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FERTILIZER PROCUREMENT PROFESSIONAL

About the Role

The successful candidate will be responsible for leading and executing fertilizer procurement activities with a strong focus on cost efficiency, reliable supply, product quality, and timely delivery. The position requires a procurement professional who can independently manage the full procurement process while contributing to the broader success of the procurement team.

A major part of the role will involve detailed data analysis to identify the most suitable purchasing periods and determine when fertilizers should be purchased to achieve the best possible cost outcomes. The successful candidate will use market information, supplier capacity, inventory levels, farmer requirements, and global market trends to support procurement decisions.

The role requires strong individual execution, analytical capability, commercial awareness, supplier relationship management, and the ability to work effectively with internal country teams and external market actors. The procurement professional will be expected to take ownership of assigned procurement activities while supporting the development and implementation of seasonal procurement strategies.

The position will also contribute to the improvement of supply chain processes, delivery reliability, procurement systems, and team performance.

Key Responsibilities

1. Procurement Strategy and Execution

The procurement professional will support the development and implementation of seasonal fertilizer procurement strategies designed to achieve reliable supply, competitive costs, and measurable savings.

Key responsibilities include:

• Supporting the development of seasonal procurement strategies.

• Executing procurement activities in line with agreed strategies.

• Ensuring fertilizer is sourced at market-competitive costs.

• Supporting the achievement of more than 90% On-Time, In-Full (OTIF) delivery.

• Working towards 5% year-on-year cost savings.

• Managing the procurement process independently from planning through execution.

• Ensuring procurement decisions are supported by relevant market and cost information.

• Maintaining strong execution standards throughout the procurement cycle.

• Monitoring procurement outcomes against established targets.

• Identifying opportunities to improve purchasing decisions and overall procurement performance.

The successful candidate will be expected to take ownership of procurement activities and ensure that purchasing decisions contribute to both cost efficiency and reliable fertilizer availability.

2. Quality Assurance

Maintaining high standards of fertilizer quality will be a critical responsibility.

The role will focus on ensuring that procurement and delivery processes maintain appropriate quality controls and prevent quality issues from reaching farmers.

Responsibilities include:

• Maintaining strict quality control throughout the procurement and delivery process.

• Working towards achieving zero quality issues reaching the farmer.

• Ensuring quality requirements are considered during procurement and supply chain activities.

• Monitoring relevant processes to identify potential quality concerns.

• Supporting improvements that strengthen loading and delivery quality controls.

• Ensuring suppliers and relevant supply chain processes meet the required quality expectations.

The successful candidate will need to maintain a strong focus on product quality while balancing cost and delivery requirements.

3. Supplier Payment and Supply Chain Reliability

The procurement professional will support reliable supplier relationships and supply continuity.

Key responsibilities include:

• Working towards maintaining an 80%+ on-time payment rate for suppliers.

• Supporting the timely processing and coordination of supplier-related activities.

• Identifying potential future supply gaps before they affect operations.

• Assessing farmer requirements against available supply.

• Reviewing global market trends when evaluating future supply needs.

• Considering supplier capacity when planning procurement.

• Monitoring current inventory levels.

• Identifying potential shortages and addressing them proactively.

• Supporting actions that improve the reliability of fertilizer supply.

The role will require forward planning to ensure that procurement decisions are aligned with anticipated farmer demand and market conditions.

4. Process Improvement and Operational Efficiency

The successful candidate will contribute to improving procurement and supply chain processes.

Responsibilities include:

• Identifying opportunities to reduce procurement and delivery lead times.

• Supporting streamlined delivery processes.

• Contributing to process automation initiatives.

• Improving the goods receipt process.

• Strengthening loading quality control.

• Reviewing key operational processes regularly.

• Identifying inefficiencies and recommending improvements.

• Supporting the implementation of improved procurement and supply chain practices.

The focus will be on creating efficient processes that improve reliability, reduce unnecessary delays, and strengthen overall procurement execution.

5. Data Analysis and Decision Support

A significant proportion of the role will involve detailed data analysis and development of decision-support tools.

The successful candidate will:

• Develop and maintain complex Google Sheets data models.

• Continuously improve procurement and pricing models.

• Track global fertilizer market trends.

• Analyse landed costs.

• Monitor changes that may affect purchasing decisions.

• Use data to identify optimal fertilizer purchasing windows.

• Analyse when it is financially appropriate to purchase fertilizers.

• Determine when purchasing should be delayed based on available market information.

• Provide data-driven recommendations to support procurement decisions.

• Use analysis to identify opportunities for cost savings.

• Maintain accurate and useful procurement information for decision-making.

The role requires a strong analytical mindset and a willingness to spend significant time working with data. Analysis will be central to determining procurement timing, pricing decisions, forecasting, and overall cost optimisation.

6. Supplier and Industry Relationships

The procurement professional will help establish and maintain strong relationships with fertilizer suppliers and relevant industry organisations.

Responsibilities include:

• Building strong relationships with fertilizer suppliers.

