Procurement Assistant - Kenya Primary Literacy Program (KPLP) at Education Development Center

Job Description

Project Description

The Kenya Primary Literacy Program (KPLP) is a five-year USAID-funded initiative that supports the Kenyan Ministry of Education to deliver interventions at scale as well as pilot and expand innovations that address the language and literacy needs of primary grade learners while building more inclusive, accountable, and resilient education institutions and systems.

KPLP has three broad objectives:

• Improving education services and student learning outcomes, including for vulnerable populations;
• Strengthening education institutions and systems to become more accountable, self-sustaining, and resilient; and
• Empowering local youth organizations to strengthen and sustain community and family support for student learning and wellbeing.

Position Description

The Procurement Assistant will be responsible for a variety of administrative and clerical tasks to support project procurement and will act in accordance with EDC policy and procedures and USAID regulations in support of project activities at the USAID KPLP project headquarters and regional offices. Key duties include but are not limited to maintaining an organized procurement filing system, preparing procurement templates and documentation, enabling and supporting the work of procurement evaluation committees, maintaining meeting notes and following up on agreed action items, composing and preparing correspondence, and scheduling and coordinating appointments. The Procurement Assistant will also support project procurement logistics, maintain records, and ensure seamless communication within cross-functional teams. The position requires a proactive approach and reports directly to the Procurement Officer in the Nairobi office.

The Procurement Assistant’s responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Providing general administrative and clerical support to project procurement.
• Organize and Maintain procurement files on project SharePoint site.
• Assist with procurement documents such as Purchase Requisition Forms, Requests for Quotations/Proposals, Bid Analysis, Evaluation scorecards, Selection Memos, Delivery Waybills and Goods Received Notes.
• Attend and take notes at regular Procurement meetings with KPLP staff and EDC Home Office
• Photocopying and scanning documents as necessary. Assisting the Procurement Officer in the scanning of procurement documentation.
• Support KPLP dedicated Kenya Procurement email account under the supervision of the Procurement Officer.
• Support or prepare up-to-date and accurate procurement tracker and provide weekly procurement status report to internal stakeholders.
• Maintaining up to date tracking and filing system of relevant procurement correspondence, incoming and outgoing.
• Support the development of local vendor list.
• Support project budget revisions by providing estimated pricing for goods and services.

Other tasks and duties relevant to the position as assigned by the Supervisor.

Qualifications

The candidate for the position of Procurement Assistant shall have at a minimum the following qualifications:

Education:

Secondary Education and 4 years of experience required. CIPS Diploma or relevant professional certification desired.

Skills and Experience:

• Minimum 4 years of experience supporting procurement processes in Kenya.
• Prior experience working on USAID-funded projects preferred.
• Excellent English skills (oral and written).
• Ability to demonstrate highest degree of confidentiality and avoid conflicts of interest.
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team-oriented setting, with the ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.
• Attention to detail and accuracy in data entry and record-keeping.
• Working knowledge of standard office equipment, fax, scanner, and photocopier.
• Demonstrated experience using Microsoft Office Suite applications including Excel, Word, Power Point, and SharePoint preferred. Computer literacy is required.
• Must be able to work within a cross cultural setting, negotiate diplomatically, and function well under pressure.
• Willingness to travel to regions covered by the project if necessary.

Language:

Fluency in oral and written English is required. Proficiency in Kiswahili is preferred.

Other:

Applicants must be Kenyan nationals or hold current work authorization.