Under the overall supervision of the Procurement Specialist, the Intern will have the following responsibilities:

1. Procurement plans and strategy:

• Assist Procurement Officials in maintaining the overall SEEMCO procurement statistics of the Project procurement plans.
• Regularly monitor the progress of the Project(s) procurement plan implementation against corporate KPIs .

2. Pre-Solicitation stage:

• When required conduct sourcing/market research processes for goods and services using various sources, including the internet, trade publications, and other relevant references.
• Support regular update of vendor rosters.

3. Solicitation stage:

• Prepare and issue Shopping processes (SHP), support as required preparation of Requests for Quotations (RFQ), Invitations to Bid (ITB), Requests for Proposals (RFP), and other bidding documents required to ensure the competitive procurement of goods, services, and works. Where relevant, submit tenders for pre-clearance to the Procurement Reviewer.
• With the guidance of Procurement Officials, advertise tenders on the UNGM/UNOPS website as required.
• With the guidance of Procurement Officials, monitor and respond to queries from Projects, clients, companies, and other stakeholders regarding procurement matters or specific tenders.
• Ensure adherence to tender timelines, and provide relevant justification when submission durations need to be shortened.

4. Opening, evaluation and award of bids:

• Support timely bids opening and bid opening reports are prepared.
• With the guidance of Procurement Officials, prepare Bid Evaluation Reports (BERs) for works, goods, and services.

5. Contract issuance and management:

• •Issue and dispatch Purchase Orders (POs), Contracts, and Amendments, ensuring that all specifications, terms, and conditions are clear, accurate, and in conformity with the internal control system.

ALL CANDIDATES ARE REQUESTED TO SUBMIT A CV AND A COVER LETTER OUTLINING THEIR MOTIVATION ALONG WITH THEIR APPLICATION.

Education

• Completion of secondary school or equivalent is required.
• Applicants must be enrolled in a university programme such as Bachelor’s or Master's or Ph.D. (or the equivalent) or have graduated from such studies within three (3) years prior to the application date of the internship.
• Pursuing or completing a degree in Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Economics, Business Administration or similar field will be considered an asset.

Work Experience

• While no previous work experience is required for the internship, it will be considered an asset if the applicant has:
• Some experience in procurement
• Experience with teamwork
• Strong computer literacy and knowledge of Google Workspace

Language Requirements

• Fluency in Serbian and English (speaking, reading and writing) is required

Learning Objectives

This internship provides hands-on experience and growth opportunities in the following areas:

• Procurement planning and systems: Be able to develop a procurement plan and demonstrate how to use procurement systems to align purchasing activities with project timelines and organizational needs
• Procurement Sourcing methods:Be able to identify appropriate procurement sourcing methods based on specific procurement needs, and effectively carry out the selected sourcing process in accordance with organizational policies and procedures.
• Procurement Solicitation methods: Be able to select the appropriate solicitation method based on the procurement strategy and effectively carry out the solicitation process, ensuring transparency, competition, and compliance with procurement guidelines.
• Contract administration: Be able to determine the appropriate approach to contract administration based on the type and complexity of the contract, and effectively manage the process to ensure supplier performance, compliance, and timely delivery.
• Career development: Interns will benefit from training, exposure to procurement systems, and opportunities that support professional growth and potential future employment in the field of procurement.

Contract type, level and duration:

• Contract type: Internship
• Contract level: N/A
• Contract duration: 6 months
• This is a local position, it is therefore open to nationals of the Republic of Serbia and to individuals who have a valid residence/work permit.
• This internship is not designed to lead to a staff position with UNOPS. Therefore, there should be no expectation of employment at the end of the internship.
• Interns may be eligible for a monthly stipend from UNOPS provided that they do not receive funds from other institutions.