• Maintaining supplier relationships beyond seasonal procurement activities.

• Developing relationships with industry organisations.

• Supporting long-term supplier partnerships.

• Negotiating effectively with external suppliers.

• Maintaining professional relationships with market actors.

• Using supplier and industry relationships to support supply chain improvements.

• Identifying opportunities for longer-term collaboration.

The position will require strong relationship-building and negotiation capabilities to support reliable and commercially effective procurement.

7. Collaboration with Country Operations Teams

The successful candidate will work closely with country operations teams and act as an important business partner in supporting farmer-focused operations.

Key responsibilities include:

• Collaborating with country operations teams.

• Understanding the needs of country operations.

• Identifying opportunities to improve the offering available to farmers.

• Sharing relevant procurement and market opportunities with country teams.

• Supporting teams with information that can improve procurement and supply decisions.

• Working collaboratively to identify improvements to the overall farmer offering.

8. External Representation

The procurement professional will represent One Acre Fund externally when engaging with suppliers and other relevant market participants.

Responsibilities include:

• Representing the organisation professionally when interacting with suppliers.

• Engaging with relevant market actors.

• Supporting discussions aimed at improving supply chain performance.

• Building relationships that contribute to long-term improvements.

• Participating in industry-related engagements where required.

• Supporting systematic improvements across the fertilizer supply chain.

9. People Management

The role will include responsibility for managing and developing a small procurement team.

Key responsibilities include:

• Managing a small team.

• Setting clear performance and work objectives.

• Providing timely and constructive feedback.

• Supporting team members in their day-to-day responsibilities.

• Providing career coaching.

• Conducting effective performance reviews.

• Supporting the development of team capabilities.

• Encouraging a high-performing procurement culture.

The successful candidate will be expected to provide appropriate guidance and support while ensuring that team members understand their responsibilities and performance expectations.

10. Team Growth and Staffing

The procurement professional will contribute to strengthening the procurement function and developing a capable team.

Responsibilities include:

• Supporting staffing activities.

• Contributing to recruitment processes.

• Supporting succession planning.

• Helping build a high-performing procurement unit.

• Contributing to the long-term development of the procurement team.

Career Growth and Development

The organisation maintains a strong culture of continuous learning and invests in employee development. The successful candidate will have access to regular opportunities for professional growth and feedback.

Development opportunities include:

• Weekly check-ins with the manager.

• Access to mentorship programmes.

• Access to training programmes.

• Regular performance feedback.

• Career reviews conducted every six months.

• Opportunities to discuss career aspirations and professional goals.

• Opportunities to contribute to a growing organisation.

• Opportunities to develop a rewarding long-term career.

The role therefore provides an environment where the successful candidate can develop professionally while contributing to the growth of the organisation.

Qualifications and Competencies

11. Supply Chain and Procurement Expertise

The successful candidate should have solid foundational knowledge of:

• Global procurement processes.

• International shipping.

• Supply chain operations.

• Procurement execution.

• Supplier management.

• Supply continuity.

An understanding of how procurement activities interact with international markets and supply chain operations will be important for effective performance.

12. Data and Analytical Skills

Strong analytical capability is essential for the position.

The candidate should demonstrate:

• An advanced analytical mindset.

• High proficiency in Google Sheets.

• Ability to develop pricing models.

• Ability to build forecasting models.

• Ability to create decision-support models.

• Ability to analyse complex procurement data.

• Comfort with spending approximately half of their time analysing data to support procurement decisions.

• Ability to make decisions based on available data and market information.

13. Language Requirements

Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

The successful candidate should be able to communicate clearly with internal stakeholders, suppliers, country teams, and other market actors.

14. Relationship Management and Negotiation

The candidate should demonstrate exceptional collaboration and negotiation capabilities.

Key expectations include:

• Ability to build strong professional relationships.

• Ability to collaborate effectively with internal stakeholders.

• Ability to negotiate with external suppliers.

• Ability to influence stakeholders appropriately.

• Ability to work with global suppliers.

• Ability to maintain productive supplier relationships.

15. Project Management and Execution

Strong organisational and project management skills are required.

The successful candidate should have:

• Strong organisational abilities.

• Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously.

• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment.

• Ability to manage competing priorities.

• Strong execution capabilities.

• Ability to maintain focus on agreed procurement objectives and deadlines.

16. Solution-Oriented Approach

The ideal candidate will be an innovative and practical thinker who approaches challenges with a results-oriented mindset.

The candidate should be:

• Comfortable solving procurement and supply chain challenges.

• Willing to make data-driven decisions.

• Able to operate effectively under medium-risk conditions.

• Innovative when addressing operational obstacles.

• Focused on achieving measurable results.

• Comfortable taking ownership of procurement decisions and execution.

The successful candidate will ultimately combine strong procurement knowledge, advanced data analysis, supplier relationship management, project execution, and people leadership to support reliable fertilizer supply, competitive purchasing costs, quality assurance, and continuous improvement across procurement operations.

Application

Go to One Acre Fund on grnh.se to apply