The Procurement Specialist manages all the purchasing and contracting needs of the project. S/he ensures effective and timely provision of goods/commodities, works and services to the project through supervision, oversight, guidance and support to the procurement unit staff. s/he will review, develop and monitor the implementation of the procurement cycle policy and guidelines for the timely availability of quality goods, works and services at the most competitive prices in line with JCRC & Donor policies and procedures, USG rules and regulations as well Government of Uganda laws. The Senior Procurement Officer will report to the Director, Finance & Administration.

Duties and responsibilities;
1. Work plan development and implementation, which will include:
• Participate in work plan development with the entire project team.
• Work with the Project technical teams, and the Finance/Administration team, to plan for and implement detailed and efficient operational procurement support to project supported districts, health sub districts and health facilities. This includes but is not limited to: logistics support for on-site and off-site project supported activities (e.g., outreach camps, laboratory sample transportation hub network activities), and procurement support to both central office and cluster teams.
• Participate in the development of monthly, quarterly and annual reports.
2. Establish and implement a monitoring system that ensures prices paid for goods and services are in line with local market prices.
3. Develop and consolidate Procurement Plans and budget for every financial year and account for expenditures in accordance with the JCRC and USAID procurement policy and guidelines.
4. Review, develop, update and monitor the implementation of the JCRC procurement policy, guidelines and tools in accordance with the USAID, JCRC procurement policy and guidelines.
5. Conduct supplier pre-qualification and management; prepare pre–qualification documents, invite public bidders for pre-qualification exercise and conduct price search and market surveys in line with the procurement rules and regulations.
6. Prepare bidding documents, invite the shortlist bidders to submit their proposals and manage the Tender/Bid opening and communication of awards as per procurement rules and guidelines.
7. Prepare and submit quarterly Procurement reports to Director Finance and Administration and respond to all queries or communications regarding the reports in line with JCRC and USAID procurement policy and guidelines.
8. Organize and manage contract negotiations with pre-qualified suppliers to negotiate terms and conditions of contract in line with JCRC and USAID procurement policy and guidelines.
9. Review and monitor the implementation of a contract management system for the procurement process and provide technical support to user departments in contract management, in line with JCRC and USAID procurement policy and guidelines.
10. Work closely with the team to ensure execution of payment terms outlined in the purchase orders, blanket purchase agreements and any other contracting mechanisms – the Senior Procurement Officer is responsible for follow through on all procurement & acquisition contractual obligations. In coordination with activity managers, s/he reviews and approves invoices prior to forwarding them to finance for payment processing, resolves any problems that arise, performs post contract evaluations ensuring accuracy and integrity of data.
11. Documentation and Payment Processing: in coordination with technical team leads, Operations Manager and Program Assistants, the Senior Procurement Officer will work with relevant team members to ensure adequate documentation is secured in support of various project events such as field trainings and workshops, work planning workshops and other meetings involving internal and external staff and other stakeholders. S/he will design a system that puts in place a robust mechanism for the prompt and timely submission of such supporting documentation to the finance office to facilitate timely payment processing.
12. Coordinate and manage the disposal of assets in accordance with the JCRC and USAID procurement policy and guidelines.
13. Filing: the Senior Procurement Officer is responsible for the creation, management and ongoing maintenance of a filing, archiving and retrieval system in electronic and hard copy formats for JCRC procurement documents in accordance with established JCRC policies. S/he will also maintain records of official correspondence and communications and create a system to log both incoming and outgoing correspondence relating to procurements.
14. Supervision, Training & Development: The Senior Procurement Officer will directly supervise several staff including Procurement Officer, Procurement Assistant and Program Assistant – Procurement. This will include assigning them daily tasks and monitoring their performance to ensure it is of the highest standards and consistent with project needs. S/he will be responsible for the performance appraisals of these direct reports, as well as identifying their training and development needs. S/he will train staff or identify and utilize training providers (as approved by COP) to ensure the development of in-house capacity to support project needs.
15. Others: S/he will also perform other tasks assigned by the Director, Finance & Administration, that are consistent with the Senior Procurement Officer’s skills and experience and this Scope of Work.

Job Qualifications & Required Skills;
• Bachelor of Procurement and Logistics Management or Bachelor of commerce, Business Administration or business related field is required with a Masters degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience. Membership of CIPS is an essential requirement for this job is an added advantage.
• Minimum 5-7 years’ project procurement management experience, including managing field office procurements and supervising employees required.
• Thorough knowledge of USAID and its contractual, procurement and reporting requirements.
• Strong leadership, analytical and organizational skills; demonstrated ability to work both independently and within a team, assess priorities, and manage multiple activities with attention to detail, meeting tight deadlines under pressure.
• Excellent problem solving capacity, with demonstrated ability for considerable analysis and sound judgment to find solutions in a complex environment with shifting and competing priorities.
• Excellent cross-cultural communication (both oral and written) and interpersonal skills demonstrated by ability to interact professionally with culturally and linguistically diverse staff, stakeholders, clients and consultants.
• Advanced Computer skills including proficiency in Microsoft Office programs (Excel spreadsheets, word processing, power point, and electronic mail).