Procurement Officer

About the role

Reporting to the Senior Manager Program Services, with a dotted reporting line to the Senior Finance Manager, the Procurement Officer will provide additional procurement capacity for SPRING as the program expands its national and subnational implementation footprint. The role will work closely with the existing Procurement Officer to jointly plan the division of labour, prioritise procurement requests, support timely and compliant delivery, and ensure procurement functions as an enabling service for technical, grants, operations and finance teams. The position will support procurement planning, sourcing, contracting, asset and inventory processes, and procurement tracking in accordance with SPRING policies and procedures, DFAT requirements, and applicable Commonwealth Procurement Rules principles.

Key responsibilities

• Work closely with the existing Procurement Officer to agree and document a practical division of labour, coordinate workplans, monitor workload, and prioritise procurement actions based on program risk, urgency, value, and operational need.
• Provide procurement advice and practical support to technical, operations, finance and grants teams to translate activity requirements into realistic procurement plans, timelines and documentation.
• Ensure consistent value for money spent and consistent level of service by suppliers
• Prepare request for tenders / proposals, manage the process of tender, and negotiate with suppliers
• Prepare Purchase / Service Orders (PO) and process the administrative and financial evaluation of received offers. Finalize procurement processes with drafting of vendor purchase / service orders / contracts and submit them for approval to the supervisor.
• Follow up on orders with suppliers to expedite timely delivery of the goods/services ordered.
• Conduct and administer supplier evaluation reports.
• Participate in market research for new types of available services and goods.
• Maintain contracts and supplier database.
• Support the Senior Manager Program Services and Deputy Team Leader to prepare, update and monitor quarterly and annual procurement plans, including procurement pipelines, approval schedules, market engagement timelines, and related internal coordination processes.

About you

• Bachelor's degree in any related field
• Minimum of 5 years progressive experience in procurement, operations, grants support or professional services administration, preferably with a development partner such as DFAT, and an international development program.
• Experience should include procurement planning, preparation and administration of vendor contracts, monitoring of goods and services procurements, supplier management, and program asset management.
• Strong time management and organizational skills with attention to detail
• Demonstrated initiative and ability to anticipate procurement needs, plan strategically, prioritise competing requests, and keep managers and requestors informed of risks, bottlenecks and required decisions.
• Ability to work collaboratively with another Procurement Officer, finance colleagues, technical teams and grants personnel to allocate responsibilities, manage peaks in workload, and maintain service standards.
• Understanding of DFAT requirements, value-for-money principles, probity, transparency and the Commonwealth Procurement Rules, or demonstrated willingness and ability to quickly learn and apply these requirements.
• Flexible, practical and solutions-oriented approach to procurement, with the judgement to support technical team requirements while maintaining compliance, appropriate documentation, value for money, and sound risk management.
• Willingness and ability to travel to subnational program locations, including Occidental Mindoro, Leyte and Davao Oriental, as required for office establishment, supplier engagement, procurement monitoring and activity delivery support.
• Computer literacy in standard software such as Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint, etc.) is mandatory

About us

Founded in 1985, Cowater International is a leading global development consulting company. Headquartered in Ottawa and with corporate hubs in Auckland, Berlin, Brussels, Helsinki, London, Madrid, Manila, Nairobi, Singapore and Stockholm, Cowater International has successfully delivered a portfolio of over 2500 projects and assignments in more than 95 countries. We work with governments, private sector actors and communities implementing projects that support socio-economic development, institutional strengthening, environmental improvements and advance equal opportunities for all. We are a diverse and experienced team committed to building a better tomorrow for the people we serve.