Position: Procurement Manager

Report to: Logistics Director

Location: Goma, DRC

Country Program/Sector: WCS DRC Program

Start date: ASAP

Position Type: Full-time

Supervision: Procurement Officer – Goma

Application deadline: January 29,2024

Internal liaison: Deputy National Director, Program Manager; Director of Logistics, Directors Chefs de Site; Logistics Managers – All sites; Senior Grant Manager.

Expected travel: Local travel to field sites and sub-offices.

Organization Background:

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a US non-profit, tax-exempt, private organization established in 1895 that saves wildlife and wild places by understanding critical issues, crafting science-based solutions, and taking conservation actions that benefit nature and humanity. With more than a century of experience, long-term commitments in dozens of landscapes, presence in more than 60 nations, and experience helping to establish over 150 protected areas across the globe, WCS has amassed the biological knowledge, cultural understanding, and partnerships to ensure that vibrant, wild places and wildlife thrive alongside local communities. Working with local communities and organizations, that knowledge is applied to address species, habitat, and ecosystem management issues critical to improving the livelihoods that depend on the direct utilization of natural resources.

Job Summary:

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) seeks a dynamic, experienced, and motivated Procurement Manager to provide procurement, logistics and acquisition support to a large program in three protected areas and wildlife reserves in Eastern DRC. The successful candidate will provide acquisition support across all departments of the protected area management with a particular focus on timely project procurement planning, coordination, and procurement for the entire DRC country program. The Procurement Manager will participate in funding and proposal development as well as Kick-off call while ensuring project’s procurement plan is accurate and the costing reflects the market price.

Major Responsibilities

Organization and planning

• In collaboration with the Deputy Country Director and the Logistics Director, propose the organization of the procurement department, enabling the WCS DRC country program to fulfil its mandate and deliver goods and services to the sites.
• Participate in the proposal development, establish the procurement plan for each project, and ensure their validation by the Country Director and Regional Director when warranted.
• Ensure that project procurement plans are established, revised, and executed.
• In collaboration with the Grant Managers at the site level, establish a reporting cycle for each project under funding.
• Monitor the local supply chain and apply geopolitical events to anticipate timely acquisition and disruption in the supply chain and propose alternate solutions to the stakeholders.

Purchasing Management

• Manages communications and interaction with regional and international Purchasing and Logistics teams.
• In collaboration with the other departments, ensures that the customs clearance procedure is carried out according to standards and that files are cleared within the deadline.
• In collaboration with the other departments, requests duty-free allowances and transmits them to forwarding agents.
• Serves as focal point for forwarding agents and handles all customs clearance procedures import and export. This includes assisting with WCS traveller imported goods.
• Supervises the Procurement Officer and works with the Site Logisticians in identifying suppliers and processing purchase files through to archiving in compliance with WCS procedures.
• Ensures that orders are processed within a reasonable timeframe by defining priorities for their team.
• Localizes electronic tracking system templates.
• Supervises market studies carried out by the buyer and the base logistician, ensuring that the competitive bidding procedure has been achieved.
• Trains and informs teams of any changes in the purchasing process.
• Maintains the international purchasing tracking file and shares it with requisitioners.
• Ensures that domestic purchasing tracking files are updated and shared with requisitioners.
• In collaboration with the finance department, ensures WCS contract terms and Conditions are achieved.
• Follows up contracts and informs his/her line manager three months in advance of any contract coming to an end.

Inventory Management

• Supervises the management of supplies and non-consumable items (equipment and materials), as well as inventories.
• Oversees inventory tracking for the Goma office and ensures it is also done for each site and the Kinshasa office.
• Ensures that stocks are tidy, clean, orderly, and secure.
• Informs his/her line manager of any problems observed.
• Ensures that stock sheets and stack sheets are kept up to date.
• Supervises the movement of goods through Goma and Kinshasa, and checks that the corresponding documents are filled in (Acknowledgement of Receipt, Delivery Note).
• Ensures that inventory and stock reports are updated monthly.
• Ensures that the physical inventory is carried out every three months.
• Investigates stock discrepancies and informs line management.
• Organizes random inventories of equipment to check the reliability of monthly tracking and takes corrective action where necessary.

Reporting

• Ensure quarterly inventory reports are performed at each site.
• Analyses and compiles report from the sites, highlighting difficulties and possible solutions, and sends them to his supervisor.
• Prepares documents for internal and external audits.
• Provide an accurate annual inventory report of all equipment and goods purchased. This annual report must follow WCS guidelines for annual closure and the regulatory bodies in DRC (Ministry of Planning and Ministry of Finance).

Minimum Requirements:

• An advanced degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Procurement Management, Business Administration, or another field relevant to the position’s responsibilities
• Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint and Word, keen interest in working with electronic databases and statistical analysis.
• Experience working in fast-paced project/programme cycle environments, purchasing, and delivering goods and services to complex field programs.
• Experience with procurement planning and reporting, with knowledge of USAID, KfW, UNDP, UNFunds or other bilateral donors a distinct advantage.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English, with either French or Swahili a distinct advantage
• Experience in large project or program management, administration, and fundraising
• Excellent communication and organizational skills
• Proven ability to work effectively and flourish in a multi-cultural team.
• Results-focused attitude to work
• Willingness and ability to travel to field sites.
• Interest in wildlife conservation and committed to the WCS mission.