Call for Roster – Procurement Officer (Food Procurement) – Consultant Level II, RBDakar

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

RBD Supply Chain staff (Logistics, Procurement & Food safety) use their expertise, and all means at their disposal to ensure that vast quantities of food and other essential items are available and that they reach those who need them mostly. Procurement Officers report to Senior Supply Chain Officer, who head the Supply Chain Unit. At this grade level, Procurement Officers demonstrate adaptive capacities in effective supply chain management and make significant independent contributions to the planning and development of operating policies and procedures. They are expected to manage and complete projects or assignments of a major nature achieving effective outputs.

This call for the roster – Procurement Officer (Food Procurement), Consultant level II is published to attain two objectives:

(i) create a pipeline of talent to facilitate a quick selection and deployment of Food Procurement experts in any of the countries that fall under the WFP Regional Bureau of West Africa on a need basis and;

(ii) to give an opportunity to Food Procurement experts to express interest in being part of this roster to meet the first objective.

This announcement is not related to any current open position. However, all applications received will be reviewed and will be subject to a selection process to assess the relevant professional experience and qualifications of the candidates.

ACCOUNTABILITIES / RESPONSABILITIES

Under the overall supervision of the Senior Regional Procurement Officer at the Regional Bureau Dakar, Senegal, the Procurement Consultant (Food – smallholder farmers and Local Regional Procurement, food systems) will have the unique opportunity to influence WFP’s work in the region and to ensure that, by working in innovative ways, WFP delivers real results for the millions of people in the region who face food insecurity. The consultant will be responsible for leading on and providing technical advice and oversight to procurement field operations of moderate complexity, partnering with the key supply chain functions to ensure an integrated supply chain approach to meeting the food assistance needs of beneficiaries. This role includes, but is not limited to, the following accountabilities:

1. Design a procurement strategy for buying food commodities from traders and smallholder farmers (SHF)
2. Consolidate and analyse data from which to inform Country sourcing strategies or plan
3. Consolidate and analyse data to inform Country Office sourcing strategies or plan specialist procurement initiatives that support effective and cost-optimizing purchase decisions, whether from traditional suppliers or off-takers
4. specialist procurement initiatives that support effective and cost-optimizing purchase decisions
5. Provide oversight, guidance, and support with/to COs with complex procurement needs (such as involving high value commodities, a wide range of programmes, combination of specialised nutritional foods) on implementing best practice procurement policies and procedures, ensuring a strategic, forward purchasing approach to procurement in compliance with wider WFP policies, standards, and regulations; establish Regional Food Supply Agreements (FSAs) and Regional inspection company Long Term Agreements
6. Lead the implementation of highly complex procurement projects in COs to ensure successful procurement of food; implementation of Local Regional Procurement Policy (LRPP, Smallholder Farmer engagement, food systems)
7. Develop and maintain strong relationships with all relevant suppliers to improve service delivery and resolve supplier related issues. Ensure valid vendor roster for key food items ranging from cereals, processed food, specialised nutritional, and is valid and intact
8. Manage and coordinate effective relationships with inspection and superintendent firms to ensure quality control, specification conformity, volume assessment, monitoring, and verification of deliveries.
9. Work in close collaboration with senior cross functional colleagues to align procurement activities and promote an integrated supply-chain approach to food assistance.
10. Oversee the preparation of accurate and timely reports of procurement activities to contribute to a WFP wide view that enables informed decision making and consistency of information presented to stakeholders leading to performance optimization.
11. Manage or oversee all auditing oversight mission and compliance reports of procurement activities ensuring recommendations are responded to appropriately to ensure conformity with compliance rules
12. Lead and motivate a large or highly specialized procurement team providing coaching, training and guidance as required to ensure appropriate development and enable high
13. Provide expert advice and guidance to WFP staff and external partners and governments, building capacity to take a strategic and proactive approach to the procurement of food and non-food commodities and services.
14. Provide training and capacity building of procurement staff and other identified stakeholders to ensure long-term sustainability of the project outcomes, with a view of strengthening staff capacities and skills, filling skills gap and support institutional strengthening.
15. Take responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives in all areas of work, to ensure equal participation of women and men.
16. Contribute to preparedness actions, providing technical recommendations and guidance and monitor the management of procurement specific risks.
17. Act in an assigned emergency response capacity as required to meet emergency food assistance needs.
18. Others as required

DELIVERABLES:

• Timely development and implementation of country food sourcing strategies, implementation of Local Regional Procurement Policy
• Ensure findings from audit, oversight and compliance missions are timely addressed.
• Ensure all records and documentation of the procurement actions are timely and duly updated in the system for audit queries and other operation needs.
• Prepares and circulate periodic reports on the procurement related activities.
• Review the risk inventory and prepares analysis of risk mitigation plan,
• Successful expertise guidance to WFP staff and external partners and governments, building capacity to take a strategic and proactive approach to the procurement of food and non-food commodities and services

Education:

You have

• Advanced university degree (recognized by https://www.whed.net/home.php) in Economics, Commerce, Business Administration, Engineering, Legal or Accounting or other relevant field, or first university degree with additional years of relevant professional level experience. Professional certifications in Procurement would be an asset.

Should you not find your university degree in this link kindly note that it will be your responsibility to obtain a formal letter from your Ministry of Education stating their recognition of the university and degree.

Experience:

You have:

At Five (5) to ten (10) years i.e., Level II, of relevant progressively responsible professional experience in food commodity markets as well as goods and services needed for operational support.