Living Water International (LWI)
At the core of Living Water International (LWI) lies the promise of a better tomorrow through the provision of safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene education to communities across the globe. As a non-profit international development Christian organization founded in 1990, our mission is profound: to provide clean and safe water to communities in need around the world. With over 33 years of experience, LWI has emerged as a global leader in designing, coordinating, and managing high-quality water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services for underserved populations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
The Position – Procurement Officer
This position exists to efficiently and effectively manage and coordinate all aspects of procurement for LWI Zambia to ensure that all units and operations have adequate goods and services to perform their duties.
Specific Duties:
Procurement Preparation and Planning
- Consult with unit heads on the main types of goods and services needed for procurement planning.
- Conduct a market assessment of the best sources of products and services and their prices.
- Maintain vendor relationships by conducting regular visits for updates on goods and services and to ensure contractual terms and conditions are adhered to.
- Identify potential suppliers and verify their eligibility before adding them to the list of suppliers approved by the Country Director, ensuring regular updates.
- Keep abreast of government regulations such as taxes and importation procedures.
Procurement of Goods and Services
- Review quotations for accuracy and validity.
- Prepare Bid Analysis forms and Negotiation Memos for review by the Operations Manager.
- Ensure goods supplied by vendors conform to quality standards and are fit for purpose.
- Ensure all procurement is conducted according to internal policies, procedures, and donor requirements.
- Devise new methods to improve procurement efficiencies and annually update the Procurement Manual and its support tools.
- Review all purchase requisitions, cross-checking with price targets to ensure clear specifications and corresponding authorizations.
- Ensure all requests for quotations match purchasing requisitions.
- Review all bids and quotations according to price targets and specifications, preparing a quotes summary sheet.
- Propose a Bid Review Committee to procurement committee members for approval, ensuring compliance with guidelines stipulated in the Procurement Manual and conducting competitive bid analysis.
- Negotiate with suppliers regarding price reductions, payments, delivery terms, and shipping options.
- Share a procurement tracker on a monthly basis.
- Follow necessary procedures to purchase goods from HQ when needed, preparing purchase orders or contracts as necessary and ensuring procurement is processed for all applicable exonerations.
- Ensure transparency in vendor contracts and awards.
- Conduct due diligence on prevailing product market prices to ensure value for money.
- Ensure compliance with procurement policy and internal controls.
Record Keeping and Reporting
- Ensure proper filing of all procurement documents
- Maintain an approved supplier list and update when necessary.
- Create and maintain vendor files with necessary details by service category.
- Track the status of each procurement request and provide weekly status reports to management and requestors.
- Evaluate suppliers every 6 months in collaboration with the Operations Manager, generating a report with recommendations based on supplier performance and conducting a vendor rating process.
Procurement Communication and Coordination
- Provide advance notice to the Stores Assistant to receive goods.
- Provide details of fixed asset procurements and segregate duties and documents, ensuring goods are allocated to assigned recipients.
- Resolve any procurement quantity discrepancies and communicate with vendors for returns (e.g., damaged goods).
- Liaise and follow up with the Finance team to ensure timely payments.
- Prepare award letters, agreements, and memos as necessary.
- Keep requestors informed of local and international order statuses and coordinate with other departments to ensure timely requests with clear specifications.
- Respond to audit queries promptly and professionally, collecting pricing information for budgeting and planning purposes.
- Expedite all orders and stay updated on fraud prevention measures, sharing information with other staff.
- Assist in advancing the use of new technologies and applications to improve procurement process efficiencies.
- Support and train on procurement management and provide coverage for other staff when required.
Basic Requirements
- Proven working experience as a procurement officer.
- Knowledge of sourcing and procurement techniques.
- Talent in negotiations and networking.
- Aptitude in decision-making and working with numbers.
- Experience in collecting and analyzing data.
- Strong leadership capabilities.
- Degree in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management.
- Membership of the Zambia Institute of Purchasing and Supply (A must).
- Membership of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (An Advantage).
- Understanding of local contract and procurement law.
- Knowledge of rules and regulations related to contracts and cooperative agreements.
- Fluency in English.
- A recommendation from a local pastor/church leader will be an added advantage.
Skills and Abilities
- Consistently works within internal processes and procedures.
- Strong interpersonal and team-building skills.
- Exceptional planning and time management skills.
- Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to make presentations.
- Ability to problem-solve difficult issues.
- Ability to multitask with ease, adapting to frequently changing priorities.
- Good negotiating and conflict resolution skills.
- Strong understanding of budgets.
- Competence using common desktop applications and internal systems.
LWI is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, citizenship status, matriculation, family responsibilities, personal appearance, credit information, or other protected classifications or non-merit factors.
