Job Description
General Statement of Purpose of the Contract
Under the direct supervision of the Procurement Supervisor, the Procurement Agent is responsible for all aspects of the procurement process in support of the USAID/Ethiopia and USAID/Djibouti Missions. The incumbent is responsible for the planning and procurement of services and goods for Operating Expense (OE) and program administrative procurements. This includes, but is no limited to, consultancy services, blanket purchase agreements, contracts, purchase orders, task orders, USG purchase card purchases, petty cash, delivery orders and procurements not covered under ICASS. The incumbent operates independently in planning, executing, and managing substantial managerial functions for a large and complex USAID Mission. The incumbent provides administrative counsel/expertise to all staff members and has a wide latitude in carrying out the various administrative and managerial functions assigned. The procurement level is limited to the Simplified Acquisition warrant level of the S/EXO, currently set at $250,000.
Statement of Duties to be Performed
EXO Procurement Execution, Documentation and Evaluation (40%)
- • Serves as the subject matter expert on simplified acquisition policies and procedures, advising all offices and staff on regulatory requirements and procurement policies and procedures for purchase of services, nonexpendable and expendable property, and vehicles needed to support the day-to-day operation of the Missions. Performs procurement actions for the entire Mission and Djibouti Mission, of approximately 250 staff members.
- • Reviews all procurement requests for compliance with established guidelines such as AIDAR, FAR and ADS prior to initiating action.
- • Obtains pricing information (including shipping cost estimates) and specifications (where detailed specifications have not been provided in advance). Determines suitable sources of supply through local and non-local searches and requests bids and quotations by telephone, correspondence, and advertisement for access to a wide range of public entities.
- • Consults with the appropriate technical/requesting office if necessary and selects the source for the items to be ordered.
- • Organizes and coordinates technical committees for the review of proposals, and obtains technical reports for procurement actions, if necessary.
- • Maintains a tracking system of all procurement documents, from purchase requests, to receipt of procured goods or services by the requestor.
- • Initiates buyer and requester procurement actions in GLAAS and enters procurement actions in Ariba/ILMS for all ICASS supported procurements. Liaises/coordinates with the Department of State Procurement Agents ensuring that procurements placed in ILMS are accurate and ordered in a timely manner.
- • Reviews and analyzes bids and quotations and makes recommendations to the Contracting Officer in terms of cost reasonableness of goods and services, vendor capabilities, reputation, and past performance. Negotiates contracts with the vendor.
- • Documents all procurement actions with a negotiation memorandum that includes required clauses, cost realism, and available sources. Ensures and reviews status reports and keeps EXO and the requestor aware of expected delivery or appraised of potential delays.
- • Ensures procurement files are completely and appropriately documented, up to date, and uploaded in ASIST. Performs 1311 reviews to accrue or de-obligate funds ensuring the services and goods are received and close out the files accordingly with technical and finance offices in a timely manner.
- • Reviews vendor invoices and claims against purchasing and receiving documents or against purchasing and deliverables. Provides appropriate confirmations for processing timely payments based on the terms of the contract. Coordinates timely funding with OFM and works with OFM to resolve funding problems.
EXO Procurement Planning and Policy (35%)
- • Develops procurement budget plans for the current year and subsequent years based on personal experience and knowledge of the USG procurement regulations and standards.
- • Leads the USAID’s Mission in the development, assessment, approval, and implementation of bi-annual procurement planning processes and ensures timely completion of procurement activities.
- • Ensures the appropriate internal controls are in place, in alignment with Agency procurement regulations, and that the appropriate authorizations and funding contingencies are in place prior to any procurement actions;
- • Ensures that, to the maximum extent possible, consolidated procurement activities are not redundantly processed and/or that, where most appropriate, procurement actions are processed through the consolidated procurement services (ICASS/ARIBA, etc.)
- • Demonstrates strong leadership and oversight while implementing the annual Executive Office procurement cycle, from request to closeout, otherwise known as “end-to-end” procurement, responsible for working with technical and support offices on the requirements of operational-based procurement. Continuously tracks and expedites requests to ensure procurement actions are brought to completion and Mission needs are met.
- • Reviews procurement requests and prioritizes procurement activities, ensuring the maximum resources available for procurement, as appropriate, both locally and internationally.
- • Proactively advises USAID Mission teams on how to request procurement actions from EXO, and updates senior management on the status of USAID’s EXO procurement processes.
- • Takes initiative to update the Procurement Supervisor on a weekly basis of all outstanding and upcoming procurement for the Executive Office. Leads procurement file review.
- • Leads in the coordination with the ICASS service provider to inform them of any procurement that would impact their procurement cycle and improve customer service for USAID employees.
- • Develops and maintains Mission policies related to simplified acquisition procurement (SAP) and petty cash. Such policies would ensure internal consistency and practice of standard operating procedures for SAP procurement.
- • Regularly communicates and/or presents updates to USAID/Ethiopia and USAID/Djibouti staff on FAR, AIDAR, Mission Orders, and other policies that relate to the procurement of simplified acquisition procurement.
- • Educates Mission teams on EXO procurement policies, timelines, forms, policies and best practices. Serves as a subject matter expert in EXO procurement.
- • Implements OAA/E recommendations, as requested or required.
- Procurement Quality Control and Process Improvement (25%)
- • Develops and demonstrates proficiency and knowledge in SAP procurement and understands Agency procurement policies in order to seek to improve on processes, procedures, databases, and activities to improve the timeliness and overall performance in all aspects of the EXO procurement activities.
- • Ensures attention to detail in maintaining customer/vendor databases, information, intranet, etc. and ensures adequate documentation and communications are maintained for tracking purposes.
- • Takes initiative to regularly track, assess, and conduct regular audits of data and activities in order to ensure that process areas are followed, maximized in efficiency, and that responses meet or exceed customer service standards.
- • Reviews process areas regularly and make recommendations to the Procurement Supervisor for improvements or enhancements.
- • Problem solves and responds to client complaints and concerns as they arise and make recommendations to improve, expand, or clarify procedures, processes, and database needs, collaborating across offices, as needed.
- • Prepares 1034 voucher for vendor invoicing, and other standard procurement section procedures such as preparing purchase order close-out requests.
The contractor is eligible for temporary duty (TDY) travel to the U.S., or to other Missions abroad, to participate in the “Foreign Service National” Fellowship Program, in accordance with USAID policy.
Supervisory Relationship:
Works under the direct supervision of the Procurement Supervisor.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION
a. EDUCATION: Minimum two years of College or University in procurement, supply or management, business administration, management or related field is required.
b. PRIOR EXPERIENCE: Five years of progressively responsible experience in procurement or a related field is required. One year of experience with an international organization, in an English-language work situation is required.
C. LANGUAGE: Level IV (fluent) knowledge in English and Amharic is required.
TERMS
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Five (5) years. The services provided under this contract are expected to be a continuing nature that will be executed by USAID through series of sequential contracts, subject to the availability of funds. Estimated to start on 12/10/2020.
The base period will be five years. Estimated to start on 12/10/2020.
ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: All CCN interested applicants. Cooperating Country National Personal Service Contractor (CCNPSC). Cooperating country national means an individual who is a cooperating country citizen, or a non-cooperating country citizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the cooperating country.
SUBMITTING AN OFFER
1. Eligible Offerors are required to complete and submit the offer form and submit the offer form DS-174 Application for U.S. Federal employment along with a cover letter and resume written in English. The DS-174 Application form can be found in the U.S. embassy website https://et.usembassy.gov/embassy/jobs/; or https://www.usaid.gov/ethiopia/work-withus/careers/ds-form-174-ccn-application.
2. Offers must be received by the closing date and time specified in Section I, item 3, and submitted to the Point of Contact in Section I.
3. Offeror submissions must clearly reference the Solicitation number on all offeror submitted documents.
4. Application must be submitted ONLY via addisusaidjobs@usaid.gov and the email subject must say– solicitation 72066320R100019, Procurement Agent
5. Be sure to include your name and the solicitation number at the top of each page.
6. Please submit the application only once; and
7. Late and incomplete applications will not be considered; the application must be submitted before or on the date of filing at 5 p.m. (Close of Business).
CLOSING DATE AND TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: 08/24/2020 before and/or on 5:00PM Ethiopian local time (close of business).
