside and outside the organization, in a multicultural setting with respect and sensitivity for diversity.

Education, Experience and Language Skills

University degree or equivalent in commerce, procurement, marketing, business or a similar field. Minimum of two years of procurement experience, preferably in a duty free and/or an international retail/wholesale environment. Experience in performing high level merchandising and procurement activities and related duties required. Excellent knowledge of English and German is required. Good knowledge of French is highly desirable. Knowledge of another official IAEA language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Spanish) an asset.

Remuneration

The IAEA offers an attractive remuneration package including a tax-free annual net base salary starting at US $46 730 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance), a variable post adjustment which currently amounts to US $25 468*, dependency benefits, rental subsidy, education grant, relocation and repatriation expenses; 6 weeks' annual vacation, home leave, pension plan and health insurance. How to apply to the IAEA Complete an Online Application * Subject to change without notice

Applications from qualified women and candidates from developing countries are encouraged Applicants should be aware that IAEA staff members are international civil servants and may not accept instructions from any other authority. Staff members may be assigned to any location. The IAEA retains the discretion not to make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade or with a different contract type, or to make an appointment with a modified job description or for shorter duration than indicated above. Testing may be part of the recruitment process.