PROCUREMENT & SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGER

Key Responsibilities

Procurement Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and implement the procurement strategy and annual procurement plan aligned with business objectives and operational requirements in The Gambia.

• Lead the procurement function, establishing clear processes, controls, approval thresholds, and service standards.

• Advise management on sourcing strategies, market conditions, cost drivers, and procurement risks.

• Ensure procurement activities are conducted ethically, transparently, and in accordance with company policies and applicable laws.

• Develop procurement budgets and monitor expenditure against approved plans.

Sourcing & Tender Management

• Manage end-to-end sourcing activities, including requisition review, specifications, supplier identification, RFQs/RFPs, bid evaluation, negotiations, and purchase orders.

• Obtain competitive quotations and ensure appropriate supplier comparison and evaluation.

• Coordinate tender and bid processes for major goods, services, equipment, and contractor requirements.

• Ensure procurement specifications are clear, commercially sound, and aligned with operational needs.

• Maintain complete and accurate procurement documentation and audit trails.

Supplier & Vendor Management

• Develop, evaluate, onboard, and maintain an approved supplier and vendor database.

• Conduct supplier due diligence, performance reviews, and periodic market assessments.

• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, warranties, service levels, and other commercial conditions.

• Monitor supplier performance, delivery timelines, quality, and compliance with contractual requirements.

• Manage supplier disputes and escalate material commercial or performance risks to management.

Cost Control & Value for Money

• Drive cost optimisation through competitive sourcing, negotiation, framework agreements, and supplier consolidation where appropriate.

• Track procurement savings, cost avoidance, and spend against budget.

• Work with Finance to ensure timely invoice matching, payment processing, and resolution of procurement-related discrepancies.

• Monitor market prices and identify opportunities to reduce total cost of ownership.

Inventory, Logistics & Operational Support

• Coordinate with Operations and Administration to ensure timely availability of critical materials, equipment, PPE, consumables, and services.

• Support inventory planning and stock-level monitoring for procurement-related items.

• Coordinate with logistics and customs stakeholders where imported goods or equipment are involved.

• Anticipate supply risks and develop alternative sourcing and contingency plans.

• Ensure urgent procurement requirements are handled efficiently without compromising controls.

Compliance, Risk & Reporting

• Ensure procurement activities comply with company policies, delegated authorities, contractual requirements, and applicable Gambian regulations.

• Maintain procurement records to support internal and external audits.

• Identify and mitigate procurement risks, including fraud, conflicts of interest, supplier concentration, price volatility, and supply disruption.

• Prepare regular procurement reports covering spend, savings, supplier performance, open purchase orders, and key risks.

• Support investigations and corrective actions relating to procurement irregularities.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Ensure accurate use of procurement, ERP, and inventory systems where applicable.

• Improve procurement workflows, controls, reporting, and automation.

• Develop standard procurement templates, supplier evaluation tools, and performance dashboards.

• Promote best practices and procurement capability development across relevant teams.

• Perform any other duties as assigned by the Country Director / Managing Director.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Logistics, Finance, or a related field. A Master's degree is an advantage.
• Professional procurement/supply chain certification such as CIPS, CPSM, or equivalent is required or strongly preferred.
• Fluency in French is required; strong English communication skills are an advantage.

Experience

• Minimum of 7-10 years' experience in procurement, purchasing, or supply chain management.
• At least 3-5 years in a procurement management or senior procurement role, preferably within a large, multinational, infrastructure, services, construction, waste management, or operational environment.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic sourcing, tender management, supplier negotiations, contract administration, and cost optimisation.
• Experience managing procurement operations in The Gambian or a comparable West African market, with knowledge of local supplier and regulatory environments.
• Experience with ERP/procurement systems (Oracle HCM, etc) and strong Microsoft Office capability.
• Experience managing multiple categories, sites, suppliers, and competing operational priorities.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong procurement, negotiation, commercial analysis, and supplier management skills.
• Excellent French communication skills, both written and spoken.
• Strong analytical, organisational, and problem-solving abilities.
• High level of integrity, confidentiality, attention to detail, and commitment to ethical procurement.
• Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to work under pressure, manage deadlines, and make sound commercial decisions.
• Proactive mindset with strong risk-management and continuous-improvement orientation.