JOB PURPOSE
The SFA Foundation is undertaking a strategic enhancement of its supplier registration and vendor management systems to strengthen procurement governance, transparency, and efficiency. To support this initiative, we are seeking to engage a Temporary Procurement Officer to assist the Procurement and Supply Chain team in driving this transformation.
The officer will be responsible for reviewing supplier documentation, evaluating vendor submissions, updating the approved vendor register, and contributing to vendor performance assessment and category management frameworks. The role will also support the development of relevant Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The successful candidate will work closely with the procurement team to execute assigned duties.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Supplier Evaluation and Registration
- Developing and reviewing evaluation criteria aligned with the Supplier Registration Document, in collaboration with the Senior Procurement Officer (SPO).
- Evaluating supplier submissions against approved criteria to ensure they meet eligibility and compliance requirements.
- Justifying supplier evaluations, documenting reasons for qualification or disqualification in a structured evaluation matrix.
- Conducting thorough due diligence, including reference checks and background assessments to verify legal and operational credibility.
- Ensuring supplier clarifications are consolidated and addressed during the registration stage to avoid ambiguity or misrepresentation.
Vendor Data Management
- Collect, record, and categorise all supplier registration submissions accurately, ensuring data completeness, consistency, and alignment with predefined procurement categories.
- Conduct thorough evaluations, documenting findings in structured evaluation matrices that include scoring, eligibility, and compliance for each vendor.
- Prepare detailed and summarised lists of both successful and unsuccessful suppliers per category, clearly stating reasons for disqualification where applicable, to maintain transparency and traceability.
- Develop and maintain the List of Registered Vendors (LRI) based on the registration outcomes.
- Ensure the systematic onboarding of successful vendors into procurement systems, while cleaning, archiving, and organising vendor records for easy access and accurate future reference.
- Formally notify vendors of evaluation outcomes.
Vendor Relationship and Performance Management
- Support in conducting performance evaluations for long-term vendors and all vendors on framework agreements.
- Supporting the review and enforcement of Framework Agreements.
- Updating vendor lists based on performance assessments and framework reviews, ensuring underperforming suppliers are flagged or removed.
- Updating recently onboarded vendors in the AVL.
Procurement Process Support
- Supporting the development and renewal of Framework Agreements.
- Support review of Supplier registration SOPs
- Support in the development of Supplier category management SOPs
- Any other procurement activity as assigned by the SPO.
PERSON SPECIFICATIONS
Academic Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or a related field.
Professional Qualifications
Experience
- At least three (3) years of relevant experience in a senior procurement role.
- Experience in pre-qualification data analysis, reporting, and development of an Approved Vendor List.
- Experience in supplier category management.
- Experience in an international NGO is an added advantage.
- Knowledge of accounting software, preferably NetSuite, is an added advantage.
- Proficient in MS Office.
- Previous experience in contracting and technical evaluation of the pre-qualification of suppliers.
Knowledge, Skills and Attributes
- Teamwork: Works as a supportive team member, recognises opportunities to grow the team and proactively builds and manages relationships.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Attention to detail and accuracy.
- Integrity, professionalism, and able to maintain confidentiality.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially MS-Excel.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Eagerness to learn and grow in a professional environment.
Personal Attributes
- Able to thrive in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities.
- Demonstrates a strong willingness to learn and grow professionally.
- Ability to establish and maintain good working relations with individuals of different cultural backgrounds.
THE APPLICATION DEADLINE WEDNESDAY, 25 JUNE 2025
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JOB PURPOSE
Understanding trends in Africa’s science ecosystem, leveraging the outcomes, results, and impact of our implementation partners, and managing knowledge for sustainable and efficient use is integral to the successful delivery of SFA Foundation’s strategy. The Manager – Knowledge Management and Learning is a senior role that reports to the Chief Scientific Officer and is responsible for supporting the implementation of evidence-based programming and continuous, adaptive learning within the SFA Foundation and across implementing partners. This includes owning the monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) function internally and across our funded partners; spearheading sector-wide research and learning initiatives; and driving and promoting a robust knowledge management agenda within the programmes function.
The role holder will join a dynamic team in a relatively young organisation and is expected to demonstrate experience and capability leading MEAL interventions, advancing strategic research and learning, and delivering robust knowledge management.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
Lead the development, rollout, and continuous strengthening of a robust Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Function:
- Lead the definition of an effective monitoring and reporting framework for the Foundation’s science programmes.
- Programme Planning Support: Lead in the development, design, and operationalisation of clear, relevant and feasible MEL strategies to ensure clearly defined measurable indicators of outputs, outcomes, and impact in line with SFA’s mission and strategy.
- Monitoring and Reporting: Oversee the implementation of robust, efficient and effective reporting frameworks that facilitate the acquisition and aggregation of knowledge and impact stories in collaboration with the Communications and Programme teams. Ensure high-quality reporting to funders and internal stakeholders based on robust MEAL systems.
