Summary
Date Posted: Monday, March 11 2024, Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
The Unit is an internationally recognized centre of excellence with dominant research themes in the areas of HIV and emerging infections, vaccines and immunity, and chronic diseases and cancer. Through a multidisciplinary approach, intersecting basic science, epidemiological research, social-behavioural research, and the conduct of new intervention evaluation studies, the Unit contributes knowledge on changing epidemics and diseases, the evaluation of innovative health care options, treatment and prevention and the development of health policy and practice in Africa and worldwide. Following the signing of strategic transfer agreements between the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and the Medical Research Council (MRC UK), the Unit formally joined LSHTM on 1st February 2018. The exciting new partnership will boost research capacity into current and emerging health issues in Africa and throughout the world. The Unit is based at the UVRI Entebbe campus with established outposts in Kalungu, Masaka, Wakiso and Kampala Districts. The Unit is now seeking enthusiastic and experienced individuals to fill the following position:
Procurement Associate – (1 Position)
Position Code: PA -324
Reports to: Procurement Officer
Station: Entebbe, Uganda

Job Purpose:
The position holder will coordinate timely flow of information, updates, and documents between the procurement team, and stakeholders; collecting analyzing procurement data and publishing procurement performance reports. Also assists Procurement Officers in performance some buying functions and acts in Procurement Officer Capacity in the event of leave/ absence of a Procurement Officer.

Roles & Responsibilities
1. Collecting and providing regular updates on pending purchase requests to users;
• Developing a tracking/update tool that contains all pending purchase requests and user inquiries; update the status of each inquiry daily and share an update with requesters daily;
• Checking the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) tool (Microsoft Dynamics Navision) for all new purchase requisitions and add these to the tracking/ update tool. In addition, add any new inquiries arising outside of the ERP tool to the tracking/ update tool;
• Collecting regular updates from Procurement Officers and Head of Procurement on
• progress of their respective pending purchase requests and update the tracking/ update
• tool each week with updates that are accurate and useful to users;
• Checking weekly shipping plan and shipping pre-alerts from the shipping agents and
• update the tracking/ update tool to show import orders that are planned for shipping,
• in transit, under customs clearance or delivered to stores, rejected/ returned, pending payment, paid; and,
• Contacting shipping agents and clearing agents for updates on import orders that are planned for shipping or undergoing customs clearance and update tracking/update tool accordingly.
2. Coordinating delivery of importation orders;
• Regularly contact and liaise with shipping agents to inform them of orders requiring
• collection and orders to be delivered to shipping agent by suppliers;
• Supporting Procurement Officers in following up with suppliers on orders that are due for collection or delivery or delayed and push for fulfilment or new delivery dates;
• Require shipping agent to provide pre-alert documents including invoices, waybills/ bills of lading, export certificates;
• Contacting suppliers for certificates of conformity, certificates of analysis, material safety data sheets and any other documents required by shipping and clearing agents for successful shipping and customs clearance of imported consignments;
• Liaising with the Unit pharmacist to lodge applications for National Drug Authority Import Verification Certificates (NDA VCs) and with the clearing agent to apply for Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) destination inspection for all import shipments that require them;
• Requesting Cash or Bank Transfer payments (per Unit Accounts Payables Policy) and coordinate with drivers and/ or accountants and regulatory agencies to ensure
• payments for permits/ inspections are made in timely fashion, and permits are provided/ inspections are conducted accordingly;
• Responding