Procurement Assistant at Church World Service

Job Title: Procurement Assistant

Grade: 4 (N)

Level: Associate Specialist
Division: Administration
Location: Kampala, Uganda

Primary Purpose
This position is primarily responsible for assisting the General Services (GS) department in purchasing and procurement functions of supplies, equipment and services. The incumbent will also be responsible for maintaining purchasing records and facilitating accurate documentation to Finance.

Supervision

This position reports directly to the Administration Supervisor, Kampala Uganda.

Essential Duties

1. Assists in procurement of goods and services in a cost-effective, timely and transparent manner in line with CWS Polices, Co-operative Agreement and 2CFR 200.
2. Assists in conducting market research to capture the current costs and quality trends of items in the market, evaluates offers from vendors and negotiates better prices on behalf of CWS Africa.
3. Ensures all approved quotations are captured in SAGE and approved LPOs sent to the vendors.
4. Receives and reviews invoices and ensures complete documentation (GRN, Invoice, Delivery Note, LPO) before submission to finance for payment.
5. Manages flow of complete procurement documents between departments within the Kampala office.
6. Participates in budget preparation by researching cost estimates of proposed items.
7. Analyses incoming bids by coming up with a comprehensive analysis on the requirements of the bid for review by the committee meetings.
8. Prepares the Request for proposal (RFP) reports for tender committee review.
9. Coordinates and facilitates the vendor pre-qualification process.
10. Tracking of vendor invoices on the procurement excel spread sheet
11. Completes vendor forms and updates the scans and the vendor list on the fileserver.
12. Ensures reconciliations for vendors by comparing invoices and payments.
13. Participates in developing, facilitating, implementing, monitoring and reviewing procurement plans.
14. Responsible for managing all updated procurement contracts, coordinate and monitor the supply chain function to ensure compliance with procurement policies and practices and donor requirements.
15. Liaises with vendors to create realistic delivery schedules and compare actual deliveries in order to evaluate vendor performance and responsiveness.
16. Ensures procurement records are accurate, up to date and in compliance with procurement policies and practices policies and donor requirements.
17. Builds and maintains positive relationships with all members of staff, and contactors both within and outside CWS RSC Africa.
18. Performs any other duties as assigned to improve the operations of CWS Uganda office.

Qualifications

Education:

· Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Public Administration, Procurement or other related field required.

· Diploma in Purchasing and Supplies Management is preferred.

Experience:

· Three (3) years of procurement or related work experience with increasing responsibilities is required.

Knowledge/ Skills:

· Demonstrated excellent computer skills for Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and Outlook

· Working knowledge of SAGE and 2 CFR 200 will be an added advantage

· Demonstrated strong organizational and time management skills

· Strong written and verbal English skills

· Committed to and conform with the organization’s mission.

Abilities
The Procurement Assistant must have the ability to:

· Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.

· Maintain the confidentiality and integrity of accounts and budget information.

· Exercise good judgement and seek guidance as appropriate when confronted with unanticipated problems.

· Effectively manage CWS Africa’s resources.

· Follow instructions from the Supervisor with a positive and receptive attitude.

· Deal effectively and courteously with a large number of associates, outside agencies, applicants and members of the general public.

· Conduct oneself in a professional and courteous manner to represent the best interests of RSC Africa and CWS/IRP.

· Maintain a high performance standard with attention to detail.

· Carry out all of the duties of the position efficiently and effectively with minimal supervision.

· Work independently and contribute to overall operations of CWS Africa.

· Take initiative in the development and completion of projects.

· Lead others and address issues as they arise.

· Maintain strict confidentiality with RSC Africa administrative and operational information.

· Manage a large and diverse workload under pressure with competing priorities.

· Analyse and solve complex problems and make sound decisions.

· Work well as a team in a multi-cultural environment while maintaining a high level of motivation.

· Actively participate in the implementation of the U.S. Government Operational Refugee Processing Program in Africa.

Physical requirements: This position requires bending, sitting, standing, walking, handling objects (manual dexterity), reaching above shoulder level, using fine finger movements and lifting/carrying light loads.

Working environment: Normal office working conditions

Special Requirements: Certificate of Good Conduct issued within the last one year (12 months) required before the start of employment. Employee will be entrusted with the receipt, custody and payment of money.**