JPO Procurement Officer - OPEN TO KOREAN NATIONALS ONLY
JPO Procurement Officer - OPEN TO KOREAN NATIONALS ONLY
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Job Description
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
18 June 2025-23:59-GMT01:00 Central European Time (Rome)WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race colour national origin ethnic or social background genetic information gender gender identity and/or expression sexual orientation religion or belief HIV status or disability.
ABOUT WFP
The World Food Programme is the worlds largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict disasters and the impact of climate change.
At WFP people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse committed skilled and high performing teams selected on merit operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment living WFPs values (Integrity Collaboration Commitment Humanity and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.
To learn more about WFP visit our website: follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube LinkedIn Instagram Facebook Twitter TikTok.
WHY JOIN WFP
WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
WFP offers a highly inclusive diverse and multicultural working environment.
WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training accreditation coaching mentorship and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.
A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country regional and global offices around the world and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.
We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).
CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
The Procurement Service in WFP Headquarters supports global Supply Chain and Delivery operations by managing or assisting Country Offices with the procurement of food goods and services enabling WFP to deliver Programme activities worldwide. In 2024 WFP procured 1.97 million MT of food commodities across 150 countries delivered $1.96 billion in Cash-Based Transfers and procured $1.15 billion worth of goods and services.
WFP integrates best practices in procurement to drive efficiency optimize lead times reduce costs and ensure effective risk management and delivery assurance. The Procurement Service is undergoing a transformation to streamline processes strengthen partnerships and enhance supplier management through category management and digital solutions.
To support these goals and prepare a new generation of Procurement Officers WFP is seeking a Junior Professional Officer in the Supply Chain & Delivery Division at Headquarters in Rome Italy.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Title of Post: Procurement Officer
Grade: P2
Supervisor: Senior Procurement Officer (Category Manager)
Unit: Global Markets Coordinated Markets
Division/Country Office: Supply Chain and Delivery Division
Duty Station: Headquarters Rome Italy
Duration of assignment: Two years in HQ (with 1 year in Food Category 1 year in Goods and Service Category and a possible third year in a WFP Country Office or Global Office.)
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Under the direct supervision of a senior Procurement Officer the JPO will have the following responsibilities:
Actively participate in the entire procurement process from sourcing and selecting suppliers to preparing tender documents and supporting timely delivery and contractual adherence to meet business needs.
Analyze potential risks and opportunities and assist in designing and implementing approaches that align procurement strategies and policies with the organizations objectives.
Analyze key spend trends and KPIs to support decision-making track performance for lower-risk projects and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
Using established methodologies research and analyze market dynamics with a focus on budget and pricing to inform commodity and supply chain strategies and best practices for sustainable market engagement.
Support clients with analysis to develop clear specifications for lower-risk procurements and assist throughout the procurement process to enhance understanding of needs.
Contribute to the development of Category Strategies by supporting process standardization conducting supplier and market analyses to ensure client satisfaction and value for money.
Collaborate with stakeholders including suppliers superintendents and companies to align procurement activities with wider programmes and ensure a coherent approach to meeting food assistance needs.
Analyze supplier responsiveness to tenders and performance issues to identify areas for improvement and enhance supplier alignment with WFP requirements and quality standards.
Participate in emergency response activities as required supporting efforts to meet food assistance needs.
Assist in fostering a collaborative work environment by supporting team activities promoting knowledge-sharing and participating in training programs to build skills and capacity.
Other as required.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
It is expected that the JPO will become an integral part of the Procurement Service in WFP Headquarters and contribute towards the teams set targets and goals during the period of assignment. The two years spent in Headquarters are designed to build expertise and knowledge that will support the JPOs performance during their third year of assignment in the field should that be agreed upon.
Outcomes of the assignment will contribute to:
Development and execution of Procurement Strategy/Procurement plans for specific categories (food goods and services) on an annual basis.
Supporting the implementation or improvement of at least one key procurement process such as supplier selection or category strategy development.
Completing risk evaluations for lower-risk procurement projects and providing recommendations for performance optimization.
Implementation of key transformational aspects of Procurement (e.g. business partnering data analysis local/regional food procurement concepts).
Operational Field Support to Regional Bureaus and Country Offices as needed.
Cross functional collaboration and functional/thematic engagements requiring involvement from the Procurement function to foster partnerships.
ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Advanced university degree in Economics Commerce Supply Chain Business AdministrationEngineering Legal or Accounting or other relevant field or First University degree with 4 years of additional relevant work experience.
Minimum of two years relevant working experience in Procurement or Supply Chain with procurement activities such as purchasing vendor research conducting cost analyses analysing trends and working with vendors and partners.
Fluency (level C) in English and Korean.
Korean citizenship.
Certificate of English proficiency test: Applicants should score a minimum of (i) TOEFL iBT 100 or (ii) TEPS 430 or (iii) IELTS 7 or (iv) TOEIC 900.
