Country Programs & Procurement Support

About AGRA 

AGRA and its Work

AGRA is an African-led institution that actively supports the drive towards inclusive agricultural transformation and sustainable food systems. We do this by empowering the continent’s 33 million smallholder farming households to transform their agriculture from a struggle to survive to profitable businesses. The continent’s farmers regularly face challenges, and we aspire to provide uniquely African solutions that respond to their agricultural and environmental challenges, leading to increased harvests for reduced hunger and more income.

Working in alignment with the development priorities of our focus countries, we enable farmers to access improved and high-yielding seeds, gain knowledge on sustainable farming, and linkages to profitable markets.

In our work, we aspire to build the alliances, partnerships, and networks required to drive an inclusive agricultural transformation. We work with our partners to create an equitable youth-friendly environment that harnesses the youth dividend on the continent to drive growth and facilitate open employment opportunities for young women and men. We achieve our key objectives through a focus on the following four areas of intervention:

1. Policy and state capability – We support governments in creating an enabling environment for private sector involvement in agricultural transformation.
2. Seed systems – We trigger higher productivity by increasing the availability and access to improved seeds by farmers allowing them to increase their harvests for food security and better incomes.
3. Sustainable farming – We support farmers in building resilient farming systems for sustained high yields through interventions such as mechanization and irrigation.
4. Inclusive markets and trade – We work to increase the linkages between farmers, and other market actors for a positive, sustained cycle of commercialization and reinvestment.

AGRA’s 2030 Strategy

The continent has, in recent years, taken steps towards inclusive agricultural transformation resulting in notable improvements in food security, with clear progress across all AGRA’s focus countries. However, with over 20% of Africans still suffering from hunger, we need to accelerate our progress and mitigate against the growing external pressures of conflict and climate on our food systems.

AGRA 2022-2030 Strategic Framework (SF2030) demonstrates our long-term vision for how we intend to contribute to, and align with, global and continental priorities, applying a food systems lens towards the goals of zero hunger, improved nutrition, an end to poverty, and climate adaptation. We have split our Strategic Framework 2030 into two 5-year strategies so that we have a clear mid-way point to evaluate progress and re-route our strategic focus if necessary. Our 2023-2027 Strategic Plan sets out to catalyze the growth of sustainable food systems across Africa by influencing and leveraging partners to build a robust enabling environment where the private sector thrives, and smallholders are empowered to produce sufficient, healthy food.

AGRA’s Vision

To contribute to a food system-inspired inclusive agricultural transformation across Africa, to reduce hunger, improve nutrition, and adapt to climate.

AGRA’s Mission

To catalyze the growth of sustainable food systems across Africa by influencing and leveraging partners to build a robust enabling environment where private sector thrives, and smallholder farmers are empowered to produce sufficient, healthy food.

AGRA’s Strategy

• Empowering and building the resilience of small holder farmers
• Supporting the development of inclusive markets and finance to strengthen agricultural systems.
• Strengthening state capability to sustain agricultural transformation.

Implementing Our New Strategy Through People

AGRA is at the threshold of a new chapter where we begin implementing our new strategy of catalyzing inclusive, resilient and sustainable agricultural transformation. At AGRA we believe Agriculture is the single greatest opportunity to deliver inclusive economic growth, jobs, and health to the African continent.

People are the heart of our organisation and remain the true drivers of our delivery and our impact.

We are excited about a new fit-for-purpose organizational structure that is largely driven by an ambition to enhance collaboration across teams and drive sustainable growth. We have therefore purposed more focus on delivery of country programs within the new strategy giving even greater attention to optimizing existing talent in addition to upscaling technical and operational resources.

We work with incredible people and partners who have roots in farming communities across the continent combined with an inclusive and diverse workforce from over 24 nationalities. Our values of (I-RISE; Integrity, Respect, Innovation, Stewardship and Equity) espouse our commitment to a call to action to go beyond ourselves as we arise and transform Africa’s Agriculture.

We are looking for people who are passionate about Africa, curious and collaborative to join our innovative, growing, and multidisciplinary team. Together, we can grow Africa’s food systems improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Want to join us?

The Opportunity

Country Programs & Procurement Support, Mali Job Reference: CPPS/PD/ML/07/2023

Role Purpose

The Country Programs and Procurement Support will be responsible for the day-to day operational and administrative running and coordination of the Country Office and management of all country procurements within approved thresholds, including preparation of administrative and procurement documents, and preparation of reports and submission for approval.

