The Venezuelan Red Cross (CRV) is a humanitarian organization whose mandate is to save lives and improve the conditions of vulnerable people. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, it provides timely assistance in emergencies, disasters, and other humanitarian crises.
Guided by its Fundamental Principles (Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Voluntary Service, Unity, and Universality), the CRV acts as an auxiliary to public authorities in the humanitarian field, working to reduce human suffering without distinction of race, gender, religion, or ideology. Its work encompasses emergency medical care, strengthening community resilience, first aid training, disaster response, and the promotion of health and well-being.
Through a network of highly committed volunteers, the CRV efficiently and effectively mobilizes resources to be present where and when they are most needed. Its work is based on solidarity, respect for human dignity, and a commitment to protecting life in all its forms.
If you want to be part of the team and make a difference, we invite you to join us.
How can you make a difference? Key functions / Responsibilities
The Purchasing Officer is responsible for planning, coordinating, and monitoring the procurement processes for goods and services required for the implementation of projects supported by the German Red Cross (CRAL) and implemented by the Venezuelan Red Cross (CRV). This includes ensuring that these processes are carried out efficiently, transparently, and on time, in strict compliance with institutional procedures, applicable regulations, and the fundamental principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The Purchasing Officer will be responsible for providing technical and operational support in procurement, logistics, document control, and inventory management. This includes ensuring the accurate preparation of Comparative Bid Tables (CBA), the traceability of procurement processes through to completion, proper coordination with administrative, financial, and technical teams, and timely follow-up with suppliers, contracts, and deliveries. The Purchasing Officer will contribute to the achievement of project objectives and the efficient, transparent, and responsible use of available resources.
He/She will be in charge of:
- Provide support in the preparation of logistics requisitions and consolidation of requirements (goods and services), verifying consistency of quantities, specifications, technical criteria, delivery times and conditions.
- Prepare and launch purchasing processes, including requests for quotations and formal communications with suppliers, in accordance with institutional procedures.
- Receive, review and organize offers (technical and financial), verifying requirements, validity, price consistency, commercial conditions, signatures/seals when applicable and compliance with specifications.
- Manage the correction (clarifications, adjustments and supplementary documentation) with suppliers, ensuring written traceability and compliance with defined deadlines.
- Prepare Comparative Bid Tables (CBA) in a complete, clear and comparable manner, documenting evaluation criteria and relevant technical and financial observations.
- Formally communicate the outcome of the process (approval/non-approval) to the suppliers, ensuring transparency, fair treatment and documentary record.
- Manage the awarding of the purchase process and support the administrative formalization, including the preparation and/or processing of purchase orders or service orders, and other documents required according to the applicable procedure.
- Review and validate supporting documentation for payments, including invoices, verifying consistency with the purchase/service order, agreed conditions, and applicable administrative requirements.
- Review and validate delivery/receipt reports, conformity reports and inventory documentation associated with the process (stock entry/kardex or other records), ensuring traceability of the closure.
- It is necessary to ensure that each process has a complete file (requisition, quotes, corrections, CBA, approvals, award, purchase/service order, minutes, invoice(s), inventory records) and to keep the physical and digital file up to date.
- Implement and maintain procedures for receiving, storing, dispatching and inventory control, including measures for products with upcoming expiration dates (e.g., medicines and medical supplies).
- Coordinate and supervise the registration, control and updating of project inventories, ensuring accuracy, traceability and reliability of the information.
- Perform periodic physical inventories, issue control reports, identify discrepancies, and propose/implement timely corrective actions.
- Coordinate the shipment and distribution of supplies to subsidiaries, verifying supporting documentation (minutes) and applying logistics and control standards.
- Formulate, manage and monitor the annual purchasing plan, aligned with project priorities and budget availability.
- Coordinate with administrative and financial areas the validation of the purchasing plan and the monitoring of the assigned budget, reporting deviations when appropriate.
- Ensure the updating and maintenance of logistics and purchasing records (including supplier database, where applicable), contributing to the transparency and efficiency of the process.
- To contribute to the continuous improvement of logistics and purchasing procedures, promoting efficiency, transparency and compliance.
- Participate in internal training and awareness processes on logistics policies and procedures, when required.
Report
The Purchasing Officer will report to the CRV Purchasing Coordination and the CRAL Logistics Coordination.
Workplace
Caracas, with availability to travel to the affected areas.
To qualify as a builder of the Venezuelan humanitarian system, you must meet the following requirements:
- University degree in a relevant field (administration, logistics, engineering, economics or related).
- A combination of relevant training and relevant work experience may be considered equivalent, in accordance with applicable internal policies.
- Minimum two (2) years of experience in logistics, inventory management and purchasing processes.
- Proven experience in evaluating quotes, preparing CBAs, negotiating with suppliers, and document tracking of processes.
- Experience in budget management, financial monitoring, and preparation of technical and budgetary reports.
- Experience in projects funded by international donors.
- Technical background in one or more areas such as: Health, Emergency Response, Disaster Risk Management, Migration, Finance and Logistics (advantage).
- Experience working with local organizations and supporting institutional strengthening (desirable).
- Experience with the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (desirable).
- Administrative and documentary rigor; ability to organize, monitor and close processes.
- Ability to plan, prioritize, and work with multiple processes in parallel.
- Communication and coordination skills with internal teams, subsidiaries and suppliers.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team, while maintaining confidentiality.
- Commitment to the Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
- Experience in emergency contexts and with volunteering (preferred).
- Oral and written fluency in Spanish (required).
- Knowledge of English (desirable).
How to apply
Only a shortlist of candidates will be contacted to advance to the next phase of the selection process. Candidates will be asked to speak with their previous direct reports/line managers before proceeding to interviews.
All those interested in applying for the position and who meet all or most of the requirements for the role should send their CV to the email address:Â postulaciones@cruzrojavenezolana.org
The email subject line should read:Â Official Purchasing_Ccs
CVs received without the title assigned to the call will be discarded.
Please review the professional requirements to be eligible.