Procurement and Subcontracts Manager at CAMRIS International

CAMRIS International is a growing international development and research firm with experience working in more than 80 countries. We combine our proven systems with today’s most effective, evidence-based best practices to improve the lives of people around the world. CAMRIS applies a customized, customer-centric, cost-effective business approach to offer greater value to our clients and challenge the way things have always been done in our field.

We are recruiting to fill the vacant position below:

Job Position: Procurement and Subcontracts Manager
Job Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Type: Regular Full-Time

Overview

• CAMRIS seeks to engage a highly qualified and motivated team to implement the anticipated USAID Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI) Nigeria and Lake Chad Basin (NLCB) program.
• The 43-month program will support locally driven efforts to strengthen stability in Lake Chad Basin countries.  All positions require a willingness to travel throughout Nigeria, including the northeast.  Women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Job Description

• The Procurement & Subcontracts Manager (PSCM) is responsible for overseeing the acquisition of goods and services for program activities implemented through grants under contract, largely awarded in-kind, and short-term technical assistance and direct delivery of goods and services activities.
• The PSCM is responsible for ensuring that all procurements comply with CAMRIS’ policies and procedures and USAID’s Automated Directives System (ADS) and Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR), the US government’s Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), and the regulations which apply to NLCB activities and awards. 
• This includes directly managing and overseeing all aspects of the procurement process and the procurement team including solicitation of quotations, evaluation of tenders and bids, pre-qualification of suppliers. 
• The PSCM will ensure all procurement is done in a transparent manner, that files are created and kept up to date, and will support the SOM/DCOP to develop systems to prevent corruption, influence peddling, and conflict of interest.
• In addition, the Procurement Manager is responsible for establishing, maintaining, and updating the inventory for all non-expendable property procured for activities until items are approved by USAID’s contracting officer for disposition. 
• This position will be based in the Maiduguri office and activities will be carried out in targeted areas and communities across northeastern Nigeria as well as in communities along Nigeria’s borders and may extend into neighboring LCB countries. 
• Extensive and frequent travel throughout the northeast is expected and required.

