Procurement Lead at Abt Associates

Job Description

Under supervision of the DCOP, Finance and Administration, the Procurement Manager manages the procurement function and in particular, shall oversee the planning processes associated with the procurement of goods and services, including the evaluation, contract preparation/issuance, and contract administration process associated with project’s site office procurements. The Procurement Manager shall work closely with the Associate Finance Manager and technical managers to ensure proposed procurements are consistent with the USAID approved annual budget and compliant with Abt’s policies and procedures. The manager shall supervise a procurement and office coordinator.

Key Roles And Responsibilities

• Develop procurement strategies including how to manage the volume of procurements, create a procurement timeline, etc
• Develop, maintain and update on a regular basis a procurement tracker for all ongoing and new procurements in order to provide visibility into on-going purchases
• Draft, issue and review request for quotes (RFQs)
• In collaboration with technical teams, obtain and review product specifications or scope of work for services; ensure that specifications and scopes are clear, objective and complete.
• Draft or review purchase orders and local consultant agreements for execution
• Facilitate the review and evaluation of bids, ensuring participation of relevant technical staff and consistency with
• Convene a procurement evaluation committee when needed and serve as non-voting chairperson to ensure integrity of the selection process and selection is consistent with basis of award and evaluation factors in RFQ.
• Prepare bid matrix and source selection memorandum (when required) which includes competition process, names of evaluators and adequate justification for award recommendation.
• Ensure procurements are competed whenever feasible; work with technical team to prepare justification for non-competitive procurement for sole or single source.
• Conduct and document vendor pre-qualifications for repetitive purchases such as lodging, catering services, office supplies, water, vehicle service; when practical, prepare master service agreements in consultation with Abt Home Office.
• Coordinate with Associate Finance Manager and DCOP, Vector Control to ensure all equipment procurements are entered in project inventory list.
• Develop documents to guide procurement processes,
• Provide guidance to and direct oversight of the procurement officer, who shall be responsible for purchasing of certain categories of goods and services.
• Conduct standard orientation for all new staff about how procurement function operates and their role in any purchase
• Ensure that all procurements are compliant with Abt Associates’ policies and procedures as well as relevant USAID’ rules and regulations.
• Serve as the point of contact with vendors.
• Ensure that procurement files are complete and audit ready as soon as the procurement process is complete; Develop a system to check completeness of procurement files using Home Office provided procurement checklist
• Develop standards for filing and handling of procurement documents. Work with the home office procurement department and back stop team to obtain requisite approvals.

Preferred Qualification

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Management or another relevant field
• At least five (5) years of relevant professional experience, with significant experience in the procurement and logistics of commodities.
• Experience on USAID-funded development programs with high volume of procurement and thorough knowledge of Federal and AID Acquisition Regulations (FARs and AIDARs) is highly desired. Strong knowledge of USAID rules and regulations as they relate to procurement
• Must possess at least UNDP CIPS level 3 certification or equivalent.
• Excellent capacity building, organizational and computer skills
• Negotiation and analytical skills
• Ability to manage complex activities and complete tasks on short notice
• Fluency in written and spoken English

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree + Five years of relevant experience, or Master’s Degree + Three years of relevant experience, or PhD

Abt Associates is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse workforce. Abt Associates provides market-competitive salaries and comprehensive employee benefits. Local candidates strongly encouraged to apply.