Procurement Specialist
position title Procurement Specialist
Reports to Director of Operations
Duty station Kigali, Rwanda
Contract type Fixed term, 12 months, renewable, subject to a probationary period
1. Purpose of the Position
Under the supervision of the Director of Operations, the Procurement Specialist is the guardian of the integrity of the ACES procurement process. The incumbent is responsible for planning, conducting and documenting all procurement activity in full and consistent compliance with the ACES Procurement Manual, applying its methods, thresholds, segregation of duties and controls to the letter, and ensuring every procurement action is compliant with international procurement principles of fairness, best value for money, competitiveness, ensuring activities are properly recorded and audit ready. The role carries direct responsibility for conducting procurement functions and ensuring compliance, protecting ACES from proscribed practices and for maintaining a procurement environment that withstands donor and external scrutiny.
2. Key Duties and Responsibilities
The incumbent will discharge the following duties strictly in accordance with the ACES Procurement Manual and the segregation of duties it prescribes.
Procurement planning
• Lead procurement planning activities.
• Prepare, coordinate and maintain the consolidated ACES procurement plan. Consolidate requirements and deploy the appropriate procurement strategies to maximise competition, cost efficiency, best value for money, economies of scale, while establishing and adhering to realistic lead times.
• Plan, develop and manage all procurement aspects of requests from ACES
• Formulate strategies and design innovative solutions to resolve issues/conflicts for procurement projects.
• Perform contract administration functions and in coordination with the requisitioning office perform contract management functions considering service provision arrangements, KPI compliance and other conditions
• Understand and comply with donor requirements for procurement where and as required.
• Advise requisitioning offices at the demand-definition stage so that specifications, TOR and SOW are complete, generic and free of brand bias or over-specification.
Requisitions and solicitation
• Advise requisitioning units and recipient entities on procurement aspects.
• Review and remain impartial on incoming requisition packages for completeness, TOR, SOW, specifications, validity, generic criteria setting and return incomplete or non-compliant requisitions to the requisitioner for correction rather than processing them forward.
• Determine and justify the correct procurement method against the manual thresholds (Low Value Procurement, Request for Quotation, Request for Proposal), recording the method and its justification in the package.
• Conduct market research to keep abreast of market developments; research and analyse statistical data and market reports on the world commodity situation, production patterns and availability of goods and services.
• Identify new technologies and products/services, evaluate and recommend potential supply sources and participates in the incorporation of research results into the procurement programme.
• Prepare solicitation documents, source and identify eligible vendors, publish solicitations, manage bidder questions and clarifications, and act as the sole authorised point of supplier contact
• Prepare/oversee preparation and distribution of invitations to tender and manage/conduct evaluations as appropriate.
• Prepare a variety of procurement-related documents, contracts, communications, guidelines, instructions, training material, etc.
Evaluation and award
• Organise and support technical and financial evaluations against pre-established criteria, safeguard the confidentiality of offers, prepare evaluation and recommendation reports, and submit award recommendations for approval by the appropriate Delegation Holder.
• Administer the no-objection process where required, and process amendments to contracts and purchase orders strictly within delegated authority.
• Oversee adherence to contractual agreements, recommend amendments and extensions of contracts, and advises concerned parties on contractual rights and obligations.
Compliance, controls and segregation of duties
• Uphold the segregation of duties between requisitioning, procurement, budget certification, approval and receipt, and escalate and stop any award or solicitation process where a segregation conflict arises.
• Ensure delegated authority limits are observed for every award type and ensure that no deviations from the manual are performed..
• Guard against collusion, conflicts of interest and any favouritism, applying the ethics and gifts and gratuities provisions of the manual.
• Develop training and knowledge sharing sessions and deliver capacity building sessions on procurement.
• Provide guidance to, and may supervise, new/junior staff.
Records, audit and reporting
• Establish and maintain complete, orderly and traceable procurement files for every action, from requisition through award and contract administration to close-out, so that the full trail is open to inspection by internal and external auditors. All documentation shall be signed and dated as appropriate
• Provide accurate procurement reporting to management and to oversight parties, and support internal and external audits and reviews with prompt, evidenced responses.
Contract and supplier management
• Administer contracts and purchase orders, manage long-term agreements where in place, monitor vendor performance and total cost of ownership, and coordinate receipt and inspection with the relevant offices.
• Establish and maintain a vendor performance system.
• Establish and maintain repository, work programme and schedule for ongoing contracts and newly planned ones as appropriate.
• Collects and analyses data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting.
3. Required Qualifications and Experience
• An academic Bachelor’s degree in procurement, supply chain management, business administration, law, finance or a related field.
• At least five years (over the last 8 years) of progressively responsible procurement experience, including hands-on management of competitive solicitations (RFQ and RFP) end to end, out of which, A minimum of two (2) consecutive years of experience in conducting tender exercises (of donor-funded, public sector, UN or international NGO procurement environments) to award contracts during the last five years is required.
• Demonstrated familiarity with Rwandan public procurement law and the Rwanda Public Procurement Authority framework.
• Working proficiency in English; Kinyarwanda and or French an advantage.
• Professional certification in supply chain such as Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (minimum CIPST Level 2) is required.
• Demonstrated experience implementing and applying formal procurement regulations, policies, and procedures, ensuring compliance and maintaining satisfactory audit outcomes.
• Demonstrated knowledge and practical application of key procurement controls, including segregation of duties, delegated authority, tender evaluation and award procedures, and procurement record management.
• Demonstrated professional integrity and willingness to enforce procurement policies, including challenging non-compliant requests and ensuring procedural requirements are met before processing.
4. Key Competencies
• Attention to detail and commitment to compliance, with the ability to apply procurement policies, procedures and controls accurately and consistently.
• Sound judgement and professionalism, including the ability to uphold procurement requirements and manage compliance risks under time and operational pressures.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to engage constructively and effectively with requisitioners, suppliers and other stakeholders on procurement matters.
• Planning and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple procurement activities simultaneously while meeting deadlines and maintaining compliance requirements
5. Application Deadline:
• Interested candidates should submit their cover letter and CV to [email protected] no later than 3 August 2026.
• Please indicate the position title in the subject line of your email.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