Responsibilities

• Participate in regular team meetings to report on the progress of activity implementation and any issues related to procurement of goods and services.
• Manage and oversee all procurement processes.
• Contribute to the development of and ensure compliance with all approved CAMRIS procedures and manuals (e.g., Activity Management Guide; Activity Cycle Flowchart; Field Procurement Guide).
• Develop and refine procurement guidelines to maximize competition and transparency in the procurement process while ensuring that the program gets the best price for goods, services and works required within tight deadlines.
• Supervise procurement staff to ensure they are establishing hard copy and electronic files for on-going procurements for tracking purposes and sending completed procurement files to Abuja monthly.
• Ensure procurement files comply with CAMRIS’ policies and procedures and document checklist according to the value of the procurement, required documents may include: quotation/proposal, evaluation, award documents (purchase order, subcontract, consulting agreement) and correspondence with vendor for all procurements.
• Responsible for ensuring confidentiality throughout the procurement and vendor selection process.
• Participate in the recruitment and hiring processes for procurement staff as required.
• Train and mentor staff according to their needs.
• Implement CAMRIS’ performance monitoring system for all procurement staff and establish standards and expectations of performance.
• Participate in weekly staff meetings to report on work completed, timetable new activities and plan for upcoming procurements of materials, goods, services, and works.
• Provide weekly written reports to the SOM/DCOP.
• Establish, lead, and implement procurement processes and logistics to support activity implementation for the NLCB program, strictly following all rules and regulations including, AIDR, ADS, FAR, CFR (U.S. Code of Federal Regulations), AAPD (Acquisition & Assistance Policy Directive) and local law.
• Determine the most reasonable and expeditious process for procurement in compliance with CAMRIS policies and procedures and USAID regulations.
• Provide policy guidance on procurement for all staff, grantees, local partners, and beneficiaries.
• Ensure the timely procurement and delivery of goods, services, and works, and propose new ways of achieving project efficiencies through improved procurement practices.
• Work with the SOM/DCOP to establish and ensure compliance with policies for procurement processes.
• Manage/maintain a registry and file system for procurements to allow for efficient document and process audits.
• Responsible for the organization, coordination, purchase, receipt, and documentation of the distribution of all materials, goods and services. This includes development of a database or list of reliable and non-reliable vendors, a system for quickly securing quotes from vendors. Regular adjustment of the vendor list to add emerging reliable local businesses and to eliminate those whose performance does not meet standards of timeliness, quality of goods and services provided, and compliance with local legal requirements, including tax registration and clearance.
• Maintain confidentiality of information about grantees and vendors.
• Ensure that all procurement processes are perceived as transparent by beneficiary communities, assuring fair and transparent procurement processes.
• Support Procurement staff to draft all required procurement forms, including Purchase Orders, Short Term Technical Assistance Agreements, Subcontracts for the procurement of materials, goods and services and approval following CAMRIS’ delegation of authority thresholds.
• Support Procurement staff to receive goods from vendors or ensure that goods are delivered directly to grantee and/or beneficiaries, as appropriate.
• Support procurement staff to track deliverables for all firm fixed-price subcontracts.
• Review that per CAMRIS’ policies and procedures and USAID regulations of all goods and services to be procured are allowable, allocable and reasonable.
• Ensure that requests for payment for goods and services procured do not exceed approved budget and/or amount of funding available for activity.
• Create, update, and maintain the property inventory for activities.
• Maintain procurement files, including proposals, evaluations, award documents, subcontracts and correspondence on all procurements, following policies and local law.
• Provide training on procurement and delivery of goods and services to Activity Management Teams (AMT), comprised of a Program Development Officer (PDO), Procurement Specialist (PS), Grants Specialist (GS) and Monitoring, Evaluation, & Reporting Specialist (MERS), grantees and beneficiaries as it pertains to protocols established by the NLCB program and local law.
• Manage account status for all credit accounts established with vendors.
• Supervise and verify the procurement of materials according to the context and/or needs of the beneficiary, community and/or activity.
• Develop and analyze technical specifications of goods and terms of reference for services and support AMTs to review and adjust budgets, as needed.
• In collaboration with AMTs, design and prepare technical specifications and terms of reference for materials, goods, and services, to be included in request for quotations/proposals, purchase orders, subcontracts, and consulting agreements.
• Ensure adequate competition to allow best-value or lowest cost determination in vendor selection documents.
• Ensure procurements meet both quality and delivery requirements for activity and are handled in a transparent manner.
• Conduct analysis of the availability and costs of goods and services available in local markets across Nigeria.
• Work with local, national, and international vendors of goods and services to ensure quality.
• Disseminate requests for quotations/proposals (RFQ/RFP) for goods or services directly to potential vendors and/or via announcements on local radio stations, public notice boards, and the NLCB website to ensure transparency in the procurement process.
• Maintain professional distance from vendors required to ensure high ethical standards.
• Designate or participate in evaluation committees to review offers submitted by vendors in response to requests for quotations/proposals.
• Verify quality and quantity of products according to the context and/or needs of the beneficiary, community, and/or activity.
• Process procurements according to respective rules and regulations.
• Support the AMT to monitor financial expenditures and manage activity budgets.
• Oversee and support the Procurement staff to manage and coordinate delivery logistics for the AMT and/or grantees to obtain confirmation of goods and services delivery from the grantee and another member of the AMT.
• Participate with AMT members, Chief of Party, Monitoring, Evaluation, & Learning Specialist, SOM/DCOP in the review and monitoring of activity implementation, from a procurement standpoint, to assess whether or not activity objectives are met effectively and whether improvements can be made to ensure expeditious procurement of goods and services for activities.
• Help to develop, adjust and strengthen the internal procedures for working with local partners, consultants, grantees, and beneficiaries; thorough documentation of all procedures; and acquiring budgeted items at the best price and quality.
• Coordinate transportation, permits, authorizations, insurance, loading and unloading of goods/materials, and financial allocation of related expenses under grants.
• Work with SOM/DCOP, Regional Program Manager (RPM), Finance & Human Resources Officer (FHRO), and members of the AMT to revise or realign budgets when variances in the cost of quotations/proposals received and the amounts included in approved purchase requisitions or activity budgets could result in the expenditure on the activity exceeding the approved total activity budget by 10% or $10,000.
• Communicate all delivery schedules corresponding to grant and operations procurements, including the projection of related expenses.
• Support the AMT to provide projection of activity-related expenses.
• Ensure Procurement staff schedule transportation items for activities to the field and follow up with transporters to ensure appropriate delivery of items to destinations and that all deliveries are documented. Coordinate field testing and user training of goods procured when required.
• Verify deliveries are complete and done in a timely manner.
• Provide information to SOM/DCOP on property and goods which have been handed over to awardees. All disposal of property (defined as individual items valued at ≥$5,000) must be coordinated with the SOM/DCOP so approval from the USAID contracting officer can be secured as required.
• Ensure that property and goods removed from the activity inventory have met all transfer and disposition requirements.
• Ensure the smooth running of necessary logistics for activity implementation by working with and supporting the AMTs.
• Work with AMTs to ensure timely and safe transportation of materials and goods for activities and arranges travel and accommodation for local partners, grantees, and beneficiaries, including flights, vehicle hire and hotel bookings.
• Provide the SOM/DCOP and the Finance & Human Resources Manager (FHRM) support to manage operational logistics.
• Responsible for the management of Short-term Technical Assistance Consultancy Agreements, Fixed Price Service Agreements, and sub-contracts.
• Strengthen and oversee subcontracting procedures, ensuring the most effective contracting method with a wide range of vendors and individual consultants.
• Work across the program and operations team to review and determine which services require sub-contracts.
• Determine the most reasonable, fair, expeditious contracting alternative.
• Monitor and implement an effective, open, transparent sub-contract award process from solicitation through bid to evaluation and award.
• Draft, negotiate, monitor and follow up on subcontracts in collaboration with the DCOP/SOM, COP, and RPM.
• Review all payment requests for ongoing subcontracts and make sure that all the required forms are appropriately and consistently filled out and requested before being submitted to finance, i.e. amounts to be paid for milestone or hours worked.
• Any other duties and tasks as needed and assigned.

