Procurement Associate at Bridge International Academies

A unique Supply Chain challenge awaits the right person. At Bridge, you get to be involved in buying a very large and diverse category of materials, including construction, curriculum, academy, marketing, IT and office materials, along with other bric-a-brac. Quick turnaround times, least cost budgets and one of a kind requirements make this role unlike most others you will encounter.

About the role
As a Procurement Associate at Bridge, you will be required to work long hours, to challenge conventional market pricing mechanisms, continuously research the market and find better ways to achieve the least cost delivered prices within tight timelines. A non-conventional thinker, you will challenge every existing condition with a view to getting the best deal from the market. You will be flexible, adaptable and willing to move at the shortest notice. Never one to accept the status quo, you will get the job done no matter what.

What You Will Do

Requirements Generation: Work with user departments to determine their procurement needs. Conduct market research data to identify potential vendors. Review all Purchase Requisitions for completeness and accuracy and assist with corrections as needed.

Solicitation: Creation of solicitation documents (RFQ/RFP). Development of all evaluation criteria. Identify appropriate vendors for solicitation. Compile vendor questions, liaise with end users for all answers and communicate back to vendors. Manage item sampling and site surveys when required. Receive and track all vendor response.

Evaluation and Award Decisions: Review and track all vendor responses and provide master summary. Conduct comprehensive financial analysis of all proposals. Manage technical analysis with end user, highlighting strengths, weaknesses and deficiencies. Utilize evaluation results to create competitive range of best proposals. Communicate notices to unsuccessful bidders. Engage vendors in negotiations in order to identify and achieve significant cost savings for BIA.

Award of Contract: All approved award decision information to be transferred into resulting contract and/or Navision LPO. Work with the legal team to develop appropriate legal documentation. Confirm all quantities, item descriptions, prices, delivery timelines and payment terms are included correctly on award document. Facilitate distribution of award to vendor.

Post Award Contract Administration: Coordination of inspection/acceptance process between procurement, end user and vendor. Ensure accurate and timely delivery of products and services. Manage all post-award vendor issues. Maintain comprehensive documentation of ALL phases of each procurement action. Audit finalized procurement files for completeness and accuracy. Execute LPO/contract modifications as needed

Electronic Systems (Navision/Sharepoint): Utilization of appropriate NAVISION reporting tools. Generate NAVISION reports and analyse results, highlighting spending trends, vendor trends and other r

Professional Requirements

• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to communicate complex ideas concisely
• Acute attention to details
• Presentation skills
• Problem solving skills
• Planning and organization skills

What You Should Have

• 2-4 years working in a procurement role in a busy working environment (Required)
• A relevant University Degree
• Certificate in Purchasing and Supply Management
• In some cases, experience may be substituted for academic or professional certifications.