Chief procurement officer, CGSP.2 at African Development Bank - AfDB

The Corporate Procurement Division (CGSP.2) is entrusted with the strategic, operation and oversight responsibilities for the execution of corporate procurements within the Bank.  Under the auspices of the General Services and Procurement Department (CGSP), CGSP.2 is responsible for the formulation, application of the formulation, application and evaluation of procedures and practices covering purchasing and contracting for goods, works and services for the Bank’s internal operations financed under the Bank’s Administration and Capital Expenditure Budgets.

Duties and responsibilities 

Under the supervision of the Division Manager, the incumbent is expected to perform the following duties:

• Decide on complex procurement cases exceeding UA 100,000 up to UA 150,000 and providing advice on procurement issues exceeding UA 150,000.
• Provide expert internal procurement advice to all the Bank’s organizational units.
• Lead the assessment of procurement process effectiveness and propose policy changes.  Develop application documents and systems for operationalization of the policy (guidelines, manuals, standard bidding documents, Procurement Directives, capacity building, IT enabled processes, etc.).
• Lead procurement spend analyses and preparation of management reports.  Identify the weaknesses and propose improvements required by the Bank in procurement as well as improvements in service quality.
• Provide leadership and technical guidance to other professional and support staff in the field of institutional procurement.
• Resolve complex procurement issues such as: disputes involving large amounts, interpreting rules and guidelines for situations not provided in existing manuals, approving terms of reference for complex specifications, etc.
• Lead negotiation and preparatory work required for the approval of contracts.  Lead local and international market research, procurement of high risk (e.g. security services) and large amount procurements.
• Lead preparation of annual as well as long-term procurement plans and supervise their implementation.
• Prepare work programs of the team, prepare budgets estimates for procurement of service contracts required by the Bank; report on budget utilization and programme progress.
• Train Bank Staff in the application of the Bank’s institutional procurement.  Conceive and prepare training materials on institutional procurement for Bank staff at the Headquarters and the field offices.
• Disseminate procurement information to the local and international business communities.
• Lead assessment of existing computerized systems for procurement, and propose improvements in view of best practices and introduction of new technologies.
• Analyze and draw conclusions and lessons concerning suppliers’ performance to assist Bank management in the formulation of guidelines for recruitment and future use of suppliers.

Selection Criteria

Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience 

• A minimum of a Master’s degree or its equivalent in business administration, public administration, commerce, law or a related field.
• Professional trainings in procurement and/or contracting.
• A minimum of seven (7) years of relevant and progressive experience procurement, contract management, and administration is required.  Supervisory experience, preferably in an international or multi-cultural team, is required.  Experience in procurement and contract management in public international organization is highly desirable.
• Experience working in different locations/offices is an advantage. Experience working with a wide portfolio of procurement areas, such as construction, information technology, conference services, personnel outsourcing, and/or services is an asset.
• Pertinent experience in the formulation and implementation of public procurement-specific policies, and strategies.
• Strong negotiating skills; knowledge of procurement techniques and practices; knowledge of purchasing systems, advanced calculation and planning knowledge.
• Dynamic, efficient communicator, effective team-work player, result-driven, customer service oriented, analytical skills, and ability to work cross-functionally and under pressure.
• Competence in the use of standard software used in the Bank (Word, Excel, Access, MS Projects and PowerPoint).  Experience working with an ERP system, such as SAP, is an asset.
• Ability to communicate and write effectively in French or English, with a good working knowledge of the other language.