Procurement Specialist International

Title: Procurement Specialist

Duty Station: ARA/EU Project, Kabul

Gender: Any

Objective/Purpose of the Assignment:

Railways are a vital mode of transportation to facilitate domestic and regional connectivity and can also significantly contribute to economic growth and help promote a market-led economic environment that fosters private sector participation. After decades of conflict which has severely damaged Afghanistan’s transport infrastructure, Afghanistan has an urgent need for an upgraded national transportation system as a precursor to economic development and to support political stability in the country. The expansion of Afghani­stan's current national railway system will ultimately allow Afghanistan to export minerals and agricultural products and will significantly enhance its position as a regional trading partner by linking it to products, consumers and markets across Eurasia and beyond, as well im­proving internal lines of communication within the country. A successful development and operation of Afghanistan railways bears a tremendous opportunity to create new and support existing prospects for the economic growth not just for the country but also for the neighboring countries from the central and south Asia.

One portion of the financing supports to strengthen the institutional capacity building of the Afghanistan Railway Authority (ARA). This component will be referred to as the ARA capacity building project (the project).

This position will aim at strengthening the capacity and performance of ARA team/assigned group in delivering the EU project components, and eventually managing capacity building of current procurement team through this technical assistance.

Scope of Work:

* A Procurement Specialist will manage, motivate and push the team for high performance, we can then overcome the challenges of supplying good or services on time to our projects with compliance with ADB/IRoA laws & guidelines. 

Detailed Tasks:

• Playing a senior management role in the strategic planning and management of the procurement team including the long-term strategy, the short-term plans, team management and development and accountability for delivery;

• Establishing close linkages and relationships with other key stakeholders, (donors, organizations, Government departments and implementing partners) to champion the work of the ARA/ADB, to make sure it is properly understood and appreciated, and to secure additional resources;

• Ensuring all contracts are prepared & implemented on time and within budget, and that they meet or exceed all operational targets.

• Managing Procurement Management Team, development of recruitment unit, need assessment for capacity building and performance. The procurement specialist is the de factor head of the team and he/she is responsible for the wellbeing/growth of the team.

• The specialist utilizes the capacity building component to grow a team with high capability, motivation and profile, as well as with a culture of performance, integrity and transparency;

• Managing the relationships with the National Procurement Authority (NPA) and Asian Development Bank (ADB);

• Assuring compliance with procurement procedures, legal covenants and all social and environmental safeguards;

• Being a Procurement specialist under Project Manager & deputy Admin/Finance ARA in relation to the capacity building project, He/she will maintain close communication and collaboration, facilitating ADB technical assistance, ensuring compliance as necessary with ADB procedures, and proactively sharing procurement reports, constraints and achievements every day.

Output/Reporting Requirements:

Under guidance, and lead by the specialist, the team will be trained and motivated for doing the tasks on time, effectively and full compliance with ADB/ARA policy and procedures.

The candidate will report to Deputy ARA Finance/Admin & Project Manager

Minimum Qualifications Requirements

• Master’s degree with 5 years of relevant managerial experience.  
• Bachelor’s degree with 8 plus years of relevant managerial experience.
• Work experience providing procurement management support for INGSO on ADB-funded projects, including designing and preparing solicitations and proposals, monitoring contract performance, and ensuring compliance with IRoA/ADB rules and regulations.
• Knowledge of Afghanistan Law on procurement and international best practices in procurement procedures, project administration, contract procedures and project follow-up.
• Excellent communication skills and experience in working with group of national and international staff with different diversity 
• Project management experience, including experience working in multi-cultural teams
• Fluency in English and Pashto/Dari.
• Experience in the usage of Office package (MS Word, Excel, etc)
• Strong organizational skills; ability to prioritize work.
• Ability to work effectively, both, independently and in a team unit, and supervise the entire unit.

Submission Guideline:

Interested applicants shall apply online through the link provided below. 

Applicants who don’t apply online, will not be shortlisted.

https://selfservice.adb.org/OA_HTML/adb/xxcrs/jsp/ADBCsrnFwd.jsp?sel=165978