The Ugandan Jobline

Job Title:  Operations and Procurement Manager

Organization: TechnoServe

Reports to:
Country Director

Duty Station:
Kampala. Uganda

About US:

TechnoServe works
with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms,
businesses and industries. We are a nonprofit organization that develops
business solutions to poverty by linking people to information, capital and
markets. With more than four decades of proven results, we believe in the power
of private enterprise to transform lives.

Job Summary:  The Operations and Procurement Manager will
work with program, country, divisional and headquarters staff to ensure timely
and fully-compliant delivery of Country program activities through the
coordinated development and implementation of operational plans and targets
including; procurement, inventory, asset and logistics management, repairs and
maintenance, security, and fleet management in accordance with TechnoServe
policies/procedures and donor regulations/requirements.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:  

Upholding Policies
and Procedures of Critical Operations

·       
Conduct
annual vendor pre-qualification for key products/services including: office
supplies, fuel, vehicle maintenance and repair, transport (e.g. taxi service
and vehicle rental), hotels, security, courier services, etc. and
develop/manage Local Service Agreements

·       
Work
closely with Program Managers on the creation of annual and monthly procurement
plans for all program and country activities and review them regularly to
ensure they are up-to-date and that the procurement process is well planned.

·       
Regularly
review current TechnoServe and donor policies and procedures related to
logistics, procurement, vehicle usage and asset management to ensure compliance
with donor and corporate requirements. Train and update staff on policies
regularly to ensure understanding.

·       
Lead,
and ensure full compliance with policies at every stage of the procurement
process including: reviewing Purchase Requisition requests, drafting RFQs/RFPs
and evaluation criteria with programs staff input, seeking vendors, reviewing
proposals, preparing bid analysis, screening vendors against prohibited parties
lists, conducting due diligence (e.g. reference checks and spot visits to
vendors), negotiating contract terms, structuring and managing contracts,
verifying delivery and evaluating vendor performance.

·       
Review
payment paper trails that are produced and carry out the operations check
specifically required for processing by the Finance team.

·       
Maintain
electronic and physical filing systems for all procurement and operations
documents for the Uganda office including a vendor database that captures key
data including performance/delivery feedback to ensure TechnoServe only engages
high quality vendors

·       
Regularly
benchmark costs for rent, IT support, and other key services to ensure that
TechnoServe is getting value for money.

Engage with
Implementing Teams (Procurement and Logistics)

·       
Act as
focal point person for all Operational Activities (IT, Procurement, Logistics,
Fleet and Asset Management) in Uganda

·       
Train
and coach members of the program team in the use of the different operational
tracking tools and how best these programs can benefit from the tools

·       
Provide
pro-active advice to program teams to ensure optimal operational systems while
maintaining adherence to TechnoServe’s relevant policies (e.g., vehicle policy,
travel policy, procurement policy, etc.)

·       
Support
in-country program teams to develop and update quarterly operational plans for
procurement, team logistics, and vehicle management (including vehicle fueling
and maintenance)

·       
Maintain
a procurement tracker showing the status of ongoing and planned procurements
and review regularly with country and program leadership.

·       
Serve as
the coordinator for travel and support for members of the cross-cutting
programs or EA Regional Teams traveling in the country, coordinating logistics
of travel and accommodation

Office Management

·       
Ensure a
safe, clean well-organized and resourced office environment in all TechnoServe
offices.

·       
Coordinate
the administration of office resources and arrange for the repair and
maintenance of the office and office equipment.

Fleet Management

·       
Prepare
and review monthly fuel reconciliation reports including vehicle maintenance
reports by program and advise Program Managers on the way forward

·       
Oversee
overall management of TechnoServe’s vehicle fleet, including establishing maintenance
schedules, managing safety, security and tracking systems.

·       
Hire and
manage all office drivers ensuring they receive all necessary training on
TechnoServe’s policies and that they maintain credentials

·       
Ensure
field vehicles and driver administration is executed in a professional manner
and in accordance with TechnoServe vehicle policy and traffic regulations, and
that all related vehicle logs are filled out appropriately and on-time

·       
Ensure
that rental vehicles are fit for the purpose hired, hired drivers have an
acceptable level of skills, and are briefed on TechnoServe policies and code of
conduct

·       
Ensure
vehicles have up-to-date insurance, registration and other required documents

Asset Management

·       
Maintain
an up-to-date and accurate asset registry for Uganda

·       
Ensure
the transfer and return of assets to/from staff in different duty stations is
tracked

·       
Conduct
regular physical verification/checks of all assets and inventory in TechnoServe
Field Offices

Safety and Security
in Collaboration with HQ

·       
Assist
the CD in collecting, updating and communicating about the safety and security
situation in the country and operational areas when necessary and take
precautionary measures to ensure staff safety.

