Client Services Officer (AfCDC) at African Union

Purpose of Job

• The African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM) supports AU Member States to access affordable, quality-assured health products through pooled demand, transparent pricing, and coordinated procurement.
• The Client Services Officer provides day-to-day operational and transactional support to APPM client services, ensuring accurate data management, timely processing of cost estimates and accounts, and effective coordination with procurement, finance, and forecasting teams, and maintenance of client information databases.
• The role is critical to maintaining service quality, financial accuracy, and client confidence as APPM scales.

Main Functions
Under the supervision of the Client Services Manager (P4), the Client Services Officer will:

• Support the administration and implementation of APPM client services;
• Process and track client documentation, cost estimates, and account records;
• Maintain accurate client and transaction data;
• Support coordination with internal teams on procurement, payments, and delivery timelines;
• Flag operational issues and discrepancies for escalation.

Specific Responsibilities
Client Administration and Onboarding Support:

• Support preparation and processing of APPM MoUs and related documentation with AU Member States;
• Maintain organized records of signed MoUs, amendments, and related correspondence;
• Assist in onboarding new clients under APPM.

Customer Information Management:

• Register and update customer information, including:
• Consignee and focal point contact details;
• Shipment and delivery information;
• Bank account and payment instructions;
• Special contractual or operational terms;
• Ensure completeness, accuracy, and timely updates to the APPM customer database.

Cost Estimates and Transaction Tracking:

• Support preparation and issuance of cost estimates to Member States;
• Track cost estimates through approval, issuance, and confirmation stages;
• Maintain records comparing cost estimates to actual costs and flag variances for review.

Financial Coordination and Records:

• Support coordination with Finance on:
• Issuance of statements of account;
• Tracking receipt of client funds and advances;
• Documentation of settlements and refunds of unutilized funds;
• Maintain accurate transaction logs and supporting documentation.

Internal Coordination:

• Liaise with procurement teams to obtain product information, lead times, and pricing for client communications;
• Support forecasting teams by tracking client demand timelines and order status;
• Provide routine updates to the Client Services Manager on transaction status and emerging issues.

Client Support and Issue Tracking:

• Respond to routine client inquiries related to documentation, timelines, and account status;
• Log and track client issues, delays, or discrepancies;
• Escalate unresolved issues to the Client Services Manager in a timely manner.

Academic Requirements and Relevant Experience

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Finance, Public Administration, Economics, or a related field with a minimum of 2 years of relevant professional experience in client services, programme support, finance operations, project management, or supply chain administration 
•  A bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Finance, Public Administration, Economics, or a related field with a minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in client services, programme support, finance operations, project management, or supply chain administration
• Experience working with public-sector institutions, multilateral organizations, or donor-funded programmes is an asset.

Required Skills:

• Strong organizational, administrative, and coordination skills with high attention to detail.
• Manage multiple client transactions, deadlines, and operational workflows.
  Basic financial and data analysis for tracking costs and performance.
• Data and records management, including accurate entry, maintenance, and retrieval.
• Proficient in databases, ERP systems, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Adaptable to multicultural and fast-paced work environments.

Leadership Competencies:

• Change Management
• Managing Risk
• Strategic Insight

Core Competencies:

• Building Relationship
• Fosters Accountability Culture
• Learning Orientation

Functional Competencies:

• Job Knowledge and information sharing:
• Drive for Result
• Continuous Improvement Orientation

Languages:

• Proficiency in one of the AU working languages (Arabic, English, French, Kiswahili, Portuguese, and Spanish) is mandatory and fluency in another AU language is an added advantage.