Mercy Corps
This is a 5 months assignment. Candidates with Mercy Corps experience are highly encouraged to apply.
About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.
Program/Department Summary
Mercy Corps works in places of transition, where conflict, disaster, political upheaval, or economic collapse present opportunities to build more secure, productive, and just communities. Providing emergency relief in times of crisis, we move quickly to help communities recover and build resilience to future shocks, and promote sustainable change by supporting community-led and market-driven initiatives. Recognizing both the great potential and the complex challenges faced by the Middle East, since 1989 Mercy Corps has been implementing a range of humanitarian assistance and development programs tailored to the specific needs of the region and of those communities where we work.
Mercy Corps has worked across Iraq’s 18 governorates since 2003, implementing relief and development programming, more than a third of which has focused on the specific needs of refugees and displaced persons. Mercy Corps Iraq current goal is to meet immediate and long-term needs by strengthening communities’ ability to rebuild amidst increasing crisis. Mercy Corps Iraq focuses on (1) a relief-to-resilience pathway to meet the needs of conflict-affected communities leveraging agency expertise in conflict management and civil society development (2) a humanitarian response that empowers conflict-affected populations to meet their own needs (3) partnering with conflict-affected adolescents to address their diverse needs, promoting leadership and linkages with civil society.
General Position Summary
The Procurement Manager is responsible for enabling excellence in all major procurement functions. The Procurement Manager will manage a demanding schedule of small and large procurements activities. The success of the programs will depend on a strong relationship between Mercy Corps procurement, program and finance teams. Building strong internal relations based on trust, competency, and ability to deliver is crucial. To facilitate transparent flows of information, as well as to ensure accountability of on-time delivery of goods and services, as well as proper planning from programs. The Procurement manager will be responsible for creating Procurement
Plans and to make sure they are up to date. S/He ensures effective systems that support strategy for healthy, robust and integrated functions of procurement team members.
In the absence of the Operations Director or as required in terms of operations volume, the Procurement Manager backstops the Operations Director related to Logistics, Assets and Fleet. S/he ensures compliance with donor regulations as well as Mercy Corps’ internal policies and procedures builds the capacity of procurement team members. S/he provides support and advises to the Operations Director and other team members on procurement operational issues.
Essential Job Functions
STRATEGY AND VISION
- Contribute to the country’s strategic planning process.
- Help to set up the support services and ensure the existence of a procurement plan given the context and the needs.
- Read all program proposals and effectively contribute to program implementation and development.
TEAM MANAGEMENT
- Develop the capacity of procurement team members with special focus in procurement.
- Assist Operation Director to ensure that the Procurement team and new staff are properly trained.
- Orient and develop the capacity of the team and assist with continued development of career path for procurement staff.
- Facilitate procurement aspects of program planning, and upcoming procurement activities.
- Work with all Mercy Corps staff to ensure smooth introduction and adoption of procurement systems.
- Assist procurement team in understanding their roles and responsibilities in terms of interaction with logistics, admin, programs and finance.
- Be responsible for full and proper implementation of Mercy Corps FP3 rules and procedures, procurement systems, compliance and control as described in Mercy Corps field manuals.
- Work with finance compliance to mitigate fraud, conflict of interest and legal ramifications of Mercy Corps activities.
MANAGEMENT – PROCUREMENT
- Manage relationships and contracts with the supplier for program needs.
- Manage the relationships, as the focal point for procurement, with all program managers and their teams.
- Develop a detailed and time bound project procurement plan in close coordination with Program for procurement of goods and services for each project. Follow up these plans on regular basis and adjust according to situation. Bring issues to the attention of management if any support is needed to successfully implement such plans
- Follow Mercy Corps code of conduct and ensure all staff adheres to it.
- Develop tender documents and manage supplier selection process.
- Come up with list of goods and supplies being regularly procured to source them through Master agreements
- Liaise with finance to ensure compliance and payment schedules.
- Regular training of new staff regarding new FP3 procurement policies
- Developing in country new policies when needed in coordination with Operations Director
- Ensuring procurement are governed by value for money
- Ensure efficiency and timely procurement of goods and services
- Manage ‘on-time’ procurement tracking system and reporting function within Mercy Corps Iraq Program.
- Work closely with program management to facilitate program planning and upcoming procurement resources needs.
- Work closely with program and finance teams to deliver successful programs while demonstrating excellent stewardship of donor funds and compliance with MC and donor regulations.
- Manage all project procurement functions compliance and control as described in Mercy Corps Field Procurement Policies in conjunction with donor policies.
- Ensure timely and accurate processing and documentation of procurements: the process, ensure accurate paperwork as described in the FP3 Procurement Manual.
- Ensure that all Mercy Corps procurement contracts and business transactions/relationships are transparent and incompliance with local law and Mercy Corps/donor policies.
- Oversee all procurement functions related to the programs.
- Any other tasks assigned by the supervisor.
PERSONAL LEADERSHIP
- Consistently demonstrate flexibility, resilience and ability to maintain positive relationships and composure, even under difficult circumstances. Develop strong and productive working relationships – specifically with finance and program teams.
- Maintain high ethical standards and treat people with respect and dignity.
- Demonstrate an awareness of his/her strengths and development needs.
REPRESENTATION
- Interface with stakeholders responsible for coordinating all procurement activities via the appropriate approval processes.
- Communicate with local partners in a manner consistent to the program team in terms of paperwork and documentation.
- Establish and maintain productive relationships with all stakeholders, vendors, suppliers, etc.
Supervisory Responsibility
Procurement team
Accountability
REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Operations Director
WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Procurement/Logistics staff, Program Managers, Finance Managers and Compliance. COLLABORATES WITH: Operations Director, Operations Managers and Officers, Procurement Officers and Assistants, all MC Iraq logistics and operations team as required
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Knowledge and Experience
- 2 – 4 years of field experience setting up and managing procurement systems with humanitarian NGOs with supervisory responsibilities.
- Experience in electronic procurement system preferably SAP – Ariba system.
- Demonstrated attention to detail, following procedures, meeting deadlines working and problem-solving independently and cooperatively.
- Knowledge of Mercy Corps systems and procedures desirable;
- Preferably at least 2-3 years proven experience in dealing with Food and Nonfood items, wash, infrastructure and construction tenders.
- Required at least 2-3 years proven experience in dealing directly and with minor supervision with procurement regulations of donors including but not limited to USAID, DFID, EC, ECHO, HIZ and UN agencies funding.
- Excellent negotiation and representation skills.
- Effective verbal and written communication, organizational, prioritization and Microsoft Office applications.
- Excellent oral and written English skills are required.
- Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team.
Success Factors
The successful Procurement Manager will be good at problem solving and have the ability to deliver successful programs while demonstrating excellent stewardship of donor funds and compliance with MC and donor regulations. S/he will maintain strong cooperative relationships with other departments and interact effectively with international and national personnel, both in a managerial as well as training capacity, while demonstrating the ability to multi- task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities. S/he will be able to live and work closely with a diverse team of individuals. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive on evolving and changing environments, and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.
Living Conditions/Environmental Conditions
This position is based in Erbil, Iraq and is unaccompanied. Erbil is eligible for hardship allowance and R&R breaks. Travel within Iraq is required to support all Mercy Corps Iraq’s offices and programs. Erbil is a comfortable city with most amenities and moderate security. Suitable group housing is available in Erbil.
Ongoing Learning
In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.
We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.
Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to theInteragency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere toMercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.