Procurement & Administration Officer at the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS)

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Procurement & Administration Officer

Location: Banjul, Gambia
Job Code: 20003610
Institution: ECOWAS Commission
Grade: P3 / P4
Agency: ECOWAS Regional Competition Agency (ERCA)
Department: Economic Affairs & Agriculture
Status: Permanent
Directorate: Administration & Finance
Line Supervisor: PO Administration & HR

Job Summary
Under the supervision of the Principal Officer of Administration & Human Resources, this position has the responsibility for the management of the daily procurement activities in the division by ensuring that procurement procedures (including Grants) conducted at ERCA are in conformity with its laws and regulations, donors’ requirements, and those of other stakeholders 

Roles and Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day active technical support and advice as related to procurement and contract management, at all stages of the procurement cycle in line with the ECOWAS Standard Procurement code.
• Prepare Procurement and Monitoring Plans for ERCA procurement activities.
• Support in the preparation and finalization of a variety of procurement-related documents (Standard bidding documents, Standard evaluation reports, standard contracts, Standard Procurement reports Templates).
• Monitor the progress of contract implementation to ensure that it abides by the stipulated standards procedures and planned procurement timetable.
• Identify any delays/issues relating to the implementation of the Procurement Procedures within the Institutions.
• Conduct market research to identify cost-effective purchasing opportunities.
• Evaluate supplier performance and address any issues or concerns.
• Provide administrative support to the division including handling correspondence, scheduling meetings, and managing office supplies.
• Assist in the preparation of budgets and financial reports.
• Maintain accurate records of procurement transactions and administrative activities

Academic Qualifications and Experience 

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Commerce, Supply Chain, Law, or a related field from a recognized university.
• Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in Procurement and /or Supply chain Management for a Public Institution, International Organization, NGO, or Multilateral Aid Agencies.
• Knowledge of procurement policies, processes, and procedures of Development Partners such as the World Bank, African Development Bank, and European Union will be an advantage.
• Knowledge of an Enterprise Resource Planning system or other procurement-related management system will be an advantage.
• Knowledge of ECOWAS financial regulations, administrative procedures, procurement Tender Code and staff regulations

Age Limit:

• Be below 50 years old. This provision does not apply to internal candidates.

Ecowas Key Competencies:

• Ability to persuade/influence others to consider a certain point of view, adopt a new idea or implement new methods and practices.
• Ability to lead a team of trainees/junior staff and instill a spirit of teamwork to engage employees and achieve a well-defined set of activities.
• Ability to respect chain of command in an appropriate manner.
• Ability to resolve challenges that occur with minimal direction and/or to recommend and explain solutions or alternatives for approval.
• Ability to utilize the Code of Ethics to manage self, others, information, and resources.
• Ability to mentor others and create feedback loops with supervisors, colleagues, and the subordinates to build strong working relationships and improve performance.
• Contribute to maintaining organizational unit’s performance goals and standards.
• Interpersonal skills with ability to keep a client informed of progress or setbacks in projects of relevance to timeline, quality, and quantity.
• Ability to proactively interact with clients and build strong trusting relationships based on mutual respect and regular discussions.
• Ability to establish and sustain professional credibility with clients/stakeholders in a manner that anticipates their need, mitigates issues and that carefully balances professional obligations with the need to be sensitive and responsive to their needs.
• Ability to counsel, advise, consult, and guide others on matters pertaining to assigned client service responsibilities and established client service standards.
• Demonstrate respect for cultural differences, fairness, and ability to relate well with people from varied backgrounds, nationality, gender, ethnicity, race and religion.
• Understanding of diverse cultural views especially within West Africa, with sensitivity to group differences; ability to challenge bias and to practice tolerance and empathy.
• Ability to listen actively, consider people’s concerns and apply judgement, tact, and diplomacy.
• Ability to work in a diverse and inclusive interactive environment that benefits from diverse strengths.
• Ability and responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
• Ability to encourage, empower, and advocate for people in an unbiased and transparent manner. 
• Knowledge of ECOWAS institutions, sectors, programmes and policies.
• Knowledge of ECOWAS internal operational requirements of programs, projects, services, and systems required to achieve work assignments and meet performance goals.
• Knowledge of rules and procedures of ECOWAS associated assigned responsibilities and ability to explain these clearly to others.
• Knowledge of the ECOWAS culture, structures and performance issues and priorities impacting assigned responsibilities.
• Knowledge of member states development trends, indicators, challenges, and opportunities as it relates to project/program assigned to own position.
• Ability to study data/information from a variety of sources, identify anomalies, trends and issues, present findings, and make recommendations.
• Ability to break down problems or processes into key parts to identify and solve gaps in service, quality assurance, compliance, and performance targets.
• Knowledge of and ability to apply techniques to generate creative ideas and new approaches to meeting goals.
• Ability to use evidence and research to inform policies and programs and identify relevant and appropriate sources of information, including stakeholders, regional institutions and/or internal committees.
• Demonstrate operational computer proficiency using appropriate tools.
• Ability to make sound use of graphics and tables to effectively present numerical data to write semi-complex technical reports/proposals and edit/check templates, letters, etc.
• Ability to convey information clearly and concisely in a succinct and organized manner through both writing and verbal means.
• Exhibit interpersonal skills, make presentations, express opinions, and debate ideas with others in a constructive manner.
• Proficiency in information communication technologies (ICT).
• Fluency in oral and written expressions in one of the ECOWAS official languages of the Community (English, French & Portuguese). Knowledge of an additional one will be an added advantage.
• Ability to develop, implement an individual action plan for achieving specific work goals.
• Identify, organize, and monitor tasks throughout to facilitate execution.
• Ability to contribute and/or lead on projects as per accepted project management standards and techniques, to co-ordinate contributions by others to set and meet deadlines.
• Ability to organize work, set priorities, and work within timelines, giving attention to details, stakeholders, indicators, and risks.
• Ability to identify, collect and assess indicators to monitor performance and to take proactive remedial action as required.

Salary
USD 62,213.20 - USD 72,846.21 Annually.

Application Closing Date
15th May, 2024.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their correctly filled Application Form, Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a Motivation Letter to: [email protected] using the job title as the subject of the mail.

Click here to download the application form (Docx.)

Note

• Female applications are encouraged.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
• Applications initially submitted with only the CV remain acceptable.
• ECOWAS does not charge a fee for recruitment and will not request for your account details.