Temporary Procurement Officer at RTI International

Job Summary: The Procurement Officer is responsible for communicating with suppliers and procuring project material and services with guidance from the procurement Specialist. She/he will work with procurement Specialist in soliciting the procurement requirements from suppliers and carry out procurement practice with integrity through fair and open competition. In addition, she/he will demonstrate compliance with applicable requirements (RTI policies, USAID/FAR regulations) and ensure that the technical efforts in procurement adhere to the standard operating procedures and good business practice. She/he in collaboration with the Procurement Specialist, will support the timely and effective implementation of project’s technical scope of work and aligned to the global or regional agreements where available. The day-to-day activity of this position encompasses all aspects of supply chain from supplier identification to delivery and post procurement support such as vendors payment.

She/he will work in an operations team that includes Finance, Administration, Human Resource, GTS and Field Administration team. S/he will collaborate with technical and grants teams. She/he will be expected to contribute to resolution of issues, resource management, planning and procurement.   

Essential Duties:  

In collaboration and under the direction of the Procurement Specialist, the Procurement Officer will;

• Ensure compliance with the applicable RTI procurement policies and procedures, contractual terms, USAID’s rules and regulation.
• Prepare Tax exemption documents in accordance with USAID cooperating country rules and regulations.
• Call out for Request for Quotations (RFQs), Expression of Interest (EOI) as required and coordinate the tender opening exercise.
• Assist in the evaluation and negotiation of payments and credit terms for all new and existing suppliers.
• Maintain procurement files both hard and soft in accordance with applicable policies and procedures.
• Perform the vendor prequalification exercise, and contracts renewals.
• Participant in the identification and selection process for suitable residential / office spaces for leasing, as applicable.
• Contracts/ leases and agreements administration; monitor to ensure contract terms are adhered to and track Local Purchase Order (LPO) / contracts performance periods.
• Assist with maintenance of the procurement status report.
• Ensure satisfactory delivery of goods/services and within the required timelines.
• Support the payments cycle by providing inputs for Cash Management Request (CMR) prepare and submit of all the procurement paperwork required for payments processing.
• Support the preparation of projects’ procurement plans and periodically prepare project procurement reports.
• Update procurement tools such as the Short-term Independent Contractor (STIC) & Consultancy
• Agreements Tracker, the LPOs and Requisitions Tracker as well as the Contracts Register.
• Maintain vendor quality assurance programs.
• Provide draft responses to grievances brought forward by the suppliers
• Support with preparation of sub award and in-kind procurements

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or bachelor’s degree in procurement/ supply Chain Management or business-related field.
• 1 year of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Certificate(s) in Procurement from a recognized institution or organization – CIPS or KISM
• Experience with USAID-funded projects preferred
• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office and procurement software
• Strong organizational, reporting and management skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team
• Strong verbal and written English communication skills
• Strong presentation and facilitation skills
• Ability to build effective relationships with all clients, peers, and stakeholders
• Ability to work hands-on, independently, and within team
• Demonstrated success managing and leading technical and administrative teams
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team-oriented setting
• Strong oral and written communication skills and ability to coordinate activities with officials from host country government, US Government, NGO’s, and other partners
• Strong computer skills: Microsoft Office Applications
• Experience in general business administration and financial management
• Willingness to travel to the field offices.