Senior Global Procurement Manager - Global Supply Chain Operations - Mercy Corps
Washington, DC
About the Job
Location: Washington DC, Portland OR, or Remote US. Also open to considering candidates who are based in the UK, Jordan, or Kenya.
Valid unrestricted work authorization in the country in which you will be based (US, UK, Jordan, or Kenya) is required at the time of application for this position.
Position Status: Full time Regular
Starting Salary Range: The salary for US-based candidates is $76,000 - $91,000. Starting salary for UK-based candidates is 53,360 GBP. The salary for candidates based in Jordan or Kenya will be based on local benchmark, and will be shared during the interview process.
About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have a long-term impact.
Department Summary
The Global Procurement (GP) Team, as part of Global Supply Chain Operations, influences Mercy Corps procurement activity by directly supporting HQ functions and in-country operations teams and ensuring compliance with both internal policies and donor regulations. GP establishes and maintains vendor relationships, leads strategic procurement initiatives, and encourages innovation to reduce risk and cost and increase efficiency. Our focus is to also support field teams to increase capabilities through gap assessments and advice plus training on procurement, assets, warehousing, and fleet.
General Position Summary
The Senior Global Procurement Manager is responsible for global procurement categories: Food and Non-Food items, Communication, Vehicles, Infrastructure, Cash, Electronic Platforms and Technology, Energy, and WASH. The position has the responsibility for the development and maintenance of critical category strategic initiatives and establishing long-term agreements with high-quality vendors to reduce transactional work and negotiate mutually beneficial contractual terms. Specific responsibilities include the development of category strategies, supplier negotiations, identification of cost-saving opportunities, and overall management of supplier relationships. A good proportion of the total category spend and suppliers will not be managed directly; however, the position holder will need to consider the total spend within the category and provide support and oversight.
The Senior Global Procurement Manager will also be responsible for reviewing and supporting high-value and complex procurements from countries. This will be achieved by collaborating with country procurement teams to ensure compliance with procurement procedures to minimize risk exposure and employing best practices when conducting such procurements.
The Senior Global Procurement Manager will also ensure all procurement is processed organizationally in collaboration with the procurement team to eliminate “shadow” spend and will develop excellent partnerships with internal stakeholders, suppliers, and other organizations.
Essential Job Responsibilities
STRATEGY AND VISION
- Analyze and propose improvements to existing procedures and workflows based on the latest needs and organizational risk management
- Collaborate on the automation transformation and transition from a manual procurement function to SAP Ariba SAAS-based procurement operations
- Conduct market surveys to inform the sourcing and cost containment strategies, risk management in the supply market, and advising country programs accordingly.
- Conduct periodic spend analysis for each of the categories to inform the development of tailored supply strategies and plans for each assigned category.
- Manage strategic sourcing and procurement processes through the establishment of global tenders for framework agreements and expertly negotiate and administer the resulting contracts.
- Work with technical support units to identify the need for master agreements and support for in-country teams based on procurement plans and emerging needs
- Offer advisory support to field/ country programs and HQ teams on implementation and compliance with the relevant procurement policies and procedures including providing training and guidance to internal stakeholders.
- Leading strategic supplier relationship management to continually identify process improvements and cost reduction opportunities.
- Maintain relationships with and provide service to various business functions across the organization including legal, regional/country offices, compliance, and other internal stakeholders.
- Prepare and update Global Procurement reports relating to strategic, complex programs procurements and global contract management systems.
- Providing oversight on high-value and complex procurements for country programs
- Manage strategic sourcing and procurement processes (RFX, RFP)
- Manage procurement-related projects and programs through change and stakeholder management
- Provide senior leadership with the data and analysis necessary to make optimal decisions
- Review high-value tenders from countries and offer any needed support when conducting such procurements.
PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT
- Build long-term strategic partnerships and relationships with global suppliers
- Develop and utilize an in-depth knowledge base of procurement and team categories
- Have an analytics-driven mindset in partnership with and to drive insightful decision-making
- Lead on training for stakeholders on optimal interaction with our procedures and policies
- Offer timely and helpful communication to all stakeholders
- Organize proper filing and record keeping of procurement documentation
- Provide direct support to all offices offering quality procurement engagement and a focused collaboration
TEAM MANAGEMENT
- Create and sustain a working environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence
- Ensure training and capacity building for procurement team members to increase the level of technical ability and skills within the team
- Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback via the performance review cycle and 1-1's on a regular frequency
- Provide team members with information, tools, and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives
- Supervise and be a source of knowledge for team members
FINANCE AND COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT
- Ensure compliance with Donor, Government, and Mercy Corps regulations
- Provide training to program team members on compliance, procedures, tools, and workflows
- Uphold Mercy Corps Ethics principles, work transparently, and have a zero-tolerance policy to corruption and fraud
INFLUENCE AND REPRESENTATION
- Be a key leader for the Global Procurement team
- Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donors' obligations are met
- Represent in a leadership capacity Mercy Corps and Global Procurement externally
Supervisory Responsibility
The Senior Global Procurement Manager has supervisory responsibilities and at present, a Global Procurement Manager reports directly to this position.
The primary objective of this reporting structure is for the roles to work in collaboration with the Senior Global Procurement Manager coaching, developing, and mentoring the Global Procurement Manager in navigating our compliance and funding organizational complexities and providing rich value to our stakeholder base,
Accountability
- Reports Directly to: Senior Director, Global Procurement
- Works Directly with: HQ Departments primarily Programs (inclusive of MicroMentor, Resource Development, and Ventures), and other teams reporting to our CDO, CMO, and COO, Regional Supply Chain Operations Directors, Country Operations teams, and Country Programs.
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Minimum Qualifications & Transferable Skills
- Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) and 5+ years of experience in a procurement-related field, preferably primarily in direct procurement categories.
- Ability to establish supplier specifications, measure conformance, and identify process improvement opportunities that are defined in conjunction with internal customers is critical to this position
- NGO experience preferred with a thorough understanding of institutional donors’ (USAID, DFID, OFDA, ECHO) policies relating to procurement.
- Proven advanced knowledge of procurement industry cost structures and drivers
- Proven organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills with the ability to conduct independent research and analysis, perform statistical calculations, identify issues, formulate options, and make recommendations
- Excellent stakeholder communication, problem-solving, negotiation, and contract management skills.
- Ability to provide fact-based advice and development of market and industry analysis
- Ability to multitask productively and prioritize effectively
- Demonstrated openness to change and the ability to manage complexities in a timely, professional, and quality manner
- General knowledge of applicable laws and regulations
- Knowledge of Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and Word and implementing and using procurement systems. SAP Ariba experience would be highly preferable
- Must have proven project management skills and experience with the ability to analyze and resolve complex issues
- Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills, able to collaborate and motivate teams who are globally dispersed
Success Factors
This role will require exceptional stakeholder engagement and communication skills in utilizing Mercy Corps HQ procurement policies and procedures. Organizational skills and the ability to prioritize will be critical due to the number of projects that will be underway simultaneously.
Supervisory experience will also be key with the management responsibilities and development of team members, a key function of this role.
The most successful Mercy Corps team members have a positive approach, a strong commitment to teamwork and personal accountability, and the ability to be flexible and ensure that effective communication is a priority in all situations.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in the United States and offers the flexibility of remote work.
Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed on f field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves professionally and respect local laws, customs, and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
Ongoing Learning
In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient, and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening, and evolving to become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive than we are today.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Mercy Corps is an equal-opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have a sustained global impact.
We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.
Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.
As a safeguarding measure, Mercy Corps screens all potential US-Based employees. This is done following the conclusion of recruitment and prior to assuming full employment. Our screening process is designed to be transparent and completed in partnership with new Team Members. You will have the opportunity to disclose any prior convictions at the conclusion of the recruitment process before the check is initiated. We ask that you do not disclose any prior convictions in your application materials or during the recruitment process.
Source : Mercy Corps