Job Opening Details

The Senior Procurement Manager (SPM) ensures the effective planning, execution, and oversight of mid- to high complexity procurement activities, supporting ICMPD’s operational efficiency, compliance, and value-for money principles. The role provides technical leadership in procurement strategy, risk management, and regulatory compliance, ensuring alignment with ICMPD’s policies and donor requirements. The SPM leads procurement processes of assigned portfolio and provides technical oversight and guidance for procurement processes managed by Procurement Team Leads.

Operating within the Procurement and Grants Unit (PGU) and reporting to the Head of Procurement and Grants, the SPM works closely with project teams, procurement staff, and administrative units across ICMPD Headquarters and duty stations. The role provides specialist guidance on procurement planning, market research, contract management, and evaluation processes, ensuring consistent application of procurement best practices across the organisation.

In addition to managing procurement operations, the SPM contributes to policy development, process improvement, and capacity building, identifying areas for enhanced efficiency and compliance. The SPM may deputise for the Head of PGU, as designated, ensuring continuity in the coordination and management of Unit activities during the Head's absence and representing the Unit in relevant internal and external matters within the delegated authority. The SPM supervises the work of Procurement Team Leads. Assignment related travels may be requested. The role represents ICMPD in the UN Procurement Network, facilitating collaboration and knowledge-sharing on procurement innovations and regulatory developments.

Key Results

Procurement Planning, Execution and Oversight: Procurement processes for goods, services, and works are planned, monitored, and executed efficiently, ensuring compliance with ICMPD procurement policies, donor regulations, and international procurement standards. Procurement Officers and requesting units are advised on the full range of procurement matters; support and guidance are provided at all stage of the procurement cycle, objectives under tight deadlines are met. Market research is conducted and analysed, ensuring procurement strategies are data-driven and aligned with industry trends. Tendering processes are managed effectively, procurement strategy is defined, solicitation documents are prepared, including the evaluation criteria, bid evaluation is conducted, and contract finalised, ensuring best value-for-money outcomes.

Policy Development, Compliance, and Process Optimisation: Procurement policies and procedures are regularly reviewed and updated, ensuring alignment with evolving donor requirements, IOs best practices and operational needs. Sustainability is imbedded in the procurement processes. Proper monitoring and control of procurement processes are established and effectively monitored and overseen. Compliance with procurement rules is monitored and enforced, ensuring transparent, fair, and accountable procurement practices across ICMPD.

Enquiries and documents regarding procurement processes for audit are timely verified and provided. Data analytics and procurement performance metrics are utilised to assess efficiency, identifying opportunities for process streamlining and operational enhancements. The organisation’s procurement due diligence approach is further developed, implemented and monitored. Appropriate due diligence requirements and tools are embedded in relevant procurement processes, with particular attention to higher-value and higher-risk procurement.

Contract Management Oversight

Contract negotiation processes are supported, ensuring that agreements mitigate risk, protect ICMPD’s interests, and align with donor and regulatory standards. Contract templates are developed to address specific businesses requirements and specific contracts are reviewed to ensure accuracy and compliance. Preparation of Service Level Agreements is supported. By making use of the existing tools, contract management is supported, contractually viable solutions are suggested to address any challenges in implementation, contract amendments are advised when needed. Procurement processes supporting documents are reviewed, verified, and archived, ensuring accountability and audit readiness.

Team Management, Training, Capacity Building, and Advisory Support: ICMPD staff and implementing partners receive structured training and guidance on procurement policies, best practices, and regulatory compliance. Training materials and knowledge-sharing resources are developed and delivered, ensuring that procurement teams and project staff can effectively manage procurement activities. Advisory support is provided to procurement team leads, procurement officers, project teams, and senior management, ensuring informed decision-making on procurement strategies. The work, internal processes and accountabilities of procurement team leads are effectively coordinated, supervised and performance assessed.

Institutional Representation and External Engagement: ICMPD is represented in UN procurement network, donor coordination platforms, and international procurement discussions, ensuring that the organisation remains aligned with best practices and emerging trends in procurement governance. Collaboration with external stakeholders, including UN agencies, EU institutions, and partner organisations, is fostered to enhance procurement cooperation and knowledge exchange.

Required Expertise

• ​Extensive knowledge of public procurement regulations, including EU/UN procurement rules and practices.
• Solid knowledge of procurement planning, market research, bid evaluation, and contract management, ensuring efficient and compliant procurement execution.
• Ability to develop, revise, and implement procurement policies and compliance frameworks, ensuring organisational and regulatory alignment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with expertise in data-driven procurement decision-making.
• Expertise in procurement due diligence, risk assessment, compliance monitoring and assurance.
• Proficiency in risk management methodologies, ensuring procurement integrity and accountability.
• Demonstrated capability in providing training and capacity-building support, ensuring that procurement teams and project staff are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills.
• Excellent negotiation and stakeholder engagement skills, ensuring effective collaboration with internal teams and external procurement partners.

Qualifications, Experience and Language Skills

• ​Master’s degree (or equivalent) in business administration, law, procurement and purchasing, supply chain management, public administration, or a related field. A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) with two additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the Master’s degree.
• A minimum of 8 years of experience in procurement, contract management, compliance oversight, and policy development, preferably in an international organisation.
• Experience in drafting, implementing, and managing procurement policies and compliance frameworks.
• Experience in leading international procurement activities, and managing complex procurement portfolios with high-value contracts and multi-country procurement processes.
• Experience in applying internationally recognised contract forms and developing performance-based contractual instruments, such as Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
• Strong conceptual, drafting and organisational skills.
• Strong coordination and team management skills.
• Public procurement certification from an internationally recognised provider such as CIPS (Level 3/4).
• Practical experience in the utilisation of SAP based ERP systems.
• Experience working with business intelligence systems and data analysis tools, such as Power BI.
• Experience using MS Office web-based collaboration and document management platform.
• Fluency in English (verbal and written) is required; proficiency in French or another major EU language is an asset.