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Head of Procurement

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Head of Procurement to lead and transform the organization's procurement function across multiple countries of operation. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing regional procurement strategies, strengthening governance and compliance, optimizing procurement processes, managing supplier relationships, and building a high-performing procurement team that supports organizational growth.

This leadership role requires a procurement professional who combines strategic vision with operational excellence to deliver value for money, enhance supplier performance, improve procurement efficiency, and ensure compliance with organizational policies and donor requirements. The role also champions social procurement initiatives, promoting inclusive sourcing by supporting businesses owned by women, youth, refugees, and other underserved communities.

Key Responsibilities

1. Procurement Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and implement a regional procurement strategy aligned with the organization's strategic objectives and expansion plans.

• Transform procurement from a transactional support function into a strategic business partner that enables organizational growth.

• Develop procurement roadmaps to support expansion into new countries and operational locations.

• Collaborate with Finance and Operations to establish annual procurement priorities, objectives, and performance targets.

• Translate approved annual budgets into comprehensive procurement plans with clear timelines and cost projections.

• Lead and develop a high-performing regional procurement team capable of supporting a growing multi-country organization.

• Deliver measurable cost savings and value-for-money initiatives while maintaining quality and service standards.

2. Procurement Operations

• Oversee end-to-end procurement activities for regional and country operations.

• Ensure procurement processes are efficient, transparent, compliant, and consistently applied across all locations.

• Reduce procurement cycle times while maintaining robust internal controls and governance standards.

• Standardize procurement policies, procedures, and best practices across country offices.

• Promote continuous improvement initiatives that enhance procurement efficiency and operational effectiveness.

• Ensure complete procurement documentation and seamless handover to Finance for timely payment processing.

3. Supplier & Contract Management

• Develop and maintain a diverse, high-quality supplier network that supports organizational and social procurement objectives.

• Lead supplier identification, evaluation, selection, negotiation, onboarding, and performance management.

• Build strategic partnerships with key suppliers to improve service delivery and long-term value.

• Develop supplier performance metrics, vendor scorecards, and continuous performance review processes.

• Work closely with Legal and internal stakeholders to manage supplier contracts, renewals, and compliance requirements.

• Maintain an accurate regional contract register to improve visibility of supplier commitments and future expenditure.

4. Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Ensure procurement activities comply with organizational policies, donor regulations, and applicable local legislation.

• Strengthen procurement governance frameworks to minimize operational, financial, and compliance risks.

• Lead procurement audits and ensure timely implementation of audit recommendations.

• Promote ethical procurement practices, transparency, accountability, and effective conflict-of-interest management.

• Maintain complete, accurate, and audit-ready procurement records and documentation.

5. Strategic Sourcing & Category Management

• Lead strategic sourcing initiatives for high-value procurement categories.

• Identify opportunities for regional sourcing and framework agreements to achieve economies of scale.

• Integrate social procurement principles into sourcing strategies by promoting procurement from women-owned, youth-owned, refugee-owned, and local enterprises.

• Support country teams with supplier benchmarking, market intelligence, and pricing analysis.

• Maintain spend analysis, category intelligence, and market pricing data to support budgeting and procurement planning.

6. Stakeholder Management & Business Partnership

• Partner with country leadership, Finance, Human Resources, Digital Transformation, and programme teams to understand procurement requirements.

• Advise senior management on procurement planning, sourcing strategies, and supplier management.

• Collaborate with budget holders during annual planning cycles to validate procurement assumptions, pricing, timelines, and purchasing requirements.

• Strengthen cross-functional collaboration to improve procurement planning and service delivery.

• Build productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders to support organizational objectives.

7. Systems, Technology & Data Analytics

• Lead the implementation and optimization of procurement technologies and digital workflows.

• Collaborate with technology and data teams to develop procurement dashboards and performance reports.

• Support ERP integration to align procurement processes with approved budgets and financial controls.

• Analyze procurement data to identify trends, savings opportunities, operational risks, and process improvements.

• Establish procurement KPIs and regularly report procurement performance to senior leadership.

8. Team Leadership & Capacity Building

• Lead, coach, mentor, and develop procurement professionals across regional and country offices.

• Build procurement capability through structured training, coaching, and professional development initiatives.

• Develop succession plans and performance improvement strategies for procurement staff.

• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, customer service, innovation, and continuous improvement.

• Promote knowledge sharing and best practice adoption across procurement teams.

Qualifications

Applicants should possess:

• Bachelor's Degree in Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Logistics, or a related field.

• A Master's Degree in a relevant discipline will be an added advantage.

Professional Certifications

Candidates should possess one or more of the following professional qualifications:

• Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS)

• Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (MCIPS)

• Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM)

• Equivalent internationally recognized procurement certification.

Experience

The ideal candidate should have:

• Eight (8) to ten (10) years' progressive experience in procurement and supply chain management.

• Minimum five (5) years' experience leading procurement teams within multicultural environments.

• Proven experience managing procurement across multiple countries or regions.

• Experience working within NGOs, development organizations, international organizations, or donor-funded programmes is highly preferred.

• Demonstrated success leading procurement transformation and process improvement initiatives.

• Extensive experience negotiating high-value contracts and managing strategic supplier relationships.

• Experience supporting organizational growth, expansion, and operational scaling.

Technical Skills

The successful candidate should demonstrate expertise in:

• Strategic procurement and sourcing.

• Category management.

• Contract negotiation and supplier relationship management.

• Procurement governance and compliance.

• Donor procurement regulations and grant compliance.

• Budgeting and procurement planning.

• Spend analysis and cost optimization.

• ERP and procurement management systems.

• Procurement analytics and performance reporting.

• Risk management and internal controls.

• Market intelligence and supplier benchmarking.

Core Competencies

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

• Strategic thinking and business acumen.

• Strong leadership and people management skills.

• Excellent negotiation and influencing abilities.

• Outstanding communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

• Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making capabilities.

• Excellent planning and organizational skills.

• Ability to lead organizational change and procurement transformation initiatives.

• High ethical standards and commitment to transparency and accountability.

• Customer-focused approach with a commitment to service excellence.

• Ability to work effectively across diverse cultures and multidisciplinary teams.

• Strong coaching, mentoring, and talent development capabilities.

• Adaptability, resilience, and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in English is required.

• Working knowledge of French and/or Arabic will be considered a strong advantage.

Why Join Us?

This is an exceptional opportunity to lead procurement within a high-growth, mission-driven organization that is creating meaningful economic and social impact across the region. You will have the opportunity to shape procurement strategy, build world-class procurement systems, strengthen regional operations, and champion inclusive sourcing practices that empower local communities.

In return, the organization offers a competitive compensation package, performance-based incentives, comprehensive health insurance, retirement and savings benefits, generous leave provisions, professional development opportunities, and the chance to work alongside passionate colleagues committed to transforming lives through sustainable economic growth.

Application

GO Interested and qualified? Go to Inkomoko on jobs.workable.com to apply