AGRA

Job Reference: POCS/WA/09/2023

About AGRA 

AGRA and its Work

AGRA is an African-led institution that actively supports the drive towards inclusive agricultural transformation and sustainable food systems. We do this by empowering the continent’s 33 million smallholder farming households to transform their agriculture from a struggle to survive to profitable businesses. The continent’s farmers regularly face challenges, and we aspire to provide uniquely African solutions that respond to their agricultural and environmental challenges, leading to increased harvests for reduced hunger and more income. 

Working in alignment with the development priorities of our focus countries, we enable farmers to access improved and high-yielding seeds, gain knowledge on sustainable farming, and linkages to profitable markets. 

In our work, we aspire to build the alliances, partnerships, and networks required to drive an inclusive agricultural transformation. We work with our partners to create an equitable youth-friendly environment that harnesses the youth dividend on the continent to drive growth and facilitate open employment opportunities for young women and men. We achieve our key objectives through a focus on the following four areas of intervention:

1. Policy and state capability – We support governments in creating an enabling environment for private sector involvement in agricultural transformation. 
2. Seed systems – We trigger higher productivity by increasing the availability and access to improved seeds by farmers allowing them to increase their harvests for food security and better incomes. 
3. Sustainable farming – We support farmers in building resilient farming systems for sustained high yields through interventions such as mechanization and irrigation. 
4. Inclusive markets and trade – We work to increase the linkages between farmers, and other market actors for a positive, sustained cycle of commercialization and reinvestment.

AGRA’s 2030 Strategy

The continent has, in recent years, taken steps towards inclusive agricultural transformation resulting in notable improvements in food security, with clear progress across all AGRA’s focus countries. However, with over 20% of Africans still suffering from hunger, we need to accelerate our progress and mitigate against the growing external pressures of conflict and climate on our food systems.

AGRA 2022-2030 Strategic Framework (SF2030) demonstrates our long-term vision for how we intend to contribute to, and align with, global and continental priorities, applying a food systems lens towards the goals of zero hunger, improved nutrition, an end to poverty, and climate adaptation. We have split our Strategic Framework 2030 into two 5-year strategies so that we have a clear mid-way point to evaluate progress and re-route our strategic focus if necessary. Our 2023-2027 Strategic Plan sets out to catalyze the growth of sustainable food systems across Africa by influencing and leveraging partners to build a robust enabling environment where the private sector thrives, and smallholders are empowered to produce sufficient, healthy food.

AGRA’s Vision

To contribute to a food system-inspired inclusive agricultural transformation across Africa, to reduce hunger, improve nutrition, and adapt to climate.

AGRA’s Mission

To catalyze the growth of sustainable food systems across Africa by influencing and leveraging partners to build a robust enabling environment where private sector thrives, and smallholder farmers are empowered to produce sufficient, healthy food.

AGRA’s Strategy

• Empowering and building the resilience of small holder farmers
• Supporting the development of inclusive markets and finance to strengthen agricultural systems.
• Strengthening state capability to sustain agricultural transformation.

Implementing Our New Strategy Through People

AGRA is at the threshold of a new chapter where we begin implementing our new strategy of catalyzing inclusive, resilient and sustainable agricultural transformation. At AGRA we believe Agriculture is the single greatest opportunity to deliver inclusive economic growth, jobs, and health to the African continent.

People are the heart of our organisation and remain the true drivers of our delivery and our impact.

We are excited about a new fit-for-purpose organizational structure that is largely driven by an ambition to enhance collaboration across teams and drive sustainable growth. We have therefore purposed more focus on delivery of country programs within the new strategy giving even greater attention to optimizing existing talent in addition to upscaling technical and operational resources. 

We work with incredible people and partners who have roots in farming communities across the continent combined with an inclusive and diverse workforce from over 24 nationalities. Our values of (I-RISE; Integrity, Respect, Innovation, Stewardship and Equity) espouse our commitment to a call to action to go beyond ourselves as we arise and transform Africa’s Agriculture.

We are looking for people who are passionate about Africa, curious and collaborative to join our innovative, growing, and multidisciplinary team. Together, we can grow Africa’s food systems improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Want to join us?

The Opportunity

Procurement Officer- Country Support, West Africa. Job Reference: POCS/WA/09/2023

Role Purpose

The Procurement Officer – Country Support, West Africa will be responsible for supporting the Head of Procurement in overseeing procurement activities for the region.

