Procurement Officer / Manager Job in Kenya - Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)

Position: Procurement Officer / Manager

Closing Date: 16 January 2012, with applications considered as received

Start Date: February 2012

Location: Busia, Kenya

Eligibility: Position open to all qualified applicants, Kenyan nationals preferred

Introduction

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a rapidly growing, global non‐profit organization with operations in over 40 countries. We are dedicated to discovering what works to help the world’s poor.

We design and evaluate programs in real contexts with real people and provide hands‐on assistance to bring successful programs to scale.

IPA‐Kenya (IPAK) is IPA’s oldest and largest country office and the site of many of its most influential research projects.

IPAK collaborates with many international NGOs, academic institutions, government agencies, private-sector actors and other stakeholders to bring high quality research and services to Kenya, and then bring the lessons learned to scale.

The IPA‐Kenya office was established in 2003 in Western Kenya and now employs over 200 people. IPA-Kenya is currently expanding across the country, with new offices opening in 2012.

This position will participate in the national program’s growth by supporting IPAK’s expanding procurement needs and refining our current procurement system.

IPAK is looking for a team player interested in working at a dynamic NGO and who possesses creative problem-solving, communication and organizational skills as well as experience in procurement activities.

Responsibilities

• Support IPAK’s procurement process for country-wide projects
• Assure smooth and on-time execution of program delivery of goods and services in close collaboration with the field offices
• Apply IPAK’s Procurement Policy and assure compliance with donor procurement requirements
• Advise projects on purchases for safety, quality and efficiency
• Establish and maintain a good professional working relationship with suppliers
• Develop and manage an accurate and up-to-date supplier information database for regularly purchased items, and keep informed of local market conditions
• Act as the direct backup of the LAO and or PAO when this person is on leave or out of the office
• Develop, update and maintain procurement documents and ensure proper execution of the procurement process
• Provide technical advice on procurement activities, following rules, procedures and regulations o Manage procurement records and documentation procedures
• Maintain and update goods and assets inventory
• Support customs and shipping process
• Coordinate with IPA projects, advise staff and communicate to supervisors for efficient procurement system

Recruitment and Qualification Skills

Essential:

Education and Experience

• Minimum of a degree in Business Administration or related field, Diploma in procurement/supply-chain-management
• Minimum of (2) years of progressively responsible procurement related administrative experience at the national or international level
• Advanced skills in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc)

Desirable:

• Knowledge of automated procurement systems
• Experience in handling of web based management systems
• Previous work with donor-funded organizations
• Experience with USAID will be an added advantage

Skills and Competencies:

• Analytical and problem solving skills
• Ability to bring sound decisions
• Good planning, prioritizing and organizational skills
• Ability to work under tight deadlines and pressure
• Excellent communication and reporting skills

Language Requirements: Fluency in English and Swahili (oral and written)

To apply: Please send a cover letter and detailed CV, 3 references, daytime phone number(s), and email address. Your CV should include your scores or grades and other measures of academic achievement, and details about any relevant work experience.

Applications can be submitted to any of our branch offices, or by email to jobs-kenya@poverty-action.org ,or by post office using P.O Box 373, Busia area code 50400 Kenya.

If you submit by email, please ensure that the subject line reads: “Procurement Officer / Manager: FK-2011-11-03.

Disclaimer:

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the Procurement Officer / Manager.

The statements are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all possible duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Management reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational needs as necessary.

Please note that IPA will never request any form of payment from an applicant.

Applicants are encouraged to confirm the information listed above with IPA prior to releasing any extensive personal information to the organization.

Please direct questions to jobs-kenya@poverty-action.org.