Qualifications
Required Skills & Experience:

• Four-year University Degree in Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field required.
• Minimum of five (5) years general work history is required.
• Minimum of three (3) years professional experience in procurement and logistics management for a USAID- or other international donor-funded program(s) or project(s) required.
• Minimum two (2) years of supervisory experience working in complex and challenging field operational contexts.
• Experience directly and indirectly supervising and managing staff and teams.
• In-depth understanding of USAID’s ADS, AIDAR, and the FAR, and the regulations which apply to NLCB activities and awards.
• Demonstrated ability to solve challenging and complicated logistical issues.
• Ability to develop in-depth understanding of and willingness to comply with all CAMRIS and USAID/OTI procedures and manuals (e.g., Activity Management Guide. Activity Cycle Flowchart. Field Procurement Guide. and Operational Communications, Emergency, Information, and Physical Security Plans).
• Experience with budgeting and cost analysis.
• Strong ability to use and develop management and tracking systems.
• Willingness and ability to travel throughout northeastern Nigeria.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated experience in community participation/engagement-type projects and violence prevention.
• In-depth knowledge of northeastern Nigeria and the NLCB program’s target states and communities.
• Ability to identify local vendors.
• Ability to work under pressure, efficiently handle multiple tasks, quickly find creative solutions to problems and challenges that arise, and manage stress and time in a fast-paced work and fluid operating environment.
• Sensitivity in working with multiple cultures and beliefs and commitment to gender equity.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office software: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.
• Excellent record keeping and documentation skills.
• Prior experience working in northeastern Nigeria and/or a conflict environment.
• Written and spoken fluency in English.
• Fluency in one or more of the local languages used in northeastern Nigeria (Hausa, Kanuri, and Fulfulde, etc.).
• Ability to work both independently and as a part of a team.

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Prior experience with USAID- or US Government-funded projects.
• Prior experience using cloud-based procurement applications.
• Master's Degree in a related field preferred.
• Experience with a USAID program with a large and high volume small grants component preferred.