Zambart is an independent Zambian research organization whose headquarters is at the University of Zambia’s Ridgeway Campus in Lusaka. Zambart is globally renowned for its interdisciplinary research on HIV and Tuberculosis and has contributed to HIV and TB policy and practice at national and global levels. Zambart’s research portfolio now includes a broader scope of urgent public health issues. Zambart staff form an interdisciplinary team with a range of expertise including epidemiology, clinical science, social science, laboratory, operations research, health systems and services research, health policy analysis, health economics, health communication, and counselling.

Zambart’s vision is to conduct quality interdisciplinary health research on issues of public health importance in Zambia and contribute to improving health policy and practice leading to better health for all.
Our mission is to contribute to global public health policy and practice through the generation of evidence by conducting high-quality health research in Zambia.

To support our wide range of research activities, we are looking for an ambitious, suitably qualified candidate to fill the following exciting position that has arisen:

Position: Procurement Assistant (01)
Reporting To: Finance Manager
Job Location: Lusaka

Position Summary
The Procurement Assistant will support the daily procurement activities of Zambart from requisition to delivery of goods or services.

Roles and Responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Assist in the selection of appropriate suppliers and contractors in line with good procurement practices regarding economy, efficiency, and effectiveness.
• Liaise with study managers to determine procurement needs and delivery requirements.
• Obtain competitive quotes/bids and perform a bid analysis and recommendation for approval by study Principal Investigators.
• Ensure Zambart obtains value for money from all procurement activities regarding cost, quality, and delivery.
• Prepare purchase orders in accordance with Zambart purchase order processing procedures in the Zambart automated procurement system.
• Responsible for purchase order placement and follow-ups until goods or services are received.
• Responsible for vendor registration in accordance with Zambart vendor registration guidelines.
• Responsible for submission of tax rebate applications to the Ministry of Finance and National Planning.
• Liaise with the Zambart Revenue Authority, statutory regulators, and import clearing agents on all matters regarding import permits for clearance of imports for Zambart.
• Maintain all procurement records, including a purchase order tracker spreadsheet.
• Prepare service level agreements with vendors for approval by management.
• Maintain a good working relationship with vendors, ensuring clear orders with agreed delivery and payment terms and conditions.
• Responsible for resolving all supply disputes with vendors.
• Ensure goods delivered by vendors conform to the purchase order and are received by the stores officer.
• Responsible for coding of all Zambart fixed assets.
• Any other duties reasonably assigned by the line manager.

Education and Professional Requirements

• Diploma or degree in procurement and supply chain management or Business Administration, or Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) qualification.
• Experience in procurement and supply chain management, including managing customs clearance formalities.
• Computer skills, especially MS Office 365 skills.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Highly organized.
• Ability to prioritize work and achieve deadlines with minimum supervision.
• Strong analytical/problem-solving skills.
• High personal integrity.