Procurement Specialist

Job Summary

The Procurement Specialist directs audit-ready end-to-end procurement for ACES in Kigali. Reporting to the Director of Operations, this specialist manages RFQs/RFPs, prepares consolidated procurement plans, enforces RPPA and ACES controls, conducts vendor evaluations, and maintains complete procurement files by August 3, 2026.

Key Roles & Operational Responsibilities

1. Procurement Planning, Requisitions & Solicitations

• Consolidated Planning: Lead procurement planning, consolidating requirements to establish efficient procurement strategies that maximize competition, cost efficiency, and economies of scale.
• Specification Review: Advise requisitioning units during demand definition so that Statements of Work (SOW), Terms of Reference (TOR), and technical specifications remain generic, complete, and free of brand bias.
• Solicitation Execution: Determine procurement methods (Low Value, RFQ, RFP) based on threshold rules; draft solicitation packages, publish notices, manage bidder questions, and act as the sole authorized point of contact for suppliers.

2. Evaluation, Award & Contract Administration

• Evaluation & Delegated Awards: Organize technical and financial evaluations, safeguard bid confidentiality, draft recommendation reports, and manage award approvals with Delegation Holders.
• Contract Management: Administer contracts and purchase orders, monitor vendor Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), track Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), handle contract amendments, and oversee receipt/inspection.
• Vendor Systems & Visualization: Maintain a vendor performance management framework and analyze procurement data using visualization tools (graphs, charts, dashboards) to support data-driven decision-making.

3. Controls, Anti-Fraud & Audit Preparedness

• Segregation of Duties: Strictly enforce segregation of duties between requisitioning, procurement, budget certification, approval, and receipt; stop processes when conflicts arise.
• Prohibited Practice Protection: Guard against collusion, conflict of interest, and favoritisms in line with ethics provisions; challenge non-compliant requests.
• Audit-Ready Documentation: Build and maintain complete, traceable, signed, and dated physical/digital procurement files for every transaction to ensure total compliance during internal and external audits.

Foundational Capabilities & Prerequisites

Required Educational Baseline & Professional Certifications

• Academic Background: Bachelor's Degree in Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Law, Finance, or a related field.
• Professional Certification: Professional certification in supply chain/procurement, such as Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS Level 2 minimum), is required.

Required Experience & Competencies

• Workplace Track Record: Minimum 5 years of progressive procurement experience within the last 8 years.
• Tender Management: A minimum of 2 consecutive years of experience conducting tender exercises (RFQ/RFP) within donor-funded, public sector, UN, or INGO environments during the last 5 years.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Demonstrated familiarity with Rwandan public procurement law and the Rwanda Public Procurement Authority (RPPA) framework.
• Language Proficiency: Working proficiency in English is required; fluency in Kinyarwanda and/or French is an advantage.

What ACES Offers

• Mission-Driven Impact: Play a pivotal role in establishing sustainable cooling and cold-chain infrastructure across Africa.
• Renewable Leadership Role: Direct ownership over high-value procurement systems within a growing international institution.
• Professional Stature: Lead audit-ready public and donor-funded supply chain operations from Kigali, Rwanda.

Skills Required:

• Procurement / Purchasing