Role Summary

The Country Programs and Procurement Support will also assist the office internal and external communications to ensure the running of a cohesive, coherent program, and all procurement activities shall be carried out in compliance with laid down policies, rules, and regulations, while enforcing transparency and accountability in the administration and procurement process to ensure value for money. This position reports to the Country Director with matrix reporting to the Procurement Officer, Country Support West Africa. This role will directly supervise one assistant.

Key Measures of Performance

• Smooth flow of administrative processes in the country to achieve operational efficiency.
• Procurement of consultants, goods, and services of desired quality in the country.
• Maintenance of up-to-date records and timely submission of all relevant reports.
• Annual Administration and Procurement plans aligned to AGRA’s business requirements and cost savings achieved.
• Compliance with administration and procurement policies and procedures.
• Achievement of administration and procurement lead times and service level agreements.
• Effective utilization of the Oracle SCM system in processing of procurement requests.
• Compliance with AGRA’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) procedures and ensuring no adverse audit findings.
• Support the HRA Team in implementation of employee engagement activities at country level.
• Support the HRA Team in onboarding of new hires in-country and provision of tools of trade.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Purpose – Manage Integrated Processes

• Oversees all arrangements including outside logistics related to conferences and workshops within the country.
• Drafts agenda, request for related resources, compiles and distributes background documentation for all meetings and conferences.
• Draft appropriate responses to general correspondences for supervisor’s approval.
• Compiles and maintains a shared spreadsheet reflecting expenses on all program administrative actions and information required for program activities.
• Oversees all appointments and handles general enquiries (verbal/written) for the function. Ensure procurement best practice is followed using the detailed guidelines provided in AGRA’s Procurement Policy and Procedures Manual.
• Ensure best practice is followed using the detailed guidelines provided in AGRA’s Administration Procedures.
• Ensures AGRA’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance as per labor laws in liaison with the Senior Administration Officer (Pan- African)
• Coordinate country procurements and ensure that the teams are adequately trained, vendors prequalified and overall compliance with procurement policy and procedures manual.
• Prepare country administration and procurement plans in consultation with the country team and ensure that the plan is followed, including quarterly meetings with the Country team to update the plan.
• Review procurement requests and initiate procurement procedures for office and project equipment, supplies and services in a transparent and cost-effective manner.

Engagement – Align

• Liaise with Human Resources Business Partners (HRBPs) to ensure onboarding and offboarding of staff and assist with the operationalization of employee engagement activities.
• Relays, responds and/or re-routs general requests for information, electronic communication and facilitation, liaison with other offices of AGRA and representative from other institutions.
• Assists in specific administration tasks assigned by the Program Teams.
• Oversees flow of information between the program and other AGRA functions and offices and follows up on action points as required.
• Providing information on relevant materials, updates information regarding planned travel and meetings.
• Identifies, compiles and extract information from files, publications, databases, and other sources on own initiatives or as directed by the programs team.
• Participate in bid opening(s) and proposal(s) reviews.
• Conduct negotiations or recommend a negotiating team where applicable and negotiate contractual agreements with suppliers to ensure that service, added value, lowest total cost while ensuring quality is not compromised.
• Sensitize country teams on a regular basis on the administration and procurement process through regular updates and staff trainings.
• Carry out vendor prequalification and maintain a vendor database.

Delivery – Sustain Service

• Maintains a real time record of on-going projects and those in the pipeline.
• Organizes for administrative and logistical arrangements for visitors, including compiling and providing information or relevant materials required.
• Upon request by the Country Director or Programs teams, writes, and disseminates reports of meetings to enhance information flow and sharing among programs staff.
• Delivers on other duties in accordance with instructions from the Country Directors as well as sometimes attending and participating in meetings.
• Organizes all in-house meetings and records deliberations of the same, attends meetings/workshops on behalf of the country and writes a report.
• Provides routine/general information on AGRA to external enquiries and redirects as required.
• Organize and assigns daily task to the administrative unit staff.
• Documents all incoming correspondence and documents for the country and presents them for approval as required.
• Maintains a database of contacts (address and telephone numbers of institutions that the country deals with and any other relevant information).
• Organizes for the translations of documents submitted to the program into various AGRA official languages for ease of review by the program team.
• Maintains a robust online filing system of the country/programs activity reports and documentation and follow up actions.
• Establish framework agreements for frequently needed services such as meeting venues and goods and ensure timely renewal of agreements.
• Maintain tender/contract register.
• Enforce the procurement and contracting process and follow up on what’s due.
• Initiate purchase orders (PO) in the oracle system and follow up on approvals, payments, and closure of the POs after services/goods are delivered and paid.
• Oversees efficient vehicle management as per laid down policies and procedures.
• Plans for and assigns pool vehicles for official travel as required.

