Procurement & Logistics Coordinator, Uganda

Position Overview

Educate! is seeking a dynamic and detail-oriented Procurement and Logistics Coordinator to join our dynamic team. In this crucial role, you will be at the heart of our operations, ensuring the seamless acquisition and delivery of resources that power our programs. As we scale our products in Uganda, your expertise will be vital in maintaining efficiency and supporting our ambitious goals.

This is your chance to be part of a dedicated team making a tangible impact on thousands of youth. If you’re passionate about procurement and logistics, thrive in fast-paced environments, and are excited about contributing to a cause that’s changing lives, we’d love to have you on board. Join us in driving forward Educate!'s innovative education solutions and help us reach new heights!

About Educate!

Africa has the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population. By 2035, the continent is poised to contribute more people to the global workforce each year than the rest of the world combined.

At Educate! we're obsessed with impact. We leverage iterative learning to build highly scalable youth employment solutions aimed at unlocking the potential of the world’s youngest continent.

Educate! prepares youth in Africa to learn, earn and thrive in today’s economy by:

1) introducing an employment-focused school subject into secondary, and

2) delivering livelihood bootcamps for out-of-school youth, with a focus on marginalized rural girls and young women.

To date, more than 390,000 youth have been meaningfully impacted across Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya, and along the way, Educate! has become the largest youth employment and skills provider in East Africa.

Educate! is a team of over 250 largely African staff and 300 volunteer youth mentors. We prioritize building an engaging, fulfilling and growth oriented work environment. 50% of our top 30 leaders have been with us for over 5 years, 10+ alumni have started their own organizations, and 6 current or former team members were Acumen Fund East Africa fellows.

We have been backed by top foundations such as Imaginable Futures, Big Bang Philanthropy, #startsmall, Generation Unlimited, CIFF and Echidna Giving. Educate! won a 2018 Klaus J. Jacobs Prize and a 2015 WISE Award, and has been highlighted by the World Bank’s S4YE's Impact Portfolio, an Al Jazeera documentary, BBC, The Brookings Institution as one of 14 case studies on scaling education, and the Gates Foundation as a Goalkeepers Accelerator. In 2022, we received a catalytic investment from philanthropist Mackenzie Scott to scale our systems change work.

Educate!'s long-term vision is to design solutions that measurably impact millions of youth across Africa each year. By 2025, we aim to scale our annual reach by 4x and measurably impact over 400,000 new youth.

Performance Objectives

1. Procurement and Price Research & Verification – 35%
2. Contracts and Supplier Management (25%)
3. Quality Control (20%)
4. Contractor Management (20%)

1. Procurement and Price Research & Verification – 35%

• Implement the procurement policy and strategy and promote purchasing best practices to maximize savings.
• Ensure procurement processes are complete, accurate, documented and in compliance with relevant laws & E! Policy.
• Anticipate procurement needs to pre-select competitive vendors, and create systems to track and strategically guard against common procurement challenges
• Ensure proper documentation for all procurement requests before presentation for authorization.
• Ensure that standard operating procedures for the procurement function are understood and applied by staff.
• Coordinate the awards to the best bidder and draft a contract for the selected vendor.
• Carry out regular market research and update the price list at least twice a year as a guide for user departments
• Ensure that price comparisons or other procedures do not delay procurements past communicated deadline
• Formally and proactively communicates and advises budget holders and Operations Manager on instances of cost reduction.

2. Contracts and Supplier Management (25%)

• Spearhead the prequalification process for vendors and service providers in anticipation of implied procurement needs.
• Build and keep a well maintained pipeline of preferred vendors to lower procurement related risks.
• Maintain well documented vendor lists with company products and shares with management as is necessary.
• Build and maintain a strong E! relationship with vendors for the benefit of wholesale discounts & customer loyalty awards within the boundaries of the Educate! Ethics Guide.
• Provide timely, accurate and adequate specifications to vendors and respond to clarifications in a timely manner.
• Ensure vendor contracts have complete specifications and right invoices are paid promptly.
• Participate in negotiation of contract terms on a range of central contracts and monitor performance against these contracts.