- Evaluation: Drive the development of robust baseline, mid-term and end term evaluations and consultant recruitments as necessary.
- Data and Information Management: Provide leadership and guidance on fit-for-purpose data collection methodologies (qualitative and quantitative) that will be used for monitoring programmes and measuring the achievement of appropriate indicators.
- Learning: Lead in the development and implementation of a learning agenda at SFA Foundation. Oversee MEAL strategy implementation and ensure alignment with SFA’s impact framework.
Research and Learning
- Research strategy: Define SFA Foundation research priorities and ensure alignment with the organisation’s mission and strategic goals for impact and fundraising.
- Learning agenda and execution: Identify relevant and important gaps in existing evidence research and define suitable approaches to fill them, taking into account global and local trends in the science ecosystem.
- Lead research and analysis across a range of multiple sectors, topics, and fields, including horizon scanning activities, and contribute to ensuring all SFA Foundation science programs draw on the best available evidence in their design and implementation. This includes actively contributing to proposal development and intervention design. Lead the design and execution of strategic research, learning agendas, and reflection processes.
- Maintain an overall view of the programmes and ongoing projects, ensuring that interdependencies are raised quickly and addressed from a technical and operational perspective. Guide the use of evidence for adaptive programme decision-making and funder reporting.
- Generate insights to drive program quality, innovation, and fundraising.
Knowledge Management
- Strategic direction: Lead in the development and implementation of a knowledge management strategy for the science function. Lead in the establishment of effective system and tools for archiving science function guidelines, tools, data files, analysis files, reports, and presentations for major activities and initiatives undertaken.
- Oversee the development and implementation of SFA’s knowledge management strategy and platforms for capturing institutional memory.
- Knowledge Partnerships: Design and implement innovative approaches and strategies for the development of effective knowledge sharing partnerships. Lead knowledge translation efforts to inform policy, practice, and funder communications.
- Engagement and Sharing: Support the design and implementation of a successful Community of Practice and Cohort Management framework across the science function. Represent SFA in external learning networks and thought leadership forums.
Cross Cutting
- Leadership and team management: Build and manage high performance to execute SFA Foundation Monitoring and evaluation; learning and research and knowledge management agendas.
- Stakeholder engagement: In collaboration with the Chief Scientific Officer, support engagements with key stakeholders to drive forward impactful research initiatives and program design improvements.
- Training and Coaching: Build the capacity of programme teams and the organisation on matters of MEL and strategy.
- Representation: Ably represents the SFA Foundation in various local and international forums requiring liaison with current and potential implementing and funding partners.
PERSON SPECIFICATIONS
Academic Qualifications
Master’s degree in one of the following (or related) fields:
- Monitoring & Evaluation, Development Studies, or Public Health.
- Knowledge Management, Information Science, or Organizational Learning.
- Statistics, Economics, or Social Sciences (with demonstrated training in M&E and learning systems).
Professional Qualifications
- Advanced certificate or training in MEL, knowledge management, statistics, data management or any other relevant field.
Experience
A minimum of seven (7) years’ relevant experience leading work in the field of science ecosystem strengthening in Africa, especially across health, climate, and/or agriculture.
Knowledge, Skills and Attributes
- Proven success in designing, implementing, and operating project MEL systems from project initiation to close out stages.
- Strong knowledge and proven success in leading the design and implementation of Knowledge Management frameworks, methodologies, and tools.
- Strong research and analysis skills; demonstrable experience in leading the design and execution of implementation research strategies.
- Experience in and ability to work with ICT tools; proficiency in data analysis software (e.g., SPSS, STATA, Power BI, or advanced Excel).
- Excellent communication, report writing, and presentation skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and work under tight deadlines.
- Theory of Change, Results-Based Management, or Evaluation Design.
- Knowledge management systems (e.g., SharePoint, DSpace, Salesforce Knowledge).
- Qualitative and quantitative analysis (e.g., NVivo, STATA, R).
- Digital tools for data use and storytelling (e.g., Power BI, Tableau).
- Open science, research data governance, or learning facilitation.
Leadership Competencies
- Resilience: Maintains a focus on key priorities and deliverables, staying resilient in the face of pressure.
- Management: Strong incremental experience managing teams and demonstrated ability to help accelerate the growth of direct reports.
- Self-motivated, goal and deadline driven; proven track record to deliver the highest possible quality and within set timeframes.
- Highly organised, with an ability to balance working independently whilst engaging teams.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, and an ability to represent SFA Foundation at all levels and in different cultural settings.
- Ability to work in an international and multicultural setting.
- Ability and willingness to travel up to 20% domestically and internationally.
- High moral standing with impeccable integrity.
THE APPLICATION DEADLINE TUESDAY, 8 JULY 2025
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