About CRS

Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as part of our staff and as partners people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and commitment to serving those in need. Since 2000 CRS Zambia has been implementing several programmes to support vulnerable Zambians. Its recent programming areas include nutrition, agriculture, food security, HIV/AIDS, WASH, financial inclusion, and early child development.

Job Summary:

You will manage all Country Program systems and processes for local and international procurement of goods and services to advance the delivery of high-quality programming to the poorand vulnerable. Your knowledge and experience will allow you to successfully manage the quality and efficiency of all procurement and purchasing activities and to ensure stewardship, integrity, transparency, and accountability.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Manage fully compliant procurement systems, operating procedures and organize the procurement functions. Assess effectiveness, efficiency and recommend improvements. Ensure 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.
• Lead the sourcing process for high-risk, high-value, complex, and strategic procurements, 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.
• Effectively manage talent and supervise. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, and complete performance management for direct reports. Monitor and assess performance to ensure adequate capacity for successful support of high-quality programming.
• Communicate with various program and operations units to coordinate and track goods/services delivery and receipt and keep everyone informed of the status.
• Oversee and monitor relationships and transactions with suppliers, supplier performance, and contractual obligations to ensure contract completion per authorized terms and conditions. Take action to address current and/or potential contractual issues and/or inefficiencies to mitigate risk. Advise on contract/purchase order modifications, if needed.
• Ensure the highest level of transparency and integrity amongst the procurement department and prevent fraud along the procurement process. Conduct periodic risk assessment along the procurement process.
• Accountable for transparency within the procurement department through ensuring a complete, accurate and up-to-date document trail of all procurement processes and vendor files to assist with control and accountability. Prepare reports and facilitate document retrieval
• Oversee procurement reports analysis to provide data for decision-making.
• Ensure eligibility verification of all new suppliers before they are added to the Global Supplier List (BridgerXG)
• Provide support in the development and delivery of procurement trainings to close identified gaps

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Purchasing and Supply or CIPS level 6,
• Master of Science in Procurement, Logistics and Supply Chain Management or Master of Business administration is a plus.
• Minimum of 5 years work experience in non-profit or public procurement/purchasing management, with evidence of increasing complexity over time, preferably with an international organization. Experience in marketing and communications procurement preferred
• Firm understanding of various donor procurement regulations, particularly USAID, CDC, UN Agencies e.g., UNICEF, Global Fund etc.
• Knowledge of international and national procurement regulations and local market conditions.
• Strong knowledge of contract terms and proven ability to negotiate terms and agreements and build and maintain networks with suppliers.
• Staff management experience and ability to foster a conducive learning environment.
• Proven experience in staff development and capacity building

Travel – Must be willing and able to travel up to 20%.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong planning, coordination, prioritization, and time management skills
• Strong analytical skills with ability to make independent judgment and decisions
• Ethical conduct in accordance with recognized professional and organizational codes of ethics
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented, and results-oriented
• Strong negotiation, communication, and relationship management skills

Requirements

• Must be a member of Zambia Institute of Purchasing and Supply.
• Proficient in MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint). Experience with ERP system is highly desirable

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Integrity
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation
• Builds Relationships
• Develops Talent
• Strategic Mindset
• Accountability & Stewardship

Supervisory Responsibilities

Supervising procurement staff

Key Working Relationships:

Internal

• Finance
• Administration, Fleet and Logistics
• Programming
• Human Resources
• Global Supply Chain Management/Procurement

External

• Suppliers
• Service Providers
• Consultants
• Donors

***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.

Disclaimer:  This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.

CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

SAFEGUARDING Disclaimer Clause:

This job description is not an exhaustive list of skills, effort, duties and responsibilities associated with the position. CRS’ recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

Important Note: 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.