3. Quality Control (20%)

• Ensure quality of materials or services to ensure consistency with requirements through quality monitoring from initiation to usage.
• Conclude procurements within the time the stipulated timelines
• Ensure there are operational controls of the facility services such as telephone, internet, reception, security etc.
• Ensure maintenance and optimization of Head Office IT infrastructure and systems
• Ensure proper safety of the procurement documents
• Suggest improvements based on regular staff feedback and respond to challenges within stipulated timelines.
• Seek and respond to feedback from end users on quality of products delivered to ensure value for money.

4. Contractor Management (20%)

• Lead the recruitment process for Enumerators (from adverting to shortlisting of candidates, conducting interviews, awarding and contracting)
• Maintain a clean, up-to date database of Enumerators for different programs
• Process payments for Enumerators in a timely manner
• Collect and provide feedback to Enumerators and generally ensure that their experience with E! is pleasant

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, or a related field.
• At least 3 years of proven Experience in procurement, logistics, or supply chain management in a fast paced environment, preferably within the NGO sector.
• Strong Analytical Skills to assess procurement processes and ensure cost-efficiency and effectiveness.
• Excellent Organizational Abilities to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously, ensuring timely delivery and resource allocation.
• Effective Communication Skills to liaise with vendors, stakeholders, and team members, ensuring clear and concise information exchange.
• Problem-Solving Mindset to address logistical challenges and implement efficient solutions.
• Attention to Detail to meticulously handle procurement documentation.
• Proficiency in Procurement Software and Microsoft Office Suite to streamline procurement activities and reporting.
• Commitment to Ethical Practices ensuring compliance with organizational policies and industry standards.
• Adaptability to adjust to changing priorities and work environments, supporting the dynamic needs of the organization.
• Team Player with the ability to work collaboratively within diverse and multicultural teams.
• Driven by Impact with a passion for contributing to the organization's mission of transforming education and scaling impact.

Terms

• Salary is commensurate with experience
• Attractive Benefits & Packages including Medical Insurance.
• Location is Kampala

What Is Educate! About?

We’re ambitious. Are you? Educate! is growing fast, so new opportunities are opening up and expanding all the time. We’re inspired by people with drive, and we love to help them reach their full potential. We expect everyone at Educate! to contribute above and beyond their job description, grow their skills, and advance their careers, and we are committed to supporting our staff members on that journey.

1. We put Youth First, Impact-Obsessed - We never forget that Educate! exists to impact youth. We are purpose-driven. We obsess over impact daily and if it doesn’t lead to impact, we want nothing to do with it. We prioritize interacting with and listening to youth. We design and manage the organization to ensure every dollar creates transformative experiences that youth value.
2. We Exceed Expectations - We take pride in going above and beyond to achieve the best results. When we know what needs to be done, we do it. We don’t wait to be asked and we don’t stop at what is asked of us. We look for solutions as much as we identify problems.
3. We Are Always Learning - We are committed to seeking and applying new knowledge and ideas. We stay open-minded. We know there is always another way and we are excited to learn about it. We continuously look for resources of all kinds from multiple disciplines. We try new things, experiment, grow, and improve. We invest in learning for ourselves and our teams.
4. We are One Team, Many Views - We say what we think while treating each other well. We believe that all people have the same inherent value and that diverse ideas and open dialogue fuel excellence. We constantly strive to create an environment where everyone can and does express themselves freely. We support and respect each other as people and colleagues. We act as one team: We prioritize the organization's mission and goals over team or individual goals.
5. We have the Startup Mindset - We will always keep innovating to grow our impact. We aspire to be game-changing. We never think “we have arrived” or “we’re done.” We question the status quo in our industry. We move fast and embrace change to move towards our long-term vision. We’re not afraid of failure. We interrogate anything that slows us down.

Every person at Educate! — from interns to the CEO — is evaluated by how they live up to these five cultural tenets. They are at the core of how we achieve our mission and why we work as well as we do.

Educate is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all who interact in our community. In creating this environment, we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply. Child Safeguarding: Educate! is committed to child-safe/youth-safe recruitment, selection and screening. Our recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to the safety and protection of children in our programs. The successful candidate will be required to provide a satisfactory Certificate of Good Conduct as a condition of employment. We reserve the right to decline to offer employment to an individual or terminate an employment contract with an employee that may pose a risk to children and youth.