Procurement Officer at Education Development Center

Job Description

Project Description

• The USAID Kenya Primary Literacy Program (USAID KPLP) is a five-year 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.

USAID 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 Officer will manage project procurement and ensure compliance with EDC policy and procedures and USAID regulations in support of project activities at the USAID KPLP project headquarters and six regional offices. The Procurement Officer will report to the Finance and Administration Officer and will supervise the Procurement Assistant. This is a full-time position based in Nairobi, Kenya. 

The Procurement Officer is responsible for, but not limited to, the following tasks: 

• Support the overall procurement process.  Prepare requests for quotations, conduct  evaluations, prepare price analysis, conduct due diligence (reference checks and site visits), and draft purchase orders in support of the procurement of goods and services for the project;   
• Interface with customers, vendors, and administration finance offices as needed to provide quality assurance on purchasing transactions;  
• Maintain proper documentation to verify that all procurements comply with USAID’s rules and regulations;  
• Ensure procurement practices are in compliance with the project’s Policy and Procedures Manual and USAID rules and regulations;  
• Support technical and support staff in the development of requirement specifications;  
• Manage USAID KPLP dedicated Kenya Procurement email account, ensuring prompt responses to vendors requests and queries;  
• Review invoice payments from vendors and compare to the terms of the purchase order or contract to ensure vendor invoices are accurate before submitting for payment;   
• Maintain up-to-date and accurate procurement tracker and provide weekly procurement status report to internal stakeholders;  
• File all procurement documentation electronically on the SharePoint in a logical manner;  
• Work with suppliers to confirm receipt and status update of orders, investigate price/quantity discrepancies, coordinate the replacement, credit, and return of unsatisfactory deliveries; ensure completion of the procure-to-pay cycle; and escalate issues when needed;  
• Coordinate the development of local vendor list;  
• Support project budget revisions by providing estimated pricing for goods and services; and 
• Conduct these and other tasks as required in support of USAID KPLP Activity goals.

Qualifications

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

Education:

• A bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Social Sciences, or other related field.

Skills and Experience:

• Minimum of 5 to 6 years of experience in managing procurement processes in Kenya;   
• Experience working with USAID funded projects or other donor funded projects is required;  
• Experience in competitive procurement of goods and services required (experience in administration of subcontracts and issuing purchase orders);  
• Supervisory experience required; 
• Must be proactive, able to work independently and meet tight deadlines;  
• Excellent interpersonal skills to work with staff at all levels in the organization;   
•  Must be able to work within a cross cultural setting, negotiate diplomatically, and function well under pressure;   
• Ability to work hands-on, independently, and within teams in a difficult work environment;   
• Detail-oriented and organized;   
• Experience using computers and software at work, especially email and MS Word and MS Excel;  
• Ability to travel to the project regional offices as required. 

Language:

• Fluency in English is required.

Other:

• Applicants must be Kenyan nationals or hold current work authorization.