Regional Procurement Manager Southern Africa (m/f/x) – MSF Belgium – Johannesburg At Médecins Sans Frontières

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international humanitarian aid organization that provides assistance in more than 60 countries to populations in distress, to victims of natural or manmade disasters and to victims of armed conflicts, without discrimination and irrespective of origin, religion, creed or political affiliation.

Regional Procurement Manager Southern Africa (m/f/x) – MSF Belgium – Johannesburg

CONTEXT

The Regional Procurement Manager (RPM) is based in South Africa and has the mandate to support the operations wherever MSF OCB (Operational Center of Brussels) operates in the Region.

As Regional Procurement Manager, you cover both goods and services requirements and support SASSU (Southern Africa Support Supply Unit) for the strategic categories (Bulky and Short Shelf Life items). You may collaborate and support the Partner Section’s strategic buyer.

The RPM is not a substitute for the local team (including Procurement Manager where there is one in place) in the mission and is not accountable for the local procurement.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The mission of the Regional Procurement Manager, being in proximity to the center of operations, is the following:

• Coordinate the development and implementation of the regional Strategic Procurement for regional and local purchases aiming at making available actionable and effective sources (for goods and services) optimizing the supply process efficiency and the financial resources use, while complying with MSF protocols, standards, procedures and aligned with the local context and operational strategic goals.
• Develop and maintain market/regulation intelligence in the Region to support the Procurement strategy, as well to benefit the users in the missions and the Global Procurement network for the strategic categories.
• Build capacity in procurement domain, providing technical coaching, training and advice regarding procurement process and good practices to the regional and local teams in the missions.
• Create and animate a community of practice in the Region.

The main responsibilities of the Regional Procurement Manager are as follows:

• Develop and manage knowledge concerning local and regional markets, regional commercial and customs agreements, local commercial laws & regulations and politics, as well as about MSF operational contexts and needs in the region.
• Develop market assessments and benchmark analysis (including local, regional, and international sourcing options) in order to collect all required information to feed the procurement strategy.
• Develop and coordinate a regional network both internal and external (suppliers, infrastructures, economical regional collaborations, 3PL, NGOs….).
• Monitor the intersectional procurement activity (contracts, savings, lead time, procurement and supplier performance…).
• Develop a procurement strategy for services as they are not covered by supply/procurement staff in the field, empower the local Procurement Managers and SupplyCos to endorse this responsibility whenever the mission is prepared and/or propose solution at regional level when they are available.
• Develop a regional procurement strategic vision consistent with the operations’ strategic goals to feed the supply design and strategy at regional and local levels.
• Lead and collaborate with procurement focal points of the missions and partner section to develop and implement the regional procurement strategy, defining the categories to be handled at regional level and their respective action plan, aligning with the concerned internal stakeholders.
• Lead the regional spend analysis based on the information provided (historical spend, budget and forecast) by procurement focal points of the missions (Logistic, Supply Coordinators, and/or Procurement MGR), in order to identify key suppliers, category of procurement and guide the definition of priorities.
• Identify and implement procurement synergies between operations, partner section and/or other OC (Operational Centers) missions whenever possible.
• Develop and lead the regional procurement governance implementation aligned with the global network.
• Support SASSU regarding the development of a procurement strategy for Bulky and Short Shelf Life items.
• Provide strategic guidance and advice to the field in order to develop their local procurement strategy.
• Build capacity in procurement domain providing coaching and training to field staff in the procurement domain (fundamentals, process, negotiation….).
• Develop a procurement community of practice in the Region including representatives of other sections (on a voluntary basis).
• Manage supplier relationships to ensure the quality of product and services provided.
• For the categories managed at regional level according to the priorities defined in the strategy:
  • Define and implement a decisional committee
  • Gather the needs from the missions and lead the alignments required to perform supplier selection process (codes, designation, specifications…)
  • Lead the sourcing and supplier selection process involving the procurement focal points of the concerned missions in each important decision and the technical referent as required by the LOG/MED quality policies.
  • Set up the required contracts or agreement and ensure their relevant endorsement
  • Calculate and communicate the savings, whenever it applies
  • Lead the development and implementation of Supplier Performance monitoring.

REQUIREMENTS

Education & Experience

• Master’s degree in business administration or supply chain management
• At least 5 years of experience in procurement including data analysis, sourcing, complex negotiation and contracting or previous experience in a different domain entailing the same components
• A good knowledge base in supply chain processes and financial budgeting
• Field missions in procurement /supply chain functions with MSF or another NGOs is a plus
• Experience in project management is an added value

Competencies

• Computer literacy: proven ability to work with Office and ERP, in particular a good command of Excel
• Ability to work transversally, in a multi-cultural environment and in remote mode
• Analytical mindset, organizational skills and autonomy
• Result-orientation and customer service orientation
• Proven diplomacy, ability to develop a professional network and listening skills

Languages

• Fluent oral and written English
• French is an asset

CONDITIONS

• Starting date: As soon as possible
• Location***: Johannesburg (South Africa)
• Mobility: 40% of field visits
• Contract type: Fixed-term contract – Full time
• Contract duration: 2 years (possibility of an extension)
• South African local Contract* – Salary according to MSF South Africa grid and conditions
• Adhere to the MSF principles and to our managerial values: Respect, Transparency, Integrity, Accountability, Trust and Empowerment
• Adhere to the MSF Behavioral Commitments

*Candidates from South Africa or Africa region are strongly invited to apply

*Due to the location legislation, all appointments for more than 6 months must have a local contract, meaning that all taxes are deducted and paid in South Africa

Deadline to apply: 22 March 2023