Job Announcement –  External

Procurement Officer

Job Type:    Full time

Location:     Freetown, Sierra Leone

Start Date:  15th May, 2023

End Date:   14th May, 2024; Annual contract (renewable)

Reports to:  Admin & Operations Manager

Open to Expatriates: No

Grade: I

Introduction:

Helen Keller International is a global health organization dedicated to eliminating preventable vision loss, malnutrition, and diseases of poverty. Helen Keller Intl partners with communities that are striving to overcome longstanding cycles of poverty and is devoted to scaling up evidence-based, cost-effective solutions to improve care practices and ensure that basic health interventions reach vulnerable people, with a focus on women, youth, and children.

Helen Keller Intl has been operating in Sierra Leone for nearly 20 years in support of the Food, Nutrition and Neglected Tropical Disease (NTDs) components of the National Health Development Plan of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, as well as food security component of the ministry of Agriculture.

The Procurement Officer is a key position and will be overall responsible for ensuring integrity of all procurements at the Helen Keller Sierra Leone office in compliance with both Helen Keller and donor compliance. The postholder will report to the Admin & Operations Manager and will work closely with other members of the team and across office to execute procurement functions, both locally and internationally, for Helen Keller Sierra Leone.

Specific Responsibilities:

Procurement Responsibilities:

• Ensures that Helen Keller and donor procurement policies and formats are properly used/applied in all procurements.
• Responsible for the daily coordination of Helen Keller Sierra Leone procurement activities
• Attends all procurement committee meetings and ensures Helen Keller policies are followed including but not limited to maintaining minutes of all such meetings, etc.
• Actively contributes to the overall program planning and implementation process.
• Regularly monitors the Procurement Tracker and ensures it is updated.
• Coordinates with program, admin and finance staff, as needed to ensure controls are in place, timely payment to vendors and maintenance of a complete audit trail in terms of supporting documentation.
• Ensuring all procurements are transparent and responsive to program needs.
• Prepares the required documentation of supplies and transactions as to Helen Keller standards.
• Ensures the timely and well documented delivery of goods/supplies and/or services to respective Helen Keller Sierra Leone office or partners in coordination with the program staff, as required. Ensures the goods/supplies as per the description on the purchase order/request. Inspects goods upon delivery and rejects inadequate, broken, lower quality and other items not meeting the requirements of the order
• Receives PFs for processing and Issues LPO to vendors for the procurement of Goods and services (consultancies)
• Ensures the Helen Keller Sierra Leone vendor list is maintained and updated regularly.
• Establishes and maintains ethical and professional working relationships with the vendors/suppliers.
• Carries out market surveys to be abreast with current market prices of items.
• Manages the procurement staff in the Country Office
• Establishes and maintains good working relationships with the global office, as needed.
• Any other tasks as allocated by your supervisor.

Qualifications and Experience Required:

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as Procurement, Business Administration, management, etc.
• At least 4 years working experience in procurement especially in the sector.
• Computer literacy especially in MS Office and ability to write concise and professional emails/communication.

• Detailed knowledge and understanding of procurement ethics and donor compliance is essential.
• Excellent oral and written English skills

Skills

• Attention to detail
• Effective time management

• Proven ability to multi-task and process information into action to be able to meet deadlines
• Proven ability to solve problems independently without supervision
• Conscientious with an excellent sense of judgment
• Willingness and ability to work effectively with a wide variety of people
• Strong ability to work as part of a team and coordinate with project personnel
• High level of integrity and honesty.

How to apply: 

To apply, please send your CV and cover letter to:

SierraLeone.recruitment@hki.org; 

or hand-deliver to: Helen Keller Intl. Office at 16H James Macarthy Drive, off Spur Road, Wilberforce, Freetown.

Please mark your application as per the references stated in the position above (referencing the SUBJECT heading)

Closing date for the receipt of applications for the above vacancies is 17:00hrs on Tuesday 28th March 2023.  Applications sent after this time, would not be allowed.

Please note: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

“Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply”