Tostan recruits 01 Procurement Specialist

Tostan recruits 01 Procurement Specialist in Senegal

Organisational overview

Tostan is a non-governmental organisation with 501(c)(3) status, headquartered in Dakar, Senegal, and currently working in five West African countries. The organisation is strategically committed to developing its core competence of strengthening education to promote sustainable development and positive social transformation based on respect for human rights. Tostan’s development model, the three-year Community Capacity Building Programme (CCBP), has already reached thousands of communities in both West and East Africa since 1991. Results in the areas of governance, education, health, economic empowerment and the environment are currently being monitored, and Tostan is particularly proud to be playing an important role in the large-scale empowerment of women and girls and in the abandonment by communities of harmful practices such as female circumcision and child marriage. And in increased enrolment in formal education for children; increased use of problem solving and reading skills to generate income and further develop local economies; and increased access to health care.
In order to achieve its organisational objectives as defined in its Strategic Engagement Plan (SEP) 2016- 2022, Tostan Inc. is looking for competent, committed and community-minded staff in Africa.

Job overview

We are looking for a Procurement Specialist to lead the development and execution of robust procurement policies, procedures and standards to ensure the effective delivery of Tostan’s objectives. The role will involve analysing costs, negotiating contract details and proposing strategies and solutions to help Tostan better manage the costs of supplies and services from suppliers.

The incumbent will manage, direct, negotiate and award complex, high value and unique procurement contracts and/or purchase orders for goods and services;
The Procurement Specialist will support Tostan’s budget holders and advise internal and external stakeholders on laws, policies, procedures and critical issues concerning procurement activities; The
Procurement Specialist will be responsible for ensuring that goods and services are purchased
from approved suppliers and delivered in accordance with agreed terms, seeking to maximise value to the organisation;
The Procurement Specialist will be responsible for providing high quality, day-to-day procurement services that are fully compliant with Tostan’s procurement policies, procedures and standards. The Procurement
Specialist will ensure the quality of procurement services provided and contribute to the improvement and knowledge management of procurement processes;
The Procurement Specialist will develop and update the database of suppliers and contractors in accordance with the Tostan Procurement Manual.

Responsibilities

Support budget holders and other organisational managers in initiating procurement and contracting activities, including the preparation of procurement requests;
Define the appropriate procurement methods for each purchase request;
Ensure that Tostan sources from the best supplier in terms of price, quality and delivery time; Validate and approve supply requests;
Obtaining and directing the evaluation of quotations and carrying out ad hoc procurement; Responsible for processing Purchase Orders (POs);
Responsible for record keeping and documentation of the procurement from start to finish; Keep a complete record of contracts for goods and services;
Ensure that orders are created correctly and follow up on any related issues;
Maintain, monitor and periodically update the supply risk register;
Manage day-to-day interactions with suppliers and service providers;
Ensure that all sales staff receive an annual performance review and that the sales database is regularly updated;
Escalate complex issues to the supervisor, including recommendations on policies and procedures necessary to ensure the success and compliance of all procurement and related activities; Develop and update product and service catalogues and procurement guides;
Apply relevant procurement tools where necessary or mandated by the process;
Maintain continuous improvement and knowledge management, participate in the continuous improvement of the department;
Propose changes/improvements to the process documentation where necessary;
Propose procurement procedures and best practices;
Provide advice and assist in resolving technical issues to comply with service descriptions and procurement procedures, while maintaining quality and timeliness;
Ensure full compliance with standards and guidelines;
Monitor performance against targets and deliverables for all contracts and procurement activities, including the performance of subcontractors, where appropriate;
Prepare and implement the annual procurement plan during the annual work plan development and budget year;
Align procurement activities and processes with Tostan’s strategy and expectations; Manage the renewal of equipment rental/leasing processes;
Coordinate regularly with other departments to ensure effective and timely coordination and teamwork in the procurement of goods and services;
Manage the day-to-day operations of the procurement function in Senegal and support the procurement activities in the country operations;
Ensure that procurement activities in operations at the country coordination level are in line with the Tostan procurement manual;
Ensure that suppliers deliver goods and services in accordance with agreed price, time, quantity and quality standards;
Ensuring that all invoices are checked for compliance with the terms of the contract and overseeing contract closure activities; and
Any other task necessary for the proper functioning of the procurement department.

Behaviour

Passion for customer service ;
Effective cross-functional and cross-cultural teamwork;
Able to interact and manage internal customers effectively;
Ability to handle many requests simultaneously and prioritise effectively;
Responding to the needs on the ground and the sense of urgency; and
Proactive and willing to improve systems.

The required and desired skills:

Professional

Previous experience in commercial negotiations with suppliers;
Previous experience in transactional procurement is an asset; and
Effective business communication (written and oral).

Techniques

Good understanding of procurement, ERP and logistics systems;
Knowledge and understanding of robust procurement processes and practices, supplier database development and contract management;
At least five (5) years of progressive experience in operational management of NGOs and other non-profit organisations;
Experience with specific donor procurement procedures (USAID, UN, etc.) is an added advantage; and
Ability to interact in French and English.

Education

A Master’s degree (BAC+5) in Logistics/Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration or a related field is required.
Knowledge of a related field is an added advantage.
Type of contract: Local contract

How to apply?

Please send your application with the reference (in the subject line) « Procurement Specialist A22 » to the e-mail address hr@tostan.org (by copying kadjidiop@tostan.org) before 16 April 2022, together with:

A cover letter
A detailed CV including the contact details of three referees, one of whom must be your current or previous supervisor.
Your salary expectations and availability.

Tostan is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all applications, regardless of race, religion, age, gender, nationality, disability or any other form of discrimination prohibited by law. We therefore strongly encourage applications from women and people with disabilities. Successful candidates will be subject to pre-employment screening in accordance with the Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy, the Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Policy and the Counter Terrorism Screening Policy.

Closing date: 16 April 2022.