·       
Develop,
maintain and coordinate updating of the Country Safety & Security Plan

·       
With the
support of the CD, ensure implementation of the Country Safety & Security
Plan and other applicable safety and security related policies and procedures

·       
Support
crisis or incident management, as required

·       
Provide
a security briefing to all international visitors to the office (HQ staff,
volcons, consultants, etc.) within 24-48 hours of their arrival

Security Planning
and Implementation

·       
Develop,
maintain and coordinate updating of the Country Safety & Security Plan

·       
With the
support of the Country Director, ensure implementation of the Country Safety
& Security Plan and other applicable safety and security related policies
and procedures

·       
Support
crisis or incident management, as required

·       
Provide
a security briefing to all international visitors to the office (HQ staff,
volcons, consultants, etc.) within 24-48 hours of their arrival

Safety and Security
Monitoring and Reporting

·       
Conduct
ongoing threat assessments for TechnoServe’s operational areas

·       
Monitor
staff adherence to TechnoServe safety and security-related policies

·       
Identify
weak points in safety and security protocols requiring improvement

·       
Track
staff travel (to better provide support in the event of an incident)

·       
Monitor
vehicles, drivers, guard activities, and operations for adherence to safety and
security protocols, as appropriate

·       
Report
security incidents affecting TechnoServe staff, offices and assets to country
and divisional staff

·       
Compose
and distribute safety and security updates to country office staff and liaises
with the headquarters compliance and risk management function

·       
Distribute
information as directed by CD to staff

·       
General
Administration

·       
Maintain
routine and confidential correspondence files/documents

·       
Maintain
a database of contact details for contacts that may be needed in the event of
an emergency.

·       
Any
other work related duties assigned by supervisor.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

·       
The ideal
candidate should preferably hold a Bachelor’s degree in procurement, business
administration or related area, with a minimum of 7 years’ experience in
procurement/administration/logistics work with a similar organization.

·       
Membership
in professional bodies such as IPPU and CIP preferred

·       
Familiarity
with procurement standards and donor regulations (in particular USG)

·       
Excellent
computer skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Internet

·       
Detail
orientation, including strong organizational and analytical skills

·       
Ability
to anticipate demand, manage multiple tasks / projects and meet tight deadlines
Experience managing fleet/drivers is preferred

Competencies

Job
Specific/Technical Competencies include:

·       
Computer
Literacy: Demonstrates knowledge and ability to use specific computer programs
or applications for own functional area. Has the ability to improve performance
by integrating new and existing technology into the workplace.

·       
Innovative
Mindset: Curious inquiries, asks questions and seeks out information from
multiple sources, learns from mistakes, sees change as an opportunity.

·       
Internal
Client Focus: Client Focus is based on the ability to understand the client’s
needs and concerns in the short to long-term and to provide sound
recommendations and/or solutions.

·       
Compliance
& Governance: Compliance with and knowledge of company policies, applicable
legislation, grant requirements, donor contracts, the local labor code and tax
laws.

Managerial
Competencies

·       
Emotional
Intelligence: The act of knowing, understanding, and responding to emotions,
overcoming stress in the moment, and being aware of how your words and actions
affect others. Emotional intelligence consists of 4 attributes: self-awareness,
self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.

·       
Strategic
Thinking: Managers should recognize key actions, underlying problems, make
connection and patterns, see consequences and implications. Anticipates
obstacles realistically and plans ways to deal with them.

·       
Staff
Development: managers are required to work with employees to plan on the
development of skills and abilities so that they can fulfil current or future
job/role responsibilities more effectively.

·       
Trust to
Delegate: managers should have trust and willingness to assign responsibilities
to direct reports and give them discretion and authority to carry them out.

·       
Feedback/Coaching
(mentoring): managers should give instructions, suggestions, explanations, and
feedback to subordinates.

Career Pathways: The position that might be next career opportunities for employees in
this job title include Senior Operations Manager, Regional Operations Manager.

How to Apply:

If you are
interested and you meet the requirements, please apply by Email only to the
Human Resources Manager: ug-jobs@tns.org. Please submit a resume, cover letter
and three professional references with the position title placed in the subject
line of your email and on the application letter.

Deadline: Monday 3, February 2020 by close of business.

NB: Please
note that only shortlisted candidates shall be contacted. TechnoServe Inc. is
an Equal Opportunity Employer, women are encouraged to apply.

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