Job Announcement

Procurement Officer

This position is proposal-based and is contingent on funding and donor approval.

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion, or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) began working in Liberia in 1957, with a permanent Country Program Office opening in 1990, supporting relief and development operations in the country. CRS Liberia has proudly maintained a strong reputation and relationship with partners and the communities we serve in the country by implementing a multi-sector program portfolio. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, health, agriculture, education, livelihoods, peacebuilding, and WASH.

Job Summary:

You will coordinate local procurement activities and processes to acquire goods and services in support of the delivery of high-quality programming to the poor and vulnerable. Your knowledge and experience will allow you to successfully coordinate the quality and efficiency of procurement and purchasing activities and ensure stewardship, integrity, transparency, and accountability.

Title: Procurement Officer

Location: Monrovia

Type of Role: Fixed-Term Contract

Reports to: Operations Manager

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Coordinate fully compliant procurement systems and operating procedures. Assess effectiveness and efficiency and recommend improvements. Contribute to ensuring compliance with CRS procurement principles, standards, policies, donor regulations, and local statutory requirements.
• Coordinate with various departments to develop and maintain an up-to-date procurement plan with all quantities, quality and delivery requirements for goods and services. Provide pricing information to assist budget holders with budget preparation.
• Coordinate the sourcing process and perform various activities to assist with ensuring the best value for money: market research, cost estimates, solicitation documents, bidding process facilitation, supplier identification and research, quality and availability of goods assessment, negotiation, contract/purchase order and other documents preparation.
• Communicate with other procurement staff and various program and operations units to coordinate and track goods/services delivery and receipt and keep everyone informed of the status. Collect information to confirm that goods/services delivered are what has been ordered in the correct quantities and quality they arrive on schedule and at the right cost.
• Maintain correspondence and constant contact with suppliers to follow up on the execution of contractual terms and conditions, and handle issues if needed. Monitor and report on supplier performance, noting current and/or potential issues and/or inefficiencies and assist with contract/purchase order modifications.
• Accountable for transparency within the procurement department through ensuring a complete, accurate and up-to-date document trail of all procurement processes, vendor files, procurement and inventory database to assist with control and accountability. Prepare reports and facilitate document retrieval.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration or other relevant degree.
• Minimum of 3 years of work experience in procurement/purchasing management, logistics, and administration, preferably with an international organization.
• Good knowledge of various donor procurement regulations (e.g. USAID, EU, UN), with Global Fund procurement experience being an advantage.
• Knowledge of international and national procurement regulations and local market conditions.
• Knowledge of contract terms, as well as a proven ability to complete purchase orders against specifications.

Required Languages – Excellent written and spoken English.

Travel – Must be willing and able to travel up to 10%.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Good planning and coordination skills and ability to prioritize competing priorities effectively.
• Good analytical skills with the ability to make independent judgments and decisions.
• Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented with a focus on meeting customer needs
• Ethical conduct in accordance with recognized professional and organizational codes of ethics
• Good negotiation, communication, and relationship management skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional certification is a plus.
• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint). Experience with database management systems (e.g., MS Access) is highly desirable.

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and are used by each staff member to fulfil his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Integrity
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation
• Builds Relationships
• Develops Talent
• Strategic Mindset
• Accountability & Stewardship

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

Key Working Relationships:

Internal: Global Fund Program Team, including but not limited to the Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party, Finance Manager, Project Officer, Supply Chain Manager, Risk and Compliance Manager, Malaria Technical Advisor; Liberia Country Program Operations team.

External:Partners, vendors, donors, peers at other agencies.

Applications:

Please send a resume/CV to LR_HR@crs.org by April 10, 2024, with the subject line “Procurement Officer” No phone calls. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

We thank all applicants for their interest in this opportunity; however, if you don’t hear from us after two months of the vacancy deadline, kindly note that your application was not successful.

CRS follows an equal opportunity policy and actively encourages diversity welcoming applications from all especially women and people living with a disability.

By applying to this job, I understand and acknowledge that CRS requires its staff to treat all people with dignity and respect and to actively prevent harassment, abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking. Further, I understand that if I am a successful candidate, I will be subject to a comprehensive background check, and my personal/professional references will be asked to evaluate my behaviours related to the above safeguarding-related topics.

***Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need.

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skills, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.

CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all people – especially children and vulnerable adults – to live free from abuse and harm.