Senior Buyer

Our Requirement:

Title: Senior Buyer

Grade: 12

Duty Location: Brunssum, the Netherlands

Requirement filling date: as soon as possible

Closing date for applications:  4 May 2025

Our organisation

Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFCBS) provides a Joint headquarters to plan, prepare and conduct operations to support NATO’s core tasks, at the Joint Operational level, as directed by Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR).

The Finance Directorate (J8) is responsible for all financial operations and correct application of all funds approved for use by JFCBS.

The Purchasing and Contracting Branch is responsible for the full spectrum of contracting activities in support of the JFCBS and its supported entities as well as in support of operations and exercises.

The Contracting Operations and Contingencies Section awards, administers, enters into and terminates contract actions and executes procedures in support of the JFC and its supported entities.

The incumbent manages the acquisition process pertaining to the assigned contracting activities.

The main duties of Senior Buyer are to:

·       Draft bidding instructions and contract clauses to be applied to all solicitations and submit to the Contracting Officer for approval, administer contracts; prepare and issue delivery orders against open-end contracts; negotiate and prepare contract modifications, amendments and renewals.

·    Screen requests for deviations from standard procurement procedures, and undertake appropriate actions to get appropriate approvals as required to support mission requirements.

·    Prepare the correspondence to Agencies or Contractors concerning the contract as: notice to proceed; request for contract renewals, submission of invoices; proposal for modifications; penalty for default, solicitation of bids for expiring contracts. Maintain and update lists of contractors with report of offers from new firms and deletion of those providing unsatisfactory performance.

·    Perform Credit Card procurement and if needed, manage the Purchase Card Program as the Program Coordinator, upon receipt of specific tasks from the Section Head.

·    Organize formal and international competitive bidding procedures, evaluate bids and provide support to the Contract Award Committee (CAC) in order to facilitate contractor selection decisions.

·    Oversee contract filing system and ensure proper archiving and destruction of contract documents / files.

·    Assist the Contracting Officer in organizing bidders’ conferences, market researches, site surveys, inspections, progress review meetings, and other contractual events and provides reach-back effective contracting support to NATO Council-Approved mission.

·    Work within the Purchasing software for the execution and follow-up of requisitions, purchases orders, invoices, receipts, reports and monitors completion of contract. Take measures necessary to ensure the financial viability of vendors/contractors before contracts are awarded (e.g., Dun & Bradstreet evaluations). Promote customer relations and good business practices by educating end-users on efficient procurement methods, tools, procedures.

·    As directed assign workload, monitor performance and supervise performance of Buyers.

·    Educate customers and bidders to promote good procurement practices, best standard of conduct and efficient contracting tools and methods.

·    For requisitions assigned perform the purchasing and contracting function for simplified procurement perform the full cycle of procurement to include award.  

The incumbent may be required to undertake deployments in support of military operations and exercises, and/or TDY assignments, both within and without NATO boundaries. Such operational deployment may exceed 30 days duration up to 183 days in any period of 547 days, and may be on short notice. For NATO International Civilian Staff, acceptance of an employment contract linked to this post constitutes agreement to deploy in excess of 30 days if required.

Required Qualifications are:

Ø   English – good – NATO Standard Language Proficiency 3322

(Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing) in accordance with NATO standard agreement (STANAG) 6001.

NOTE: The work both oral and written in this post and in this Headquarters as a whole is conducted mainly in English.

Ø Secondary education with advanced vocational training in supply chain management, commercial and mercantile law,  logistics, inventory management, procurement or related field / discipline.

Ø  Minimum 2 years’ professional experience supervising, managing and coaching staff.

Ø Minimum 5 years’ professional experience in the procurement and /or contracting field executing the full cycle of procurement process.

Ø  Professional experience in working with financial or ERP system(s).

Desirable Qualifications are:

Ø  Knowledge of Host Nation Language.

Ø  Professional experience in contracting for military or international organizations.

Ø  Comprehensive understanding of operational logistics.

Ø  Experience in financial management, supply management or logistics.

Ø  Completion for this position of relevant courses / training.

 The successful candidate possesses following personal attributes:

ü  Good communication skills, both oral and written - able to communicate at all levels;

ü  Strong ethics and sound business judgement;

ü  High level of interpersonal skills including tact and diplomacy;

ü  Ability to set priorities and work with deadlines;

ü  Flexible and able to work under pressure;

ü  Ability to work in a team and collaborate with different stakeholders;

ü  Ability to work effectively in an international environment.

The successful selected candidate needs to have a NATO security clearance and is required to pass a medical examination before an employment contract offer will be released. The medical examination will take place with our medical consultant, is required to determine if the recommended candidate is fit to perform the duties, and is deployable to NATO's areas of operation.

Due date for receipt of applications: Sunday, 4 May 2025.

Please be aware that a Selection Board will assess the information provided in the job submission form including the answers to the pre-screening questions. Attachments are supporting documents and should not be referred to in the application form. Only candidates meeting ALL required qualifications will be considered.

Results will be communicated before end of May 2025.

Test & interviews will be on 12 & 13 June 2025 and will be organised in Brunssum, The Netherlands.