Senior Officer, Procurement

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies (NSs). The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by NSs with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into four main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Coordination; (ii) Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; (iii) Management and Accountability; and (iv) People and Strategy.

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. IFRC also has country cluster delegations and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

Job Purpose

The Senior Procurement Officer shall contribute to the success of the procurement activities in the Dubai Logistics Hub by ensuring effective operational and tactical procurement of goods and services.
The incumbent is accountable to drive procurement with the support of the Lead Global Procurement and Global Sourcing and Global procurement team.
The incumbent will lead and drive the regional procurement team to ensure the successful development and execution of procurement in a challenging and complex supply chain environment.

The incumbent will be accountable for procurement performance against set objectives and KPI`s.

The incumbent will oversee the execution of procurement (which includes sourcing, procurement planning, procurement strategies, procurement execution and vendor management) The incumbent ensures value for money objectives are achieved. The incumbent will have to develop a robust supplier base and manage the value chain complexity and risks in an uncertain environment to release total value contribution of procurement.
The incumbent will ensure effective execution of procurement, support tendering for the region as required, ensuring best value for money objectives are achieved.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Key areas of influence and key internal relationships include:
Carry out operational and tactical procurement in strong coordination with the strategic sourcing team, Global fleet hub, regional and country-based procurement staff. This role carries accountability for ensuing compliance with IFRC supply chain standards globally.

Procurement

• Implement the overall procurement strategy in close cooperation with the global procurement team.
• Ensure that the regional procurement supports and delivers all regional programmatic objectives including long term programmes and emergency responses.
• Ensure that the procurement unit delivers a procurement service that understands and meets the needs of the IFRC, partners and services users, balancing service quality against service cost/commercial implications.
• Accountable to achieve value for money.
• Support procurement planning with operational colleagues based on the needs of the operational plan.
• Identifying cost reduction opportunities in procurement and sourcing.

Sourcing

• Develop a robust supplier base within the region and manage the value chain complexity and risks in an uncertain environment to release total value contribution of procurement
• Develop a sourcing plan in line with global sourcing strategy and regional needs.
• Negotiate and implement Frame Agreements as per short- and long-term operation needs and efficiencies.
• Implement vendor performance management to ensure high performance of IFRC vendors.
• Provide consultation to regional and country general management to ensure support for sourcing strategy implementation.

Compliance

• Collaborate closely with national societies procurement focal points to ensure compliance with IFRC procurement policies while ensuring value for money and efficient procurement at country level.
• Manage procurement risks trough risk management matrix and reports.
• Responsible for facilitating the implementation of procurement policies and procedures for the procurement operation including the proper use of the ERP system, to ensure global procurement guidelines and policies are fully understood, communicated and locally applied.
• Ensure environmental and social sustainable practices are followed in line with IFRC policies.
• Lead and facilitate quality assurance of procurement conducted by the country offices in line with procurement thresholds as defined under the IFRC procurement policy.

Team management.

• Manage, hire, train and retain a team of world class procurement professionals to push highest levels of performance and capability
• Drive the development of talents providing guidance on development and career paths
• Identify gaps in the skills and competencies of regional operational procurement team members and establish and implement personal development plans.
• Establish KPIs for the procurement function and report KPIs to the management team on an ongoing basis.
• Technical management of IFRC procurement staff in country offices by providing technical support and ensuring compliance with IFRC policies.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

Coordination

• Provide technical expertise and advice across the regional network to enable the delivery of the right quality and cost efficient procurement service provision that meets the requirements of the IFRC, partners and customers.
• Coordinate procurement activities with national societies and partner national societies and actively seek ways to collaborate aiming for one red supply chain and improved procurement activities amongst IFRC and its members.
• Ensure excellent coordination and relation ships with both IFRC and network offices and colleagues to ensure optimal and efficient procurement services are provided.
• Manage internal relationship-building to ensure cross-functional co-operation and integration which minimizes risk and results in high-quality technical solutions with supply chain practices.
• Relationship building with partners and service users to ensure an effective and efficient logistics network for humanitarian service provision.

Key Stakeholders of this position are Global Fleet and Logistics Hub, operation managers, appeal managers, project managers, heads of delegations, procurement staff of national societies, counterparts in humanitarian agencies and the RCRC network.

Education

• Required university degree in Business, economics, Engineering, IT or other relevant area or proven professional experience in the area of expertise.
• Professional Procurement Qualification highly preferred

Experience

• Required minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in managing complex procurement operations including high volume in procurement, of which minimum 3 years at international level.
• Required experience of managing and integrating tactical and operational procurement
• Preferred experience within the commercial sector
• Preferred Red Cross/Red Crescent knowledge and experience

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

• Required in-depth grasp of international procurement practices including legal aspects
• Required problem solving skills
• Required demonstrated ability to analyse operational procurement impact, including at operational/institutional levels.
• Required commercial acumen and Proven negotiating skills.
• Required ability to work to tight deadlines and handle multiple tasks.
• Required ability to work in matrix environment.
• Required ability to work in a cross-cultural and cross-functional environment, strong interpersonal skills.
• required ability to deliver efficient operational procurement in a challenging environment.
• Required ability to synthesise and analyse complex data.
• Preferred a broad understanding of humanitarian issues, disaster recovery and related organization.
• Required experience working with ERP systems.
• Required fluently spoken and written English and good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic).

Competencies, Values and Comments

Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability

Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust

IFRC Disclaimer

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

If you appointed to or undertake a role within IFRC, whether as staff, staff on loan or secondees, you will be subject to the organization's Code of Conduct, which is available here and on our website.

Note: All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which include prior professional conduct checks and review of criminal records. IFRC will request a conduct check from all prior employers for a period of 5 years, including but not limited to employers who like IFRC participate in the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.