Senior Procurement Specialist

About WEE-RDP/MRRD:

The Mission of the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) is to ensure the social, economic, and political welfare of rural society, especially poor and vulnerable people, through the provision of basic services, strengthening local governance, and promoting sustainable livelihoods. MRRD accomplishes this mission through donor funded programs in the areas of governance, infrastructure and economic growth. MRRD has received a grant from the World Bank to finance the cost of Women Economic Empowerment Rural Development Program (WEE-RDP).

WEE-RDP is designed to be a more women centric program and it would be scaled up to 34 provinces with better institutional alignment with WEE-NPP objectives. The new project intends to build on the overall experience of AREDP and would simultaneously leverage the institutional platform of CDCs established & nurtured under ongoing Citizen Charter program of MRRD. Under WEE-RDP, greater emphasis is being given to collaborating with non-governmental institutions, private sector entities, service providers and organizations and civil society organizations (CSOs) in implementation of project activities while fostering partnerships with both the public and private sector to leverage technical resources and access to finance. Synergies will also be built among potential government organizations (e.g. MoWA, MoLSAMD, MoCI, MAIL etc) and non-government and civil society organizations. The project will follow a demand-driven/market-led approach to establish market linkages at the national, provincial and local levels and special emphasis will be given to identify & support women centric sub-sectors.  Women led enterprises   and its further aggregation to higher level institutions will be promoted under WEE-RDP.

Summary of the Position:

The Senior Procurement Specialist will be responsible for overall Procurement activities of the WEERDP and shall work under direct supervision of the procurement director (PD).

Job Description:

Duties and Responsibilities:

The individual would be responsible for the following activities:

Under the direct supervision of Procurement director the incumbent will be responsible for overall implementation of the projects procurement and ensuring smooth implementation of each activity according to the project procurement plan;
Updates the Procurement Section with hard and soft copies of all standard World Bank and standard Afghanistan government procurement documents, including the procurement law, tendering documents of all kinds, other procurement planning forms, etc in English and, if available, also in Pashto and Dari, on a regular basis.
Maintains smooth coordination of project procurement activities, and be responsible for following up with the relevant components and ministries departments on the achievement of all project targets;
Ensures the maintenance of project and contract administration records and the submission of reports;
Facilitates procurement of all packages under the projects and ensure that all procurements are in accordance with the World Bank and GIRoA guidelines, this will include preparation of REOls, SPNs, bidding documents, RFPs, evaluation reports and contracts;
Ensures that the project Procurement is in compliance with all legal covenants of the projects;
Oversee the preparation and updates of monthly work plans of the Procurement Directorate.
Proposes necessary steps or measures to overcome any critical delays to the completion of the projects procurement activities;
Ensures that MRRD Procurement develops its institutional capacity to effectively implement the projects. In particular, throughout the assignment, provide on the job training to procurement staff in an effort to transfer skills and knowledge;
Maintains official project records; support the PD on establishing a proper filing system for all relevant procurement documents and prepare needed reports and documents;
Provides technical assistance for implementation of various procurement activities;
Responsible for management and development of institutional and working relationships with the key stakeholders;
Undertakes management tasks as deemed necessary in support of rapid procurement delivery and to implement tasks as assigned by the PD.
Support the PD particularly the contract management unit for preparation and standard mechanism and file recording.
Support the contract management department of the PD for preparation of all kind of contact forms, amendments, variations, letters for service start-up/work commencement, contact negotiations and any kind of contract management related activity.
The sr. procurement specialist shall provide on-the-job training and capacity building for civil service PD staff.
He/She will perform any activity may be assigned by the PD.

Job Requirements:

Qualifications and Experience:

Having at least master or its equivalent degree in Economics, Project management, Business Administration, Public Administration or Political Science with 5 years professional working experiences or, having Bachelor’s degree in same fields with 7 years working experiences in public procurement with government or international organizations.
Out of the above years of experience, the candidate shall have at least 3 years’ experience in public procurement with international donor funded projects i.e. WB/ADB/ USAID in the capacity of Procurement Specialist or senior procurement officer is preferable.
Direct work experience in procurement with the United Nations, World Bank, ADB would be a distinct advantage; 

Key Competencies:

Theoretical knowledge of internationally recognized procurement standards; good understanding of procurement techniques and practices used in the government /private sector and knowledge of market trends and sources of supply and equipment;
Good understanding of internal procurement policies, practices and procedures; proven analytical skills, including ability to research and analyze data and develop recommendations on procurement contracts awards and related issues;
Ability to obtain information, clarification and agreement on terms of contracts and/or specification requirements; demonstrated ability to apply good judgment in the context of assignments given.
Ability to plan own work and manage conflicting priorities.
Ability to manage staff and contribute to the skills and capacity building
Good communication (spoken and written) skills, including ability to explain and present procurement-related information/requirements and prepare written documents/communications in a clear, concise style.
Fluency in English in speech, writing and comprehension to the extent of easy comprehension of World Bank procurement documents.
Good interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.

Reporting & Supervision:

The Senior Procurement Specialist will report to Procurement Director and WEE-RDP Senior Management and will be stationed at Procurement Directorate.

Submission Guideline:

Interested Afghans with the required qualifications and experience should submit their applications electronically through vacancies.hrcsd@mrrd.gov.af
While submitting your applications please mention the Title of the position plus Vacancy Number in the subject of the e-mail; please do NOT submit any other supporting documentation or educational certificates with your application. If you are short listed you will be asked to submit electronic copies of your educational certificates and if you are invited to written test you will be required to present the original certificates. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date of the position. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for written test Note: In the interests of open and fair competition and a merit based selection process applicants are advised that lobbying for a position , whether by the applicant or by any person acting on his or her behalf, shall result in the immediate disqualification of the candidate from further consideration. Applicants are strongly advised to inform potential supporters of this restriction which shall be strictly enforced.

Please don’t forget to type the Vacancy Announcement Number (1597/020/HRCSD/WEE-RDP/MRRD) in Subject while applying online. Application without vacancy number will not be accepted. 

The Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is highly committed to increase women’s participation in government sector therefore women are highly encouraged to apply.

Submission Email:

vacancies.hrcsd@mrrd.gov.af