Procurement Officer

Background

John Snow, Inc. (JSI) seeks a qualified Procurement Officer to join our United States Agency for International Development (USAID) -funded Supporting an AIDS-Free Era (SAFE) Project in Zambia. USAID SAFE is led by JSI in partnership with Abt Associates and mothers2mothers, and works to reduce HIV mortality, morbidity and transmission, while improving nutrition outcomes and family planning integration in three provinces: Central, Copperbelt, and North-Western. USAID SAFE works with the GRZ, private sector and civil society institutions at the national, provincial, and district level to increase access to ART for HIV positive adults and children, reduce the incidence of new infections, improve Nutritional Assessment, Counseling and Services (NACS) and family planning services, and increase the capacity of local health institutions to better serve affected populations.

Position Title: Procurement Officer
Position Type: Full Time
Location: Lusaka

Job Summary

The Procurement Officer is a full-time position based in the Lusaka Office. S/he will be responsible for assisting in logistics and procurement for the USAID SAFE Project. This position will be responsible for adhering to all relevant JSI and USAID policies and regulations while maintaining smooth and efficient procurement activities for the office. S/he will follow the procurement process from receiving purchase request through delivery of the goods or services required for project functionality. S/he will report directly to the Senior Procurement Specialist.

Primary Responsibilities and Duties:

• Assist the Senior Procurement Specialist to consolidate all user department requirements for goods and services, and prepare an annual procurement plan for goods and services, which will also be updated on a quarterly basis;
• Receive procurement requests from user departments and clarify items specification with user department;
• Prepare and release requests for quotations in coordination with user departments, and JSI policies;
• Ensure compliance with procurement procedures as per Operations Manual
• Evaluate quotation/bids received and prepare evaluation documentation for procurement files, including recommendation of vendors to user departments and/or the Senior Procurement Specialist;
• Coordinate technical evaluation for procurements requiring procurement committees
• Prepare all vendors contract documents such as Local Purchase Orders (LPO);
• Follow up on JSI orders with contracted vendors to ensure timely delivery of goods and services, cultivating vendor relationships and ensuing product availability for user departments;
• Work closely with the Finance department to ensure timely payments to vendors for all JSI contracts; as necessary escalate any issues that arise to heads of units and/or the Senior Procurement Specialist;
• Monitor supplier performance and follow up with vendors on performance issues as needed;
• Maintain a comprehensive filing system for auditable records for all procurement documentations;
• Assist the Senior Procurement Specialist to maintain the LPO tracking sheet and make sure it is updated on weekly basis;
• In collaboration with Finance and Operations units, assist in managing JSI’s office inventory and ensure the inventory list is up to date.

Desired Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Procurement and/or Supply Chain Management or Equivalent;
• Possession of a professional qualification or a Post Graduate qualification will be an added advantage
• A minimum of 3 years’ practical procurement experience;
• Excellent written and verbal English skills are required;
• Experience and knowledge of Zambian VAT tax system
• Ability to easily communicate in a clear and courteous manner with all colleagues and vendors;
• Working knowledge and understanding of USAID procurement policies and Federal Rules and Regulations desired.
• Ability to work independently and take initiative with minimal supervision;
• Previous work experience with USAID and other donor-funded projects highly preferred; or experience working with an INGO is an added advantage;
• Highly proficient in common computer packages (eg. Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel) relevant to the work;
• Paying attention to detail is an essential advantage; and
• Must adhere and be able to maintain confidentiality for all company and staff proprietary matters.
• Must be a member of the Zambia Institute of Purchasing and Supply.

Mode of Application:

Please send email applications, with the position you are applying for in the subject line, to: [email protected]

Closing Date: 24 December 2020

Only candidates meeting the minimum requirements will be contacted. If you have not heard from us within 3 weeks after the closing date, kindly assume that your application was not successful.

John Snow, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer committed to workplace diversity. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all qualified applicants and employees without regard to age, race, color, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, gender, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, sexual preference, genetic information, political affiliation, or military status (special disabled veterans or veteran status) in any employment decisions. M/F/V/D