Procurement & Compliance Officer

Job Summary

A procurement officer plays an integral role in any organization. Execution of the role ensures that the organization makes sound decisions around the purchases of goods and procurement of services required to service the needs of the organization. The procurement and compliance officer is also responsible in overseeing the compliance of all relevant policies, laws and regulations. Working as a procurement and compliance officer comes with several ancillary duties that are integral to the organization’s success and upholding the good standing of the organization.

Purpose of Position

• To co-ordinate purchasing practices and maximise savings and benefits available to the organisation during purchasing activities.
• To strengthen the procurement processes by actively engaging with the relevant networks, vendors and suppliers and applicable stakeholders.
• Contributing to developing and maintaining procurement and organisational guidelines, policies and procedures with a view to standardising processes nationally and to assist in decision making to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation.
• To apply and adopt, and adapt where necessary, Islamic Relief Worldwide’s policies into a strategy customised for application within the IRSA context.
• To offer administrative support as required within the scope of employment for the Finance and Support Services department.
• To monitor specific processes by way of reconciliation in order to uphold due diligence practice and ensure there is due supervision, accountability and transparency in the organisations processes.

Key Accountabilities

PROCUREMENT ADMINISTRATION

• To be able to demonstrate a fundamental knowledge of purchasing methods and procedures conveying general awareness encompassing the various categories pertaining to procurement, including specialist areas as well as act as a baseline with respect to contractual obligations in law and multi -currency transactions.
• To establish reliable suppliers to supply goods & services. Ensure existing suppliers are providing the best products or services that are currently required, the criteria being the best value connection of availability, quality and at an acceptable price.
• Focus on building reputable relationships with suppliers, improving communication and forging enhanced relationships and establishing a Supplier Database on a National level.
• To ensure the ongoing maintenance and updating of the supplier database with emphasis on ethical procurement and local suppliers.
• Be responsible for controlling Islamic Relief’s divisional and departmental purchasing activities: contractual and non –contractual, negotiating discounts, inviting tenders, preparing contracts, determining contract specifications, discuss solutions when terms of contract are broken with Procurement Committee and senior management (BEC).
• To establish and maintain appropriate procurement records and systems for measuring necessary aspects of the purchasing process pertaining to all individual purchases, stating items or services purchased, costs, product quality or performance and supplier information structured and filed in a logical functional order.
• To assist in the selection of appropriate suppliers and contractors, to promote sound procurement practices with due priority to sustainability, ethical purchasing standards and application of whole life costing where relevant.
• To engage with all departments in relation to procurement needs that have been communicated.
• Administration of BEC and procurement related meetings – initiating, chairing, recording of minutes and distribution of communications thereof.
• Ensuring accurate and successful delivery of goods and services from suppliers that have been engaged with per the procurement process.
• Facilitating communications when business tenders are applicable (see below).

TENDERING AND CONTRACT NEGOTIATION AND MANAGEMENT

• To carry out full tendering exercises on behalf of the organisation, ensuring that tenders are conducted in an environment of open competition and that legislative requirements are met.
• To include preparation of tender documents, prepare specifications, and references to technical performance requirements suitable for the contracts in question, evaluating and awarding of contracts.
• Apply suitable evaluation criteria including all quality aspects, levels of service, warranties, references, qualifications, capacity and management.
• Compare offers in a meaningful and accurate way, taking into account the total costs to the organisation.
• Publish contract award notices, inform unsuccessful tenderers, explain the award process and if necessary provide details to unsuccessful tenderers.
• To participate in negotiation of contract terms on a range of central contracts and to monitor performance against these terms and deal with any aspect of non-performance.
• Negotiating and supervising long term supply contracts and formulating policies with suppliers with a view to cost effective delivery of services.
• To administer the process of new contracting and monitoring operational contracts to be up-to-date and assessing relevance and validity on a regular basis.
• Preparing and administering the Service Level Agreement process with suppliers (with legal support).

ETHICAL PROCUREMENT AND LEGALITIES

• To ensure all procurement activities are carried out to the highest degree of ethical standards and to ensure probity in all transactions.
• Recognise unusual or irregular circumstances (e.g. conflict of interest) occurring within the purchasing environment and report to relevant internal authorities
• Review contracts regularly to check performance against specification and where there are problems identified act accordingly.
• Use comparative data to check the general competitiveness of any contract arrangements.
• Carry out due diligence checks on potential suppliers, including screening of suppliers
• To ensure all resources are utilised effectively and efficiently.

FINANCE ADMINISTRATION

• To monitor and ensure that the controls around ‘In Kind Donations’ are well documented and updated when necessary, and executed per the specific systems processes established.
• To ensure that Section 18A Tax Certificates are issued within the required time frames as stipulated per the S18A systems process.
• Co-ordinate all screening related processes and administration thereof.
• To ensure that updated records of all moveable assets issued to staff are tracked and maintained and communicated to the HR Co-ordinator.
• To ensure that proper controls around fixed assets are maintained and that all assets are tagged in a collaborative function with the Finance Officer who will ensure that the Fixed Asset Register is properly updated and satisfactorily maintained and in agreement to the financial records.
• Co-ordinate all insurance related matters.
• Co-ordinate the administration in relation to vehicle reporting, registration and licensing.
• To obtain input from the Programmes department with respect to their monitoring and evaluation reports around the distribution of monthly OVCs food parcels – Procurement and Compliance Officer to verify that all expenditures incurred with respect to hamper purchases correspond to the distribution records thereof and share the findings with the finance department.
• To plan, execute, monitor and report on AD HOC duties being assigned within the scope of employment.
• To offer support to colleagues who may be on leave, off sick or unable to perform within the scope of employment and skills, knowledge and abilities.

CREATING AWARENESS

• To actively promote the procurement function within the organisation including the development and improvement of skills and knowledge of the relevant staff involved in the purchasing environment.
• To utilise IRSA organisational knowledge and acquired skill and experience in order to create awareness in procurement and all other areas applicable.

Educational Qualification:

• Degree or diploma level in finance or business level study field
• Excellent operational knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel
• Excellent administrative skills
• Basic legal administration skills

Key Interfaces

• Chief Executive Officer
• HOD: Finance and Support Services
• National Support Services Coordinator
• HOD: Fund Development
• HOD: Communications
• HOD: Programmes
• HOD: Human Resources
• Vendors
• Suppliers
• Stakeholders

Skills & Knowledge Required

• Knowledge of procurement functions and business concepts
• Written and spoken command of regional languages advantageous
• Good interpersonal skills including the ability to listen, sensitivity to others’ views and perspectives, and conflict resolution.
• Problem solving skills
• Excellent written and spoken English and Afrikaans
• Good computer skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Key Islamic Relief Qualities Required

• It is essential that the post holder shows a good understanding and sympathy with Islamic values and principles as well as commitment to IR’s vision and mission as per below:

 Excellence (Ihsan):  Our actions in tackling poverty are marked by excellence in our operations and conduct which are deserving of the people we serve.

 Sincerity (Ikhlas):  In responding to poverty and suffering our efforts are driven by sincerity to God and the need to fulfil our obligations to humanity

 Social Justice (Adl):  Our work is founded on enabling people and institutions to fulfil the rights of the poor and vulnerable. We work to empower the dispossessed towards realising their God-given human potential and developing their capabilities and resources.

 Compassion (Rahma):  We believe the protection and well-being of every life is of paramount importance and we shall join with other humanitarian actors to act as one in responding to suffering brought on by disasters, poverty and injustice.

 Custodianship (Amana):  We uphold our duty of custodianship over the earth, its resources and the trust people place in us as humanitarian and development practitioners to be transparent and accountable.