Role Summary

He/she will ensure that all procurement is undertaken as per laid down laws, rules and regulations, while enforcing transparency and accountability in the procurement process to ensure value for money. He/she 

will work in close collaboration with country teams in executing contracting activities to support sourcing initiatives, identifying, supporting, and implementing transformational strategies related to procurement infrastructure and execution. 

Key Measures of Performance

• • Compliance with procurement policies and procedures at HQ and Country Level.
  • Annual Procurement plans aligned to AGRA’s business requirement.
  • Effectiveness and efficiency of technical evaluation panels and approval of procurement files. 
  • Achievement of desired quality goods and services and turnaround time and lead times.
  • Cost effectiveness.

• Effective utilization of the Oracle SCM system in processing of procurement requests.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Purpose – Analyze

• In liaison with the Head – Procurement, determine the institution’s purchasing needs and specifications.
• Ensure procurement best practice is followed using the detailed guidelines provided in AGRA’s Procurement Policy and Procedures Manual.
• Provide quality assurance of reports, bidding documents from the countries. 
• Assist the Head – Procurement in the preparation of annual procurement plans; ensuring that the plan is followed, including quarterly meetings with the Program Heads and Operations Heads to update the plan.
• Review procurement requests and initiate procurement procedures for office and project equipment, supplies and services in a transparent and cost-effective manner.
• Provide oversight and guidance in technical and financial evaluations.
• For pre-qualified suppliers; forward the results of the evaluation committees to the Procurement Committee for adjudication and approval through an agenda.
• Sensitize staff on a regular basis on the procurement process through regular updates and staff trainings.

Engagement – Collaborate

• • Coordinate country procurements and ensure that the teams are adequately trained, vendors prequalified and overall compliance with procurement policy and procedures manual.
  • Publish; distribute invitations to pre-qualify, pre-qualification documents, invitations to express interest, request for proposal (RFP) incorporating terms of reference (TOR) or request for quotation (RFQ), Statement of works etc.
  • Approve evaluation reports and Purchase Orders from the countries within the region.
  • Receive and safeguard applications to pre-qualify, expressions of interest, proposals and quotations.
  • Obtain quotes and compile comparable prices to facilitate the determination of future purchases.
  • Participate in bid opening(s) and proposal(s) reviews.
  • Conduct negotiations or recommend a negotiating team where applicable and negotiate contractual agreements with suppliers to ensure that service, added value, lowest total cost while ensuring quality is not compromised.
• Supervise the Country Procurement Focal Persons.

Delivery – Manage Project Life Cycle

• Maintain tender/contract register.
• Support contract and purchase order drafting and submission for approval
• Enforce the procurement and contracting process and make follow up on what’s due.
• Continuously develop and manage supplier relationships to deliver breakthrough performance in cost, service and quality.
• Assist the Head of Procurement in any internal and external audits and the maintenance of a running list of previous audit recommendations and the status of their implementation. 
• Continuously coordinate and monitor Procurement Units’ key performance indicators.
• Contribute to success stories or other communications that seek to highlight the positive impact of AGRA’s procurement operations.
• Carry out country procurement audits to confirm compliance with set policies and procedures and implement corrective measures where needed.
• Manage and champion the procurement and contracting automation process.
• The supervisor may assign any other additional responsibilities.

Model the IRISE Values & Be a Culture Carrier

• Integrity: Uphold moral convictions and always doing the right thing.
• Respect: Value differences and embrace diversity and inclusion.
• Innovation: Strive for excellence and embracing continuous improvement, bold creativity, and change.
• Stewardship: Be responsible for actions undertaken and resources entrusted.
• Equity: Be governed by fairness in all undertakings.

Requirements

Academic and Professional Qualifications

• • Master’s degree in procurement/supply chain management, Business Administration, from a reputable institution and/or Certification from Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply or a near equivalent from firms such as Institute for Supply Management, American Purchasing Society, International Purchasing and Supply Chain Management Institute, The International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management and others.
  • Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management from a reputable institution or any other degree with additional qualification in public procurement. 
• Membership to a professional procurement association.

