MCEurope recruits 01 Procurement Manager

MCEurope recruits 01 Procurement Manager

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we collaborate to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps has been operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since August 2007, with a team member of around 400 people working in North and South Kivu, with the overall country goal to support vulnerable communities through crises, while fostering programs that build resilience and promote long-term change. Mercy Corps’ national office is in Goma with sub-field offices in North Kivu and South Kivu.
Mercy Corps’ key programming areas include a combination of longer-term development and immediate humanitarian response programs in order to:  1) Improve water service delivery and ensuring equitable access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene services, in urban and rural areas; 2) Improve food security and nutrition; 3) Promote diversified livelihoods, economic recovery and development.

Mercy Corps DRC’s humanitarian programs aim specifically to assist populations affected by the conflict and crisis in Eastern Congo. With funding from humanitarian donors including ECHO, OFDA and UN-donors, the humanitarian portfolio continues to expand in order to provide multi-purpose cash assistance and emergency WASH to displaced and host populations. An Ebola virus outbreak has recently been confirmed in Beni area of North-Kivu province. Mercy Corps is working in close coordination with other actors and is getting ready to prepare a WASH response should the Health Division requests more support from partners. All Mercy Corps interventions in DRC are implemented in a conflict and gender sensitive manner.

General Position Summary

The Procurement Manager is responsible for supervising all purchases of goods and services of the Mercy Corps Country Program. S/he will train and oversee a team, while ensuring that a support strategy for healthy, robust and integrated systems is in place.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Analyze procurement team set up in every office, propose adjustment and recruit and train staff accordingly to guarantee a high performing and professional team is in place.
• Develop the management tools necessary to ensure control, compliance and efficiency of the department
• Provide senior leadership with the data and analysis necessary to make optimal decisions
• Analyze and proposes changes to procedures based on needs and risk management

 Procurement Management

• Provide direct support to and ensuring that all MC DRC offices meet high standards in Procurement.
• Ensure that Procurement Team and all relevant employees have correctly assimilated and applied the new Field Procurement Policies and Procedures (FP3)
• Provide training to staff on these new policies.
• Assist Program and Operational personnel in regular procurement planning meetings.
• Work closely with Program Managers, Ops Director and Log Manager to develop policies, procedures and team set-up better adapted to procurement for emergency programs.
• Lead the implementation of market surveys
• Organize proper filing of the Procurement related documentation according with Mercy Corps standards.
• Maintain a comprehensive dashboard for Procurement, to ensure follow-up and analysis is updated on a weekly and monthly basis.
• Engage with program managers for the development and regular updating of procurement plans for each project
• Ensure ongoing communication with the different departments to ensure a good planning of all purchases.
• Ensure maximum use of Master Agreement and yearly renewal of MA.
• Ensure all contracts and contractual terms are respected by supplier and Mercy Corps and respect local legislation.
• Ensure all tenders are done in accordance with procedure and archived according to Mercy Corps procedures.

Team Management

• Provide direct support to ensuring that all MC DRC offices meet minimum standards in Procurement management.
• Guide, supervise the team according to the performance revealed in the dash board.
• Ensure training and capacity building for procurement team members in order to increase the level of technical ability and skills within the department.
• Develop relevant management procedures within the team.
• Review job description as necessary, and include performance indicators. Conduct annual performance evaluation.
• Develop and implement KPIs for the procurement team
• Implement a management dashboard to provide accurate date on the department’s performance and proposes as well as implement changes

Finance & Compliance Management

• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations.
• Uphold Mercy Corps’ Zero tolerance policy to corruption
• Provide training to program team members on procurement compliance and procurement tools use

Influence & Representation

• Represent Mercy Corps to the relevant external meetings
• Consult with other NGOs to identify the best potential suppliers and providers
• Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.

Organizational Learning 

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
• Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Supervisory Responsibility: Procurement team in DRC

Accountability

Accountable for following Mercy Corps Field Procurement Policies and Procedures Manual, the MC Code of conduct regarding procurement activities and MC Conflict of Interest policy.

Reports Directly To: Operations Director

Works Directly With: Head of Offices, Program Managers, Finance Manager, HR Manager, log managers

Collaborates With: All MC logistics and operations team as required

Knowledge and Experience

• 5+ years field experience setting up and managing procurement systems with INGOs with supervisory responsibilities.
• BA/BS degree in a relevant field.
• Demonstrated understanding of complex environment, related security concerns and appropriate responses with experience in insecure context.
• Demonstrated attention to detail, following procedures, meeting deadlines and problem solving independently and cooperatively.
• Knowledge of Mercy Corps systems and procedures desirable; knowledge of donor regulations (USAID, DFID, EC, UN) an added advantage.
• Excellent negotiation and representation skills.
• Effective organizational, prioritization and result management.
• Excellent verbal and written French and English skills required.
• Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.

Success Factors

The successful Procurement Manager will be good at problem solving and have the ability to work out methods to deliver successful programs while demonstrating excellent stewardship of donor funds and compliance with MC and donor regulations. S/he will maintain strong cooperative relationships with other departments and interact effectively with international and national personnel both in a managerial as well as training capacity, while demonstrating the ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities. S/he will be able to live and work closely with a diverse team of individuals in a highly intense and fluid work and security environment and be willing to travel regularly to Mercy Corps field offices and project sites. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations. Good sense of humor a must.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

This is an unaccompanied post based in Goma. The position is entitled to share staff housing in Goma and is not eligible for hardship but is eligible for one R&R per year.

While conditions in the country are improving, and security is quite stable in Goma, there are still pockets of violence and insecurity and petty crime is on the increase. Mercy Corps’ sub-offices experience variable levels of insecurity, with the situation closely monitored by UN peacekeepers. Years of conflict and corruption have badly damaged the country’s infrastructure.  Air travel is necessary to get from one end of the country to the other.  There are virtually no telephone landlines in the DRC, though mobile phones and cellular service are widely available.  Internet is limited, but available in all Mercy Corps offices. Travel to field sites will be required (up to 20%) where living conditions are clean and secure, but basic. There are a number of health services available with several evacuation options for serious illnesses. There is reasonable access to most consumer goods, although they can be expensive.

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps’ policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.