Model the IRISE Values & Be a Culture Carrier

• Integrity: Uphold moral convictions and always doing the right thing.
• Respect: Value differences and embrace diversity and inclusion.
• Innovation: Strive for excellence and embracing continuous improvement, bold creativity, and change.
• Stewardship: Be responsible for actions undertaken and resources entrusted.
• Equity: Be governed by fairness in all undertakings.

Requirements

Academic and Professional Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in procurement/supply chain management from a reputable institution and/or
• Certification from Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply or a near equivalent from firms such as Institute for Supply Management, American Purchasing Society, International Purchasing and Supply Chain Management Institute, The International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management and others.
• Membership to a procurement professional association.

Required Skills/Abilities

• Team player with strong leadership skills.
• Solid operational management and general business skills.
• Industry knowledge in terms of broad industry dynamics on the buy-side (and the sell-side), but also the internal knowledge and “language of the business”.
• Excellent communication, listening skills that allows you to get the “voice of the internal customer” and to understand the company culture and how to best communicate procurement’s value to it.
• Ability to “sell” procurement’s value and to run procurement as a services business like any other well-run professional services business.
• In-depth knowledge of sourcing and procurement principles and best practices.
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Experience with modern sourcing and procurement systems.
• Familiarity with relevant legislative and regulatory requirements, as well as understanding of standard contractual terms and conditions to mitigate legal risk.
• Strategic mindset and problem-solving skills.
• Analytical mindset, but also creativity to seek, encourage and find non-traditional approaches to solving problems.

Relevant Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of procurement management experience.
• Knowledge and experience of NGO, donor and government(s) procurement processes and procedures.

Key Competencies

• Achieving Results Effectively: Takes actions that lead to the delivery of set service targets and shows determination to meet the objectives set by others; Keeps track of and measures outcomes against own standards, over and above those set by others; Takes actions that lead to quantifiable service improvements; Manages time and resources efficiently, monitoring progress and making adjustments as necessary.
• Managing and Sharing Knowledge:  Keeps abreast of new developments in own field of competence and maintains personal contact in other parts of the organization with those who provide work- related information; Shares knowledge and learning willingly, and proactively seeks to learn from the experiences of others; Puts new learning into practice and draws on diverse sources of ideas and inspiration; Contributes to the identification of improvements to work processes and assists in implementing them.
• Accountability:  Accepts personal responsibility for quality and timeliness of work; Takes ownership of all responsibilities within own role and honors commitments to others and to the organization; Operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules.
• Diversity and Inclusion: Takes a conscious effort to learn about different styles of conflict resolution; Is proactive in managing conflict over differences when it arises rather than avoiding it;    Listens actively for the frames of reference and does not prejudge;  Seeks to understand and adapt to different styles when working with those who are different; Treats others as they wish to be treated; Shows readiness to change the way he/she does things to meet the needs of those from diverse backgrounds.
• Technical Competencies for the position: Demonstrate knowledge of all own work role specific issues. This encompasses the technical skills or knowledge required to perform the essential duties as described in this Job Description.
• Adaptability: Accepts that things will change; Seeks clarification when faced with ambiguity or uncertainty; Demonstrates willingness to try new approaches.

Devises plans of action with explicit paths and measures of accomplishment for self and/or others and allocates suitable resources so that objectives are achieved. Strong administration skills.

• Stakeholder Focus/Partnerships:  Identifies stakeholder needs and expectations; Responds to requests efficiently and effectively; Takes action beyond explicit request within established service standards; Refers complex questions to a higher decision-making level; Meets stakeholder needs in a respectful, helpful and responsive manner; Seeks feedback to develop a clear understanding of stakeholder needs and outcomes; Uses stakeholder satisfaction monitoring methodologies to ensure stakeholder satisfaction; Adjusts service based on stakeholder feedback.
• Teamwork: Understands the goals of the team and each team member’s role within it; willingly gives support to co-workers and works collaboratively rather than competitively; Shares experiences, knowledge, and best practices with team members.

Terms of Appointment

3 Years Fixed Term (Consideration for renewal will be made subject to AGRA’s needs, available funding and performance).

Location

Based in Bamako, Mali.

How to Apply

If you believe you are the right candidate for this position, kindly submit your application with a detailed CV (including your e-mail address and telephone contacts to recruit@agra.org noting to quote the job reference number in the subject of your email)

To be considered, applications must be received on or before Tuesday 15th August 2023.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

AGRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer