Procurement and Logistics Specialist

Job Description

The Procurement and Logistics Specialist will coordinate and work under the supervision of the Finance and Administration Manager, and in close coordination with the RTI Procurement Asia Regional Support Manager for compliance with USAID rules and regulations and RTI procurement guidelines, regulations and technical matters. Position will be based in Tbilisi, Georgia

• Act as a primary resource to ensure that all project purchases are made according to USAID rules and regulations and are aligned with strategic sourcing initiatives where global agreements/contracts are available.
• Support the timely and effective implementation of the project’s technical scope of work by providing logistics support for workshops, events, and trainings, including venue identification and related services and support, e.g., for refreshment, materials, printing, participant transportation.
• Act as a central point of contact for procurement planning and activity for the project and responsible for solving all procurement related issues.
• Coordinate communications between the project, the RTI regional office (when necessary), and RTI HO staff, to provide timely technical advice on RTI procurement policy and USAID/FAR regulations.
• Provide information for the development of procurement plans and strategies in order to meet project milestones.
• Ensure the integrity and compliance of the project procurement processes; audit all requisitions and liaise with requesters for accuracy of specifications and sign-off authority; ensure adequate filing and audit documentation is in place.
• Prepare periodic purchasing performance reports and provide updates of progress status and keep project leadership informed of the same and of any needs or issues arising related to procurement.
• Carry out market research activities to establish competitive industry prices, share knowledge and work with reputable suppliers capable of fulfilling UERP needs.
• Identify, establish, and maintain a list of qualified vendors, monitoring the quality of goods, price, and performance records of vendors. Continuously identify competitive sources for goods and commodities relevant to project work.
• Lead the evaluation and negotiation of payments and credit terms for all new and existing suppliers.
• Handle transactions that involve contract notifications, tax exemptions, waivers, budget approval for non-expendable property and other exceptions in coordination with RTI’s Regional Procurement Specialist.
• Support UERP property and inventory control and management, reports, custody control documents, reconciliations for both expendables and non-expendables according to USAID rules and regulations and RTI policies.
• Conduct inventory counting exercises, inventory reconciliation, and maintain updated asset and inventory records for the project.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Director of Finance, HR and Operations or RTI Asia Regional Office procurement team.

• Master’s degree and 3 years of experience or Bachelor’s Degree and 5 years of experience, preferably on USAID projects
• Additional professional training in procurement and logistics management preferred
• General background, understanding of, and experience with various procurement and/or logistics activities
• Knowledge of, and experience with, the use and interpretation of regulatory material and guidance such as the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), Agency Supplementary Regulations (especially various USAID regulations and policies), Code of Federal Regulations, and Uniform Commercial Code
• Must be detail-oriented and highly organized with demonstrated ability to set priorities
• Excellent cross-cultural communication and interpersonal skills demonstrated by ability to interact professionally with culturally and linguistically diverse staff, clients and consultants
• Strong negotiation skills
• Expert skills in Excel spreadsheets, as well as Word; comfortable in a Windows PC environment
• Must work well under pressure in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English
• Proficiency in oral and written communication in Georgian and/or Russian preferred.

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