Public Procurement Advisor

Job Description

KEY INFORMATION
Position:  Public Procurement Advisor  
Location:  Pretoria, South Africa  
Position type: Part-time consultancy, estimated level of effort of 50 days per year  
Duration:  year, renewable over the life of the project (2025-2030)  
Supervisor: SEIGG Project Director 


BACKGROUND
The SEIGG project will support the South African government in its efforts to enhance accountability, efficiency, and transparency in the public administration for inclusive and gender-responsive governance through TA and capacity building at national, provincial and municipal levels. This will be achieved through three intermediate outcomes (IO): 

1100 - The improved prevention, protection and response against harassment, including sexual harassment, across public administrations in South Africa. 

1200 - The strengthened oversight, management and professional conduct for ethics, integrity and disciplinary management matters in the public administration. 

13000 - The strengthened prevention, monitoring and detection of public procurement corruption with a focus on climate and energy sectors. 

At the central and provincial levels, SEIGG will work with key entities such as the PAEIDTAU and its Transformation and Workplace Environment Management (TWEM) Unit, the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer (OCPO) of National Treasury and Provincial Treasuries, and representatives from National and Provincial Departments involved in ethics, investigations and labor relations that process corruption, harassment and other disciplinary or malpractice cases. At the municipal level, SEIGG will expand the Policy on Prevention & Elimination of Harassment in Public Service (PPEH) and Lifestyle Audits (LSA), collaborating with TWEM, PAEIDTAU, the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), with pilot activities in eight municipalities. 

The SEIGG project is currently in the Project Implementation Plan (PIP) period, from February 27, 2025 to August 22, 2025. The implementation period will start with the PIP approval from Global Affairs Canada and the South African counterparts. 


DESCRIPTION OF THE POSITION
Reporting directly to the SEIGG project director, and working in close collaboration with the project coordinator in South Africa and each of the component leads, the Public Procurement Advisor will provide strategic advice to the OCPO of the National Treasury and to the 1300 IO lead. 


KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Public Procurement Advisor will: 

• Participate in bi-weekly team update and coordination meetings with the SEIGG project management and implementation teams. 
• Support implementation of key activities in the following areas: 
• Review the implementation assessment of the Public Procurement Act (PPA) and diagnostic report to the OCPO 
• Provide advice to the OCPO on the PPA implementation 
• Support development of capacity building material to procurement officials, based on a needs assessment and with a focus on sustainable procurement and the prevention of conflict of interest 
• Provide recommendations to selected departments on conducting or refining procurement risk assessments 
• Guide the development of guidelines to municipalities on initiating or improving procurement risk assessment practices 
• Provide advice on developing capacities of procurement officials and suppliers to the public sector to undertake transparent and efficient procurement 
• Support any other task which may be deemed necessary by the SEIGG Project Director. 

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Advanced degree in public procurement, law, public administration, finance, business administration or a related field. 
• Relevant Professional certifications (CIPS, CPSM, PMPPC, CIPA or other).  
• Minimum 7-10 years of experience in public procurement, preferably in government settings. 
• Demonstrated experience in procurement policy development, contract management, and compliance monitoring. 
• Demonstrated experience in procurement in climate change and renewable energy related sectors. 
• Experience advising on or managing procurement reform, capacity building, or anti-corruption initiatives is highly desirable. 
• In-depth knowledge of public procurement laws, regulations, and international best practices (e.g., UNCITRAL, World Bank, EU directives). 
• Ability to analyze procurement data and identify risks, inefficiencies, or integrity gaps. 
• Strong understanding of ethics and integrity procurement principles, conflict of interest management, and transparency mechanisms. 
• Experience in developing or implementing integrity safeguards in procurement processes. 
• Ability to advise on disciplinary actions related to procurement misconduct. 
• Experience with the South African public sector is essential. 
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and analytical skills. 

APPLICATION PROCESS 
Candidates are encouraged to apply by September 12, 2025/as soon as possible by submitting a presentation letter and their CV on Cowater International’s employment portal. Please include your all-inclusive daily rate for this mandate in the application letter. 

This position is open to candidates with a valid South African work permit only. 

For your application to be considered, please upload your documents as followed: Candidate Last Name, First Name, date, Title of the Position. 
 We thank all applicants, however only those shortlisted will be contacted.

About the Organization

ABOUT US
Founded in 1985, Cowater International is a leading global development consulting company. Headquartered in Ottawa and with corporate hubs in Auckland, Berlin, Brussels, Helsinki, London, Madrid, Manila, Nairobi, Singapore and Stockholm, Cowater International has successfully delivered a portfolio of over 2,500 projects and assignments in more than 95 countries. We work with governments, private sector actors and communities implementing projects that support socio-economic development, institutional strengthening, environmental improvements and advance equal opportunities for all. We are a diverse and experienced team committed to building a better tomorrow for the people we serve. Our adaptive approach to management has led to our yearly award-winning work and recognition as one of Canada's Best Managed Companies since 2017. 

We thank you for your interest in building a better tomorrow with Cowater International.