- TOEFL Home Edition score is accepted while MyBest Scores are not accepted
- IELTS General Training and Academic test are both accepted
- Test scores are valid for 2 years after the test date.
Not older than 32 years of age as of 31st December 2025 (born after 1st January 1993). The maximum age limit for those who served in the military will be extended accordingly: one year will be extended for those who served for less than one year; two years will be extended for those who served for more than one year and less than two years; three years will be extended for those who served for two years or more.
Male applicants shall have completed the Korean military service or be exempted from it. Those who will be discharged from military service in the year of the application may also apply.
Applicants can apply for a maximum of two JPO positions sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea during the year of application.
Proficiency in Windows MS Office (Word Excel Powerpoint Outlook).
Behavioural competencies: leads by example with integrity drives results and delivers on commitments fosters inclusive and collaborative teamwork applies strategic thinking builds and maintains sustainable partnerships.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (ALL DOCUMENTS TO BE UPLOADED UNDER THE CV/COVER LETTER SECTION)
PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION ONLY WHEN ALL THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS ARE ATTACHED TO IT. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MODIFY YOUR APPLICATION ONCE SUBMITTED.
A complete application (e.g. P11 PHP etc.) and motivation letter in English
A scanned copy of applicants Resident Register in English
A copy of university degree (Bachelors/Masters degree) certificate in English
A copy of the English proficiency test certificate
Only for male applicants who have completed the national military service: A certificate of Korean Military Service in English. The maximum age limit for those who served in the military will be extended in accordance with the Support for Discharged Soldiers Act and the Military Service Law.
Only for low-income applicants: A scanned copy of a certificate of National Basic Livelihood Security Recipients issued in Korean and its unofficial translation in English.
Only for persons with disability: A scanned copy of a certificate of person with disability issued in Korean and English.
DESIRED REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE
Exposure to the international arena either by direct work for an international institution/organization or by interacting with international stakeholders.
Intermediate level of one or more of the following official languages: French Spanish Arabic Chinese Russian Portuguese.
WFPs international professionals are required to serve in different locations around the world during their career (including in hardship duty stations); willingness to be mobile would maximise opportunities for long-term retention into the Organization.
SUPERVISION
Supervision will be provided by a senior Procurement Officer.
This supervision includes weekly check-ins to follow up on the JPOs progress individually and within the wider team to guide on specific challenges projects and deliverables.
TRAINING COMPONENTS
The training of the JPO will primarily involve on-the-job learning providing a thorough introduction to WFP procurement guidelines and procedures vendor selection and management the tendering process and contract execution. Practical training will include participation in the Procurement Smart Sourcing Project and exposure to related business transformation initiatives. The JPO will also receive training on WFP corporate procurement tools such as WINGS (SAP) DOTS and In-Tend to ensure proficiency and confidence in their use.
To foster cross-functional and professional development the JPO will have access to WFPs learning management system offering a range of learning solutions for skill enhancement and thematic areas aligned with WFPs mandate. Completion of all WFP mandatory trainings will equip the JPO with an understanding of WFP operations and procedures contributing to a safe and respectful workplace. Opportunities for internal deployments to other services within the WFP Supply Chain and Delivery Division (e.g. Logistics R&D) will further enrich the JPOs learning experience.
In addition to the above the JPO will be required to attend and successfully complete the following courses:
Level 3 UNDP Procurement Certification Course accredited by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS).
Grade 1 Trade Foundation Course delivered by the London-based Grain and Feed Trade Association (GAFTA).
LEARNING ELEMENTS
At the end of the two-year assignment the JPO should have obtained:
Very good knowledge of WFP procurement process: tendering and execution.
Good skills in WFP corporate systems (WINGS DOTS Smartsourcing In-Tend).
Familiarity with procurement category management sourcing strategy market assessment diversification of supplier base and vendor management selection process.
Good general understanding of WFPs overall operations and activities in the region of assignment.
For general information on the JPO Programme of the Republic of Korea please visit the website of the International Organizations Recruitment Center Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea at
WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK
WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.
Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation please contact:
NO FEE DISCLAIMER
The United Nations does not charge any application processing training interviewing testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee please disregard it. Furthermore please note that emblems logos names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.
REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION
We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate complete and includes your employment records academic qualifications language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).
Once your profile is completed please apply and submit your application.
Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language
Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter
Additional documents such as passport recommendation letters academic certificates etc. may potentially be requested at a future time
Please contact us at in case you face any challenges with submitting your application
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified
All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs job requirements merit and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse all forms of discrimination any kind of harassment sexual harassment and abuse of authority. Therefore all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) FAO Finance Committee WFP External Auditor WFP Audit Committee Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.
Required Experience:
Unclear Seniority
Employment Type
Full-Time
