Procurement Associate / Procurement Assistant

The Procurement Associate / Procurement Assistant provides coordination, administrative services and research to support efficient and effective procurement services at WFP. The role involves supporting procurement projects, supplier identification, purchase order preparation, and maintaining procurement records to ensure timely and cost-effective procurement of goods and services.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational coordination and administrative services, to support procurement projects and activities, following standard processes and contributing to the effective procurement of goods and services.
• Identify and recommend potential suppliers, and compile data/documents to support the selection of suppliers, ensuring standard processes are followed.
• Review, record and prioritize purchasing requests, and provide support to requisitioners, in order to support the procurement of appropriate goods and services, at lowest cost to WFP.
• Contribute to negotiations with new suppliers on terms and conditions of orders, alongside a senior officer, in order to obtain the best terms and lowest costs for WFP.
• Prepare Purchase Orders, contracts and any supporting documentation for approval by the appropriate stakeholder, and approve purchases within delegated authority, to enable the swift purchase of goods and services.
• Resolve issues related to delivered goods, using initiative, liaising with all parties and following standard processes, to ensure timely and accurate resolution of problems.
• Research, collect and analyze data in order to produce reports to enable informed decision-making by Procurement Officers, and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
• Manage updates and further develop databases and records, to ensure information is accurate, organized, and available for others to access, and supports reporting requirements.
• Maintain relationships with internal counterparts, to support the alignment of procurement activities with wider programs and ensure a coherent approach to meeting food assistance needs.
• Supervise the work of support staff, providing practical advice and guidance, to ensure individual and team objectives are delivered to agreed standards and deadlines.
• Follow standard emergency preparedness practices to support WFP to quickly respond and deploy food and needed resources to affected areas at the onset of the crisis.
• Perform other related duties or assignments in line with the position level and expertise as assigned by activity manager.

Requirements

• Completion of secondary school education. A Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Procurement, Economics, Supply Chain Management, Contract/Commercial Law, International Development, Management, or related social science field in the related functional area is desirable.
• Minimum of six (6) years of experience in procurement, contracting, supply chain, administration and/or other directly related technical fields is required.
• Demonstrated familiarity with locally purchased commodities/goods/services (e.g., cash based, in-kind donations).
• Experience conducting supplier research and coordinating with retailers, wholesalers and traders.
• Demonstrated knowledge of procurement processes and linkages with other operations (e.g., logistics).
• Fluency in both oral and written communication in English and Urdu.

Skills

• Procurement Procedures
• Supplier Research
• Contracting
• Supply Chain Management
• Purchase Order Preparation
• Procurement Records Management
• Local Commodity Procurement
• Supplier Coordination
• Logistics Linkages
• Administrative Support

Languages

English, Urdu