JOB DETAILS:
Job Title:                                        Procurement Officer
Supervisor:                                    Operations Manager – Yumbe
Position Grade:                             6
Department:                                    Procurement
Area of Interest:                             Emergency
Position Type:                                  Full Time
Country/Location:                          Uganda Country Program/Yumbe

About Catholic Relief Services:
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) supporting relief and development work in over 100 countries around the world. CRS carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. CRS’ Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations; serving people on the basis of need, regardless of creed, ethnicity or nationality. CRS works through local church and non-church partners to implement its programs.

CRS has worked in Uganda since 1965, initially providing emergency assistance to Sudanese refugees living in the north. Over the years, CRS has expanded its programming to also address development needs in western, central and eastern Uganda. CRS’ projects in Uganda currently include agriculture, health, microfinance, peacebuilding and youth. CRS Uganda implements its programs through partnerships with local organizations, including the Catholic Church, other faith-based organizations and community entities for maximum impact and sustainability

Context:
The ongoing political crisis and fratricidal conflict in South Sudan, which started in December 2013, has forced more than two million South Sudanese refugees to flee to neighboring countries, according to UNHCR. Uganda has accepted almost half of them, mostly in a series of settlements in the West Nile sub-region of northwestern Uganda, just across the border from South Sudan. CRS is currently implementing emergency WASH, livelihoods and shelter and infrastructure projects in Bidibidi Refugee Settlement. Program implementation targets the most vulnerable households of refugee and host communities

Job Summary:
The successful candidate will coordinate local procurement activities and processes to acquire goods and services in support of the delivery of high-quality programming to the poor and vulnerable. Your knowledge and experience will allow you to successfully coordinate the quality and efficiency of procurement and purchasing activities and ensure stewardship, integrity, transparency, and accountability..

Job Roles and 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.
• Supports vendor mapping, visits suppliers (company site, stores and or production facilities) to collect information and support due diligence process.
• Assists with the maintenance of the procurement plan and the procurement tracking tool to facilitate timely communication of procurement/purchase needs, status updates on progress of all orders and effective and efficient service delivery.

Typical Background, Experience & Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Supply Chain Management or other relevant degree.
• Minimum of 3 years work experience in procurement/purchasing management, logistics, administration, preferably with an international organization.
• Good knowledge of various donor procurement regulations (e.g. USAID, EU, UN)
• Knowledge of international and national procurement regulations and local market conditions.
• Knowledge of contract terms, as well as a proven ability to successfully complete purchase orders against specifications

Preferred Qualifications:

• Individuals who are from or currently living in Yumbe District, with good understanding of context and community.
• Professional certification training in CIPS or CILT from Level 3 and above a plus.
• Proficient in MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint). Experience with database management systems (e.g. MS Access) highly desirable.
• Applied knowledge in enterprise resource planning (ERP) software-SAP or Oracle is desired.
  Required/Desired Foreign Language:
• Good oral and written skills in English

Job Education Requirements: Bachelor’s Degree

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Good planning and coordination skills and ability to prioritize competing priorities effectively
• 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

Key Working Relationships:
Supervisory: None

Internal: Program and Operations staff in Yumbe field office; Operations staff in Kampala office
External: National and international NGOs, UNHCR and other Implementing Partners, vendors, and service providers.
Agency-Wide Competencies (for all CRS staff)

These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.
• Serves with Integrity
• Models Stewardship
• Cultivates Constructive Relationships
• Promotes Learning

DISCLAIMER CLAUSE:
This job description is not an exhaustive list of skills, effort, duties and responsibilities associated with the position.
Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation

By applying to this job, I understand and acknowledge that CRS requires its staff to treat all people with dignity and respect and to actively prevent harassment, abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking. Further, I understand that if I am a successful candidate, I will be subject to a comprehensive background check, and my personal/professional references will be asked to evaluate my behaviors related to the above safeguarding-related topics.
CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer

To apply, please follow these instructions exactly otherwise your application will NOT be considered:
• Email a cover letter and CV only to

ug_recruitment@crs.org  

• Large files and/or scans of documents will lead to rejection of your application, in the subject line of the email, copy and paste – PROCUREMENT OFFICER only

• All applications that do not contain this exact subject line will be rejected and not read