Procurement Advisor - Ukraine Operations Office

DAI is seeking highly qualified candidates for the Procurement Advisor position in the Ukraine Operations Office.

BACKGROUND

DAI has a significant presence in Ukraine, with five active projects totaling more than $758 million. While these projects vary in scope and focus, they are all involved in intricate and complex operational processes, including grant programs, procurements, and sub-contract relationships. The pressure on the project teams has been intense due to first the COVID 19 pandemic followed by Russias invasion, as USAID Ukraine has added significant new funding and responsibilities. In some cases, this required the projects to pivot significantly from their original objectives, and thus created gaps in alignment between the skills needed for success and those possessed by the core team.

Procurements have become a large part of DAIs Ukraine projects portfolios, which has put increasing pressure on project teams to procure goods and services quickly and efficiently. This level of activity and scrutiny requires continuous oversight to ensure efficient, timely, and compliant operations.

As the number of procurements and other operational processes grow, however, it has become increasingly necessary for DAI to field a cross-project operational team to a) remove implementation roadblocks affecting all projects, b) build the capacity of project operations teams, c) serve as a liaison between members of DAIs Home Office and field teams, and d) ensure compliance through focused oversight and training of project personnel.

ROLES PURPOSE

The Procurement Advisor for the Ukraine Operations Office will coordinate and support the procurement of goods and services in support of multiple projects while ensuring integrity, fairness, and openness in procurement processes and adherence to all relevant policies, procedures, and controls. S/he will ensure compliance with USAID policies and procedures, contractual limitations and requirements, and any other procurement policies, procedures, controls, and reporting systems. The Procurement Advisor will support all projects in designing procurement strategies, conducting market research and other pre-procurement activities, and proactively addressing anticipated procurement issues on both project-specific and multi-project procurements. S/he will provide surge support to targeted projects as needed and partner with appropriate staff on DAIs Ukraine projects to streamline procurements and procurement processes. The Procurement Advisor will contribute to the knowledge sharing and creation in the procurement practice; promote procurement best practices across DAI projects in Ukraine.

OBJECTIVES AND DUTIES

The Procurement Advisor will be based in Ukraine and will be responsible for the following:

• Conduct the full life cycle of procurement activities (developing specifications/scopes of work, requisitions, solicitations, cost estimates, collection of quotes, bid evaluation, cost/price analysis, source selection documentation) for procurements that support multiple projects
• Ensure compliance of procurement activities with relevant USAID policies and procedures, contractual limitations and requirements, and any other procurement policies, procedures, controls, and reporting systems established by the projects Field Operations Manual (FOM) and general DAI policies and procedures.
• Help to ensure integrity, fairness, and appropriate transparency in procurement processes while ensuring adequate competition is achieved per relevant policies and procedures.
• Proactively conduct market research and other pre-procurement activities (vendor identification, expressions of interest) for all projects in anticipation of major procurements
• Support all projects in designing comprehensive procurement strategies and procurement tracking mechanisms
• Conduct market research and collect independent price information to inform price analysis, and prepare cost evaluation and source selection documentation, including relevant price data.
• Maintain vendor databases, contacts, and pre-qualification lists to be shared with all projects
• Facilitate evaluation of applications and bids with consideration for allowability, allocability, reasonableness, and consistency.
• Prepare complete, comprehensive, and compliant documentation for procurement processes, approvals, and resulting contracts or agreements.
• Ensure proper filing for all required and relevant procurement documentation and records to the projects TAMIS and SharePoint files, ensuring appropriate and timely organization and completeness of project records and relevant approvals in TAMIS.
• Establish and maintain partnership with DAI projects procurement teams to improve capacity, knowledge sharing and efficiency.
• Interact with DAI procurement teams in order to develop a clear understanding of projects procurement needs, interests and capacities, and to effectively resolve issues and challenges when they arise.
• Provide on-going expert procurement advice and coaching to support DAI Procurement teams across the projects.
• Serve as the main point of contact on issues related to procurement for all DAI projects in Ukraine.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelors Degree (or foreign equivalent) or above in political science, international development, public/business administration, international relations, other social sciences, or a similar relevant field.
• At least nine years relevant professional experience, including experience in project management, financial management, operations, procurement, logistics, and/or related areas.
• Excellent working knowledge and experience administering competitive procurements, government contracts, subcontracts, purchase orders and grants with FAR regulations is essential
• Prior experience in procurement, administration, and/or operations for USAID or other international donor-funded development programs is required
• Demonstrated knowledge and familiarity with USAID regulations (AIDAR) and the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is required
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and shifting priorities without compromising the quality of work
• Ability to work effectively in a cross-functional team is required
• Strong communication abilities are required
• Proficiency with MS Office software, especially Excel is required
• Excellent English writing, speaking, and reading skills are required
• Experience in Ukraine desired

REPORTING:

This position will report to the Operations Manager, Ukraine Operations Office.

Application Instructions

Qualified individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Please submit your Cover Letter and CV to pro-integrity_recruitment@dai.com.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Please include “Procurement Advisor, Ukraine Operations Office” in the subject line. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis.

Equal Employment Opportunity

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or status as a protected veteran.

DAI and its employees are committed to confronting discrimination in all forms, nurturing respect for our interpersonal relationships, and holding ourselves accountable for positive change within the company and in the communities, cultures, and countries where we live and work. DAI is committed to attracting and retaining the best employees from all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds in our continued effort to become a better development partner.

DAI upholds the highest ethical standards. We are committed to preventing sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment, as well as other ethical breaches. Therefore, all our positions are subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.