Procurement Officer at Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

Job Summary:  

The Procurement Officer is responsible for coordinating local procurement activities and processes to acquire goods and services in support of the delivery of high-quality programming to the poor and vulnerable. The incumbent leverages knowledge and experience to successfully coordinate the quality and efficiency of procurement and purchasing activities and ensure stewardship, integrity, transparency, and accountability.  

Roles and Key Responsibilities: 

• Coordinate fully compliant procurement systems and operating procedures. Assess effectiveness and efficiency and recommend improvements. Contribute to ensuring compliance with CRS procurement principles, standards, and policies, donor regulations, and local statutory requirements.  
• Coordinate with various departments to develop and maintain an up-to-date procurement plan with all quantities, quality and delivery requirements for goods and services. Provide pricing information to assist budget holders with budget preparation.  
• Coordinate the sourcing process and perform various activities to assist with ensuring the best value for money: market research, cost estimates, solicitation documents, bidding process facilitation, supplier identification and research, quality and availability of goods assessment, negotiation, contract/purchase order and other documents preparation.  
• Communicate with other procurement staff and various program and operations units to coordinate and track goods/services delivery and receipt and keep everyone informed of the status. Collect information to confirm that goods/services delivered are what have been ordered in the correct quantities and quality, they arrive on schedule and at the right cost.  
• Maintain correspondence and constant contact with suppliers to follow up on the execution of contractual terms and conditions, and handle issues if needed. Monitor and report on supplier performance, noting current and/or potential issues and/or inefficiencies and assist with contract/purchase order modifications.  
• Accountable for transparency within the procurement department through ensuring a complete, accurate and up-to-date document trail of all procurement processes, vendor files, procurement and inventory database to assist with control and accountability. Prepare reports and facilitate document retrieval.  

Required Languages - Fluency in written and spoken English is required

Travel - Must be willing and able to travel up to 10 %. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities  

• Good knowledge of various donor procurement regulations (e.g. USAID, Global Fund, KfW, EU, UN)  
• Knowledge of international and national procurement regulations and local market conditions.  
• Understanding of procurement principles, contract negotiation, and supplier/vendor management.  
• Knowledge of contract terms, as well as a proven ability to successfully complete purchase orders against specifications.
• Good planning and coordination skills and ability to prioritize competing priorities effectively  
• Must be able to demonstrate great attention to details.  
• Good analytical skills with ability to make independent judgment and decisions  
• Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented with focus on meeting customer needs  
• Ethical conduct in accordance with recognized professional and organizational codes of ethics  
• Good negotiation, communication, and relationship management skills 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Professional certification is a plus.
• Proficient in MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint). Experience with database management systems (e.g. MS Access) highly desirable.  

Supervisory Responsibilities : None

Key Working Relationships:  

Internal:  All Staff

External: Vendors and program participants 

Basic Qualifications 

• Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration/Supply Chain or other relevant degree.
• Minimum of 3 years work experience in procurement/purchasing management, logistics, administration, preferably with an international organization.