Kyiv
Since 2018, USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) has focused its activities on eastern Ukraine. In 2022, it expanded its geography of cooperation to other regions due to Russia’s full-scale invasion and occupation of part of Ukraine. In 2023, given the military and political circumstances and challenges, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) changed ERA’s priorities.
ERA is one of the implementers of the U.S. Government’s Interagency Agriculture Resilience Initiative – Ukraine (AGRI – Ukraine), which aims to support Ukrainian agricultural production and exports and help address the global food crisis exacerbated by Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine. USAID supports the Government of Ukraine, including working with the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine (SARDI) and the State Customs Service, through ERA, to modernize border crossing points to improve grain trade and exports, passenger traffic, and perceptions of Ukraine. ERA is also implementing the Economic Stability and Recovery Initiative (ESRI), which focuses on job retention and creation and assists small and medium-sized enterprises.
USAID ERA prioritizes work on AGRI and rehabilitating EU-facing border crossing points (BCPs). The AGRI component is extending its technical assistance to Ukrainian Agri-traders and logistics companies supporting them in increasing capacity and potential of grain export logistics. The BCP component includes complex construction management and procurement of equipment and service for BCPs to become more efficient in processing big cargos of grain and other commodities through the border.
About the job
The AGRI Procurement Manager is a key member of the AGRI Procurement Team and plays a pivotal role in ensuring integrity, fairness, and openness in procurement processes as well as adherence to policies, procedures, and controls. The main responsibility for this position is to oversee and conduct the procurement of services. The position requires relevant work experience in the field of procurement and contracting across a variety of industry sectors, contract management, dispute resolution, managing interpersonal relationships and communication, and investigating/following up on vendor issues, as well as knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR). The AGRI Procurement Manager will be responsible for overseeing and ensuring that complete procurement-related backup documentation is provided prior to submission to Finance Team. This team member will oversee solicitations and price/cost/reasonability analyses and perform any other related duties as assigned. The position requires relevant work experience in the field of large-scale procurements of sophisticated equipment. The AGRI Procurement Manager reports to the AGRI and BCP Procurement Director and is located in Kyiv.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Liaise with AGRI Program staff to ensure any requirements for procurement support are identified approved and procured in a timely, well-documented and cost-efficient manner. Implement an annual planning process to streamline repetitive procurement of goods to increase competitive tendering and internal processes
- Monitor and track procurement activities and delivery status of goods/services.
- Ensure complete backup documentation for procurement purchases is submitted to AGRI and BCP Procurement Director and Finance Team
- Perform regular spot audits of procurement files to ensure completeness, accuracy, and compliance
- Participate in external or internal audits as necessary
- Ensure integrity, fairness, accuracy, and openness in procurement processes
- Ensure DAI/USAID and FAR policies, and procedures are followed and enforced
- Enforce use of DAI’s operations & procurement system (TAMIS), etc.
- Maintain electronic procurement records & files in various DAI system platforms
- Manage solicitation bids and quotes from vendors in adherence with policies & approved requisitions and quarterly procurement plans
- Oversee, monitor, track and expedite all project procurement activities and delivery status of goods/services
- Ensure pricing information is accurate and aligns with acquisition policies
- Conduct price/cost/reasonability analyses
- Review requisition documentation, cost estimates, statements of work, etc.
- Help non-procurement staff understand the requirements for submitting accurate and thorough requisitions, cost estimates, statements of work, or determine other technical specifications
- Determine source selection methods for complex procurement to ensure compliance
- Prepare cost evaluation data, and source selection documentation.
- Through market research efforts, identify and qualify potential suppliers (and products/services)
- Ensure that beneficial, ethical, and open supplier relationships are created and maintained according to procurement policies
- Maintain procurement file system in DAI’s system
- Help maintain an up-to-date list of providers by obtaining and organizing supporting documentation on activities
- Effectively serve as a liaison between the program team and the financial team to provide the documentation necessary to issue the payments related to the activities.
About you
- BA or Specialist degree or equivalent in Logistics, Management, Economics.
- Minimum of 3 years’ experience in logistics and/or procurement.
- Experience in procurement of equipment for transshipment of agricultural products may be an asset.
- Strong knowledge of grain and bulk cargo export procedures may be an asset.
- Strong knowledge of multi-modal transportation (truckload, intermodal, railcar, less-than-truckload) market including suppliers, industry information and key cost drivers may be an asset.
- Experience proactively engaging internal and external partners to identify and define potential opportunities and issues.
- Excellent communications and personnel management skills and ability to relate to people at all levels of an organization and of different multi-cultural backgrounds.
- Well-organized and self-directed individual with sound technical skills, analytical ability, good judgment, and strong operational focus. Excellent organizational skills with a willingness to take initiative and be proactive.
- Proven integrity and ability to adhere to the rules, honor commitments, and meet the spirit as well as the letter of those commitments, stand up for what is right.
- Strong time management skills, capability to manage time effectively and maintain control of all current project responsibilities, follow-up requests in a timely manner.
- Ability to manage and prioritize multiple responsibilities and respond effectively to the most sensitive inquiries or complaints; experience with enterprise accounting software, and Microsoft office suite; demonstrated knowledge of internal controls and processes.
- Experience with USAID-funded projects is preferable.
- Fluent in English and Ukrainian are mandatory, both written & spoken.
WE OFFER
Contract length: 12-month employment agreement with a possibility of extension.
Benefits Package:
- 28 calendar days of annual leave
- 10 days of internal wellbeing paid leaves per annum
- Medical Insurance for ERA staff and their families
- Life Insurance for ERA staff
- Coverage of all expenses for the business trips
- Military reservation is possible and granted if you are on a relevant military register
Start date: January 2024
Application process
All applicants must send a cover letter and updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English to ukraine@dai.com
Closing date for applications: December 18, 2023.
For further information about DAI GLOBAL LLC, please consult our website era-ukraine.org.ua.