Procurement Coordinator

African Parks is a non-profit conservation organization that takes on the complete responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks in partnership with governments and local communities. We currently manage 23 national parks and protected areas in 13 countries covering over 20 million hectares in Angola, Benin, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, and Ethiopia.

Gambella National Park was established as a protected area in 1973 and is 4,575 km² in size. It forms the northern anchor of a much larger contiguous system, with a network of protected areas in southern Ethiopia and neighboring South Sudan. The park hosts several wildlife species, including an important population of Nile Lechwe, Ethiopia’s largest population of elephant, healthy lion populations, one of the most endangered giraffe populations in the world, and a shoebill population. Gambella also forms part of the white-eared kob migration between South Sudan and Ethiopia—the largest land mammal migration on earth, comprising around 6 million animals.

JOB OVERVIEW:

The procurement coordinator is responsible for overseeing the end-to-end procurement process, from identifying sourcing needs to negotiating contracts with suppliers. This role requires strong analytical skills, as well as the ability to collaborate effectively with internal stakeholders and external suppliers. Some of the key duties and responsibilities of a procurement coordinator include:

MAIN ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop, implement, and standardize best procurement practices through processes, systems, and tools for Gambella National Park, from procurement planning to tendering and procurement, in order to improve operational and financial performance.
• Maintain a list of ‘approved suppliers’ for Gambella with a complete file for each supplier (bank details, RCCM, NIF, etc.). Build a database for suppliers, as well as blacklisted suppliers.
• Consolidate purchases of similar items for Gambella in order to obtain better prices by buying in bulk and requesting discounts, while considering the quality of the equipment.
• Establish annual procurement plans for Gambella, with monthly updates.
• Support Gambella in contracting with suppliers in accordance with EU models by better formalizing the procurement process and procedures.
• Ensure compliance with African Parks’ Procurement SOPs.
• Ensure compliance with donor procedures, particularly those of the European Union, in procurement procedures.
• Ensure compliance with African Parks’ Procurement SOPs.
• Ensure compliance with donor procedures, particularly those of the European Union, in procurement procedures.
• Better formalize the tendering process (publication, minutes of the opening of tenders, negotiation, supplier selection, notification to each supplier, etc.).
• Provide support for training colleagues from other departments in procurement procedures.
• Develop an online ‘public procurement archive’ to secure contracts and procurement procedures.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives and identify inefficiencies and opportunities for cost optimization, including ongoing procurement analysis.
• Perform any other tasks requested by management.

Education:

• Minimum of master’s degree in Procurement or equivalent, with a focus on compliance donor

Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in procurement position in NGO
• Experience with European Union Grants and thorough knowledge of their procurement procedures
• Experience in international purchasing
• Experience in organising, consolidating, negotiating and optimising purchases

Skills and abilities:

• Organisational and optimisation skills
• Skills with relevant software (Excel, Word…)
• Sense of rigour in the application of procedures
• Fluent in English
• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure and be flexible
• Clean record of conduct (no convictions)
• Knowledge of local language an asset