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1. Position information

Vacancy No.: VN21-11
Department: Administration
Grade: A2
Section: Procurement
Job Ref. No.: STF-PL/21-11
Reports to: Head of Procurement
Closing Date: 8 April 2021

2. About ECMWF

ECMWF is the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. It is an intergovernmental organisation created in 1975 by a group of European nations and is today supported by 34 Member and Co-operating States, mostly in Europe. The Centre’s mission is to serve and support its Member and Co-operating States and the wider community by developing and providing world-leading global numerical weather prediction. ECMWF functions as a 24/7 research and operational centre with a focus on medium and long-range predictions and holds one of the largest meteorological archives in the world. The success of its activities relies primarily on the talent of its scientists, strong partnerships with its Member and Co-operating States and the international community, some of the most powerful supercomputers in the world, and the use of innovative technologies such as machine learning across its operations.

Over the years, ECMWF has also developed a strong partnership with the European Union, and for the past seven years has been an entrusted entity for the implementation and operation of the Climate and the Atmosphere Monitoring Services of the EU Copernicus Programme, as well as a contributor to the Copernicus Emergency Management Service. The collaboration does not stop there and include other areas of work, including High Performance Computing and the development of digital tools. It is enabling ECMWF to now provide data and products covering weather, climate, ait quality, fire and flood prediction and monitoring.

ECMWF has recently become a multi-site organisation, with its headquarters based since its creation in Reading, UK, its new data centre opening in 2021 in Bologna, Italy, and new offices, also opening in 2021 in Bonn, Germany.

It is foreseen that ECMWF will be a major partner in the implementation of the Destination Earth (DestinE) initiative starting later in 2021, together with ESA and EUMETSAT as partners. The objective of the European Commission DestinE initiative is to deploy several highly accurate thematic digital replicas of the Earth, called Digital Twins, to monitor and predict natural and human activities as well as their interactions, to develop and test scenarios that would enable more sustainable developments and support corresponding European policies for the Green Deal.

For additional details, see www.ecmwf.int/.

3. Background

ECMWF’s role in these EU funded programmes means that, in addition to supporting the core procurement needs of the organisation, the scope of work within the Procurement Section will expand to include both procurement and some contract management services, working in in cooperation with scientific and technical experts across the organisation.

4. Summary of the role

ECMWF is undergoing significant change, and this is a particularly exciting time to join the Centre. We are establishing a duty station in Bonn, Germany, which is due to open during the second half of 2021. (https://www.ecmwf.int/en/about/media-centre/news/2020/bonn-host-new-ecmwf-premises-2021) and this has created an exciting opportunity for a Procurement Officer in order to strengthen the team and meet increased service demands. This position will sit within the Procurement Section of the Administration Department and will be based in Bonn.

The role will involve running the full procurement life cycle, including agreeing the strategic approach, drawing up and publishing relevant documentation, overseeing the evaluation, approval and negotiation/contract signature processes, as well as monitoring subsequent contractual performance. Procurement exercises handled can range from small value standard RFQs to full tenders in the tens of millions, and may involve the management of, and involvement in, tender evaluation boards.

As part of a small, dispersed team, the role would suit an individual who is comfortable working with an element of autonomy and flexibility. There will also be close collaboration with both clients and stakeholders across the organisation and therefore strong communication and stakeholder management skills are essential in this role to build trust and forge strong internal and external relations.

5. Main duties and key responsibilities

• Monitoring compliance with agreed procurement procedures;
• Providing procurement expertise and administrative support for high-value procurements;
• Acting as a point of contact for communication with external organisations during a tender process;
• Reviewing and preparing tender documentation in line with procurement procedures;
• Organising procurement boards and producing written summaries for procurement board meetings for high-value procurements;
• Preparing selection reports and recommendations for action based on input from experts;
• Maintaining a document archive (online/or paper) for audit purposes for each procurement activity;
• Undertaking contract negotiations in line with internal procedures;
• Undertaking contract management and monitoring following established practices as required.

6. Personal attributes

• Highly organised, with exceptional attention to detail with the ability to manage a busy and varied variety of tasks in a fast-paced environment;
• Strong communication skills, verbal and written, particularly in listening to and respecting the views of others;
• Ability to work collaboratively, sharing expertise and lessons learnt with colleagues;
• Ability to work to tight deadlines and pay attention to detail even under time pressure;
• Ability to work as part of a team, managing multiple procurements without close supervision;
• Good interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to apply these to working within and across teams with staff at all levels, preferably in a scientific or technical environment;
• Ability to work under a matrix management style;
• Client oriented mindset.

7. Qualifications and experience required

Education

• University degree (EQF Level 6) or equivalent in a scientific or business discipline or an equivalent qualification in purchasing.

Experience

• Candidates should have experience across a range of scientific and/or technical procurements with values exceeding £1,000,000. Experience gained through the European Commission, its agencies or an international organisation is not a requirement, but would be an advantage;
• Experience of contract management is also required;
• Proven experience of drafting procurement documentation such as invitations to tender, evaluation reports and communications with tenderers;
• Experience of running and managing grant awards would be an advantage;
• Experience, or good understanding, of contract management tools, practices and reporting.

Knowledge and skills (including language)

• Comprehensive knowledge of European Union-compliant procurement procedures;
• Familiarity with at least one electronic tendering system;
• Excellent working knowledge of MS Office with considerable experience of Microsoft Word;
• A basic understanding of law and finance, particularly relating to procurement contracts and financial statements, would be an advantage;
• Candidates must be able to work effectively in English and interviews will be conducted in English;
• A good knowledge of one of the Centre’s other working languages (French or preferably German) would be an advantage.

8. Other information

Grade remuneration

The successful candidate will be recruited at the A2 grade, according to the scales of the Co-ordinated Organisations and the annual salary will be EUR 75,178.92 net of tax.

This position is assigned to the employment category STF-PL as defined in the Staff Regulations.

Full details of salary scales and allowances are available on the ECMWF website at www.ecmwf.int/en/about/jobs, including the Centre’s Staff Regulations regarding the terms and conditions of employment.

Starting date: As soon as possible.
Length of contract: The total contract duration (with the possibility of further extension) is expected to be four years. However, please note that the DestinE Contribution Agreement is likely to be divided in phases, the first of which will last for two and a half years. The Centre is therefore required to contract initially for the same period. Extensions to complete the four-year period (which could be subsequently extended even further) will be offered to the successful candidate as soon as funding beyond the initial phase is confirmed.
Location: The position will be based at ECMWF’s duty station in Bonn, Germany, which is currently expected to open in the second half of 2021.

Successful applicants and members of their family forming part of their households will be exempt from immigration restrictions.

9. How to apply

Please apply by completing the online application form available at www.ecmwf.int/en/about/jobs.

To contact the ECMWF Recruitment Team, please email jobs@ecmwf.int.

Please refer to the ECMWF Privacy Statement. For details of how we will handle your personal data for this purpose, see: https://www.ecmwf.int/en/privacy.

At ECMWF, we consider an inclusive environment as key for our success. We are dedicated to ensuring a workplace that embraces diversity and provides equal opportunities for all, without distinction as to race, gender, age, marital status, social status, disability, sexual orientation, religion, personality, ethnicity and culture. We value the benefits derived from a diverse workforce and are committed to having staff that reflect the diversity of the countries that are part of our community, in an environment that nurtures equality and inclusion.

Applications are invited from nationals from ECMWF Member States and Co-operating States, listed below, and all EU Member States:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, North Macedonia, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

Applications from nationals from other countries may be considered in exceptional cases.

this job offer is not open for applications