Vacancy No.: 035

Background
GIZ. Solutions that work:

• As a service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education work, we are dedicated to shaping a future worth living around the world.
• GIZ has over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment promotion, energy and the environment, and peace and security.
• The diverse expertise of our federal enterprise is in demand around the globe – from the German Government, European Union institutions, the United Nations, the private sector, and governments of other countries.
• We work with businesses, civil society actors and research institutions, fostering successful interaction between development policy and other policy fields and areas of activity. Our main commissioning party is the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
• The registered offices of GIZ are in Bonn and Eschborn. Our approximately 23,500 employees, almost 70 percent of whom are national personnel, work in a round 120 countries (July 2020)
• GIZ has worked in Nigeria since 1974.
• Since 2004, GIZ has maintained a country office in the capital city Abuja. Currently 361 national and 66 international employees, 19 regional staff, 4 integrated specialists and 3 development workers are working in the country (June 2020).

The Project

• ECOWAS Fund for Regional Stabilization and Development (FRSD) The ” TC-Fund for Regional Stabilisation and Development in Fragile Regions in ECOWAS Member States” is financed by the Federal Ministry for Development and Cooperation (BMZ) and implemented in cooperation with the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) in selected ECOWAS member states.
• The project advises the ECOWAS Commission on the establishment of a fund as a sustainable instrument for shaping social and economic stabilisation processes in the region and has been piloting a measure in The Gambia since 2019.
• The ECOWAS Stabilisation Fund has two funding windows for financial (FC) and technical cooperation (TC) tasks in the form of a joint political governance structure (ECOWAS Commission, BMZ).
• Together with the partner, the programme examines needs to improve the employment and income situation of young people and strengthen social cohesion in Guinea-Bissau, Niger and Mali. Selected projects will be implemented in the TC funding window by national implementation partners from 2022

Responsibilities
The contract and procurement officer is responsible for:

• Managing procurement requests in accordance with GIZ rules and procedures and applicable requirements in public procurement law.
• Informing projects and programmes on time about the status of procurement processes and particularly in the event of delays.
• Coordinating and communicating effectively with colleagues in the project, the Country Office and Regional Offices

Tasks
Procurement:
The contract and procurement officer:

• Oversees the procurement of services and goods throughout the entire procurement cycle.
• Maintains a vendor database, a tracking sheet, SOPs and other data relevant to the optimization of processes.
• Maintains an overview of procurement templates in Country Offices across the region.
• Provides training in applicable procurement procedures to a wider audience within the cluster.

Contract services:
The contract and procurement officer:

• Oversees contract development management activities.
• Liaises with GIZ Country Offices in the ECOWAS region and with procurement division in Germany to process procurement requests, as necessary.
• Provides quality control for Terms of References and contract request documents.
• Proactively informs all stakeholders about the status of procurement requests and suggests solutions to overcome bottlenecks and problems.
• Provides quality control for draft contracts.
• Serves as primary contact during contract negotiations.
• Manages requests for contract amendments
• Carries out market research and provides advise on suitable vendors/consultants/service providers;
• Manages procurement requests for under 2,500 EUR in line with GIZ Rules and Regulations;
• Checks received items, in close consultation with requesting officers.

Other duties/additional tasks:
The contract and procurement officer:

• Performs other duties and tasks at the request of the supervisor.

Required Qualifications, Competences, and Experience
Qualifications:

• Degree in Business Administration or a related field of study Professional experience
• 5 years’ professional experience as a procurement officer in the private, public or non-profit sectors.
• Relevant experience in international organization/technical cooperation agencies is an added advantage; relevant experience in GIZ is a strong advantage.
• Relevant experience with EU-cofunded project is a strong advantage.

Other Knowledge, Additional Competences:

• Proficient computer skills, Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to negotiate, establish, and administer contracts
• Excellent analytical and critical thinking abilities
• Ability to multitask, prioritize, and manage time efficiently
• Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Excellent team player
• Ability to work remotely and in an office context
• Accurate and precise attention to detail
• Customer service skills
• Excellent spoken and written language skills in English required; spoken and written fluency in French highly desirable.

Salary
According to GIZ salary scale for Band 4