Procurement Officer - Strengthening the Capacity of CSOs Project

Experience Needed :   At least 4 years of experience in procurement and purchasing

Education Level:          Bachelor’s degree in business administration, procurement/supply chain management, or a related field.

Contract LENGTH :      3 years 

Location :                   Cairo - Maadi

About Life Makers Foundation

Life Makers Foundation (LMF) is an Egyptian youth-led, voluntary, and non-governmental umbrella organization. It was established in 2011 to foster youth engagement in addressing emerging challenges at the local and global levels. Since its establishment, LMF has worked closely with community-based organizations to build youth capacities and support their efforts to develop their societies and respond to humanitarian needs and disasters. LMF operates in 24 governorates through a nonformal network of partner youth-led organizations and registered offices across Egypt, with a broad portfolio of projects and local initiatives in the sectors of Health, Education, Livelihoods, Humanitarian Assistance, Environment, and Youth Participation.

LMF adopts the core principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence in its operations to ensure the provision of assistance with no discrimination towards differences in ethnicity, religion, race, or any other consideration. LMF provides development and humanitarian interventions for the most vulnerable while preserving their dignity and ensuring their participation.

Life Makers is a voluntary, non-governmental, non-religious, non-political, and non-partisan movement that was launched in 2003 to mobilize the best of the human spirit to alleviate human suffering and protect human life and human rights.

About the Project 

This project aims to strengthen the role of local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Beni Suef, Fayoum, Luxor, Aswan, Sohag, Qena, and North and South Sinai, enabling them to engage in sustainable development actively. The project provides sub-grants and tailored capacity-building support to at least 30 local CSOs. Through training, coaching, and institutional development, CSOs will be empowered to improve their services and community impact. The project also promotes structured coordination between CSOs and local authorities. Key thematic areas include economic empowerment, civic participation, women and youth empowerment, inclusion of persons with disabilities, digitalization, and sustainable development.

Job Purpose  

The Procurement Officer will manage the acquisition of goods and services required for the project, ensuring compliance with EU donor regulations and LMF’s internal policies. This role involves planning procurements, executing transparent and competitive bidding processes, and maintaining thorough documentation for auditability. The Procurement Officer will support project activities by procuring items such as training materials, equipment, and external consultancy services, and may also guide sub-grantees on procurement best practices for their grant-funded activities .

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop a procurement plan at the start of the project, in consultation with the Project Manager and team. Identify all expected procurements (equipment, materials, services, etc.) and the timeline requirements based on the work plan to ensure timely support for project activities.
• Conduct all purchasing and contracting in strict accordance with EU procurement rules and guidelines, as well as LMF’s procedures. Ensure that for each purchase, the principles of transparency, competition, and value for money are applied.
• Prepare clear procurement documents and solicitations. For goods and simple services, issue Request for Quotations (RFQs) to vetted suppliers; for larger services or contracts, prepare Terms of Reference and manage a tender or bidding process as required.
• Manage the bid evaluation process for competitive procurements. This includes convening an evaluation committee when needed, providing evaluators with score sheets, and documenting the selection process and results. All steps of the procurement process must be documented (quotes received, offer analysis, justifications for the choice) to meet donor audit standards.
• Draft and finalize contracts or purchase orders with selected vendors/suppliers, ensuring that all terms and conditions (deliverables, delivery dates, payment schedule, etc.) are clearly defined. Particular attention will be given to contracting key project services, such as baseline studies or external evaluation consultants, ensuring these contracts meet both technical and procurement requirements.
• Oversee and track the delivery of goods and services. Coordinate with vendors to ensure timely delivery to the required location (which may span various governorates in Upper Egypt and Sinai). Upon delivery, inspect the goods or verify that services have been completed to confirm they meet the specifications and quality standards before approving any payments.
• Maintain a procurement file for each transaction. This file should include the solicitation document, bids/quotes received, bid evaluation scoring, the contract or purchase order, delivery receipts, and any correspondence. Keep an updated procurement tracker to monitor the status of all pending and completed procurements.
• Work closely with the Project Accountant to align procurement decisions with the available budget. Provide the finance team with copies of contracts and purchase documentation for financial record-keeping, and assist in resolving any discrepancies between purchase orders, deliveries, and invoices.
• Provide guidance and oversight for any procurement that sub-grantee CSOs might need to undertake with their grant funds. Ensure sub-grantees are aware of the basic procurement expectations stipulated by the project's financial rules (e.g., obtaining multiple quotes for significant purchases and avoiding conflicts of interest). While sub-grantees will manage their own small procurements, the Procurement Officer may review their processes for compliance during monitoring visits.
• Monitor market prices and supplier performance throughout the project. Update the project team on any changes to cost estimates or potential supply challenges (e.g., if certain materials become scarce or more expensive). Develop and maintain a roster of reliable suppliers for frequently needed goods/services in the project’s areas of operation.
• Ensure proper asset management for any equipment purchased by the project. In coordination with the Project Manager, tag and record any durable goods (computers, devices, etc.) and, at project completion, prepare for proper disposition or handover of assets in accordance with EU rules.

Core Competencies and Skills

Achievement focused:

• Follow Results-based management (RBM) in achieving planned goals and objectives.

Working Smart:

• Achieve more in less time.
• Balances between work life and personal life to ensure the sustainability of high-quality performance.
• Able to contribute and create a participatory, enjoyable, fulfilling, and rewarding work environment.

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable to making decisions and managing resources efficiently.
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for himself/herself (and the team), takes responsibility for self-development and encourages others to do the same
• Widely shares their vision, engages, and motivates others to contribute to the bigger vision of LMF.
• Future orientated and thinks strategically.
• Thinks globally and acts locally.

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships with project team, colleagues and external partners.
• Values diversity as a source of competitive strength.
• Approachable, good listener and easy to communicate with.

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• Honest and encourages openness and transparency

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, procurement/supply chain management, or a related field. Additional specialized training or certification in procurement (e.g., CIPS) is an advantage.
• At least 4 years of experience in procurement and purchasing, preferably with an international NGO or development project. Experience in procurement for EU-funded projects, or familiarity with the EU’s PRAG procurement guidelines, is highly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of procurement principles and best practices, including competitive bidding, bid evaluation, contracting, and vendor management. Demonstrated ability to conduct procurements ethically and transparently.
• Attention to detail in preparing documentation. Ability to maintain complete and organized records for each procurement is essential for audit compliance.
• Excellent negotiation and communication skills. Capable of negotiating terms with vendors and clearly conveying requirements and expectations.
• Good understanding of the local market conditions in Egypt; experience in the project’s target regions (Upper Egypt, Sinai) or similar contexts is a plus, especially in identifying reliable local suppliers and service providers.
• Ability to work under tight timelines when necessary and manage multiple procurement processes at different stages simultaneously. Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Proficiency in English (for documentation, contracts, and reporting to donor) and Arabic (for local market interactions and documentation).
• High level of integrity and professionalism. Must be able to handle procurement budgets and vendor relations without personal bias or conflict of interest, in line with anti-corruption and procurement integrity standards.
• Team-oriented, with the ability to work closely with project staff in defining needs and with finance staff in reconciling procurement with budgets. Problem-solving attitude to address procurement challenges (such as finding alternate solutions for goods that are unavailable or delayed).