Required Skills/Abilities

• Excellent communication and listening skills that allow you to get the “voice of the internal customer” and to understand the company culture and how to best communicate procurement’s value to it.
• Experience and knowledge of ERP systems such as Oracle SCM system and other ICT applications including Excel.
• Ability to “sell” procurement’s value and to run procurement as a services business like any other well-run professional services business.
• Strong negotiation skills to use for large commercial deals.
• Experience with modern sourcing and procurement systems.
• Familiarity with relevant legislative and regulatory requirements, as well as understanding of standard contractual terms and conditions to mitigate legal risk.
• Strategic mindset and problem-solving skills.
• Change management skills and self-awareness to take varying approaches with a dynamic set of stakeholders (e.g., expert model vs. facilitative model).
• Knowledge of enterprise risk management and business continuity planning.
•  Analytical mindset, but also creativity to seek, encourage and find non-traditional approaches that have historically “boxed-in” procurement.

Relevant Experience

• At least 8 years of procurement experience, with 5 years of experience at officer level preferably in a multi program International NGO.
• Knowledge and experience of donor and government(s) procurement processes and procedures.
• Demonstrate experience and knowledge in procurement of consultancy services. 
• Team player with strong leadership skills.
• Solid operational management and general business skills.
• Working knowledge of finance and/or accounting in terms of budgeting, cost management, financial accounting, treasury, risk management, etc.
• Industry knowledge in terms of broad industry dynamics on the buy-side (and the sell-side), but also the internal knowledge and “language of the business”.
• In-depth knowledge of sourcing and procurement principles and best practices. 

Key Competencies

• Achieving Results Effectively: Anticipates constraints, identifies solutions and takes responsibility for addressing critical situations; Sets self and others stretching goals, over and above those required to meet organizational standards and targets; Takes the necessary actions to meet these goals; identifies and applies measures to track and quantify achievement; Aligns projects with organization’s mission and objectives and demonstrates a good understanding of the impact of team’s and own work on external and internal counterparts.
• Managing and Sharing Knowledge:  Disseminates and shares knowledge openly and actively contributes to knowledge/network communities for topics relevant to area of expertise; Builds networks for the effective communication and exchange of knowledge and ideas and puts others into contact with various sources of knowledge; Contributes to an environment that is conducive to innovation and learning.
• Accountability:  Maintains ethical behavior, admits mistakes and exhibits responsible behavior in the meeting of performance expectations; Actively seeks out solutions to achieve results; Holds self-accountable for achieving results as an individual as well as team members; Identifies and assists in addressing areas of weakness that may impact the department’s performance.  
• Diversity and Inclusion: Takes a conscious effort to learn about different styles of conflict resolution; Is proactive in managing conflict over differences when it arises rather than avoiding it;    Listens actively for the frames of reference and does not prejudge;  Seeks to understand and adapt to different styles when working with those who are different; Treats others as they wish to be treated; Shows readiness to change the way he/she does things to meet the needs of those from diverse backgrounds.
• Technical Competencies for the position: Demonstrate knowledge of all own work role specific issues. This encompasses the technical skills or knowledge required to perform the essential duties as described in this Job Description.
• Adaptability: Adapts personal approach to meet the needs of different or new situations; Seeks guidance in adapting behavior to the needs of a new or different situation.
• Stakeholder Focus/Partnerships:  Contacts stakeholders to follow up on services, solutions or products to ensure that their needs have been correctly and effectively met; Understands issues from the stakeholder’s perspective; Keeps stakeholders up-to-date with information and decisions that affect them; Monitors services provided to stakeholders and makes timely adjustments as required; Maintains ongoing communication with stakeholders; Regularly and systematically contacts stakeholders or prospective stakeholders to determine their needs; Uses understanding of stakeholder’s perspective to identify constraints and advocate on their behalf; Works with stakeholders to adapt services, products or solutions to meet their needs; Encourages co-workers and teams to achieve a high standard of service excellence; Anticipates areas where support or influence will be required and discusses situation/concerns with appropriate individuals; Proposes new, creative and sound alternatives to improve stakeholder service delivery; Engages effectively with all stakeholders.
• Teamwork: Establishes strong relationships with colleagues and partners; relates well to people at all levels; Is fully aware of the team purposes, respects and understands individual and collective responsibilities; Willingly puts in extra effort without being asked and adopts a ‘hands-on’ approach whenever necessary to achieve team objectives; Coordinates own work with that of the team to meet agreed priorities and deadlines.

Terms of Appointment

3 Years Fixed Term (Consideration for renewal will be made subject to AGRA’s needs, available funding and performance).

Location

Based in Nairobi, Kenya.

How to Apply

If you believe you are the right candidate for this position, kindly submit your application with a detailed CV (including your e-mail address and telephone contacts to recruit@agra.org noting to quote the job reference number in the subject of your email)

To be considered, applications must be received on or before Thursday 12th October 2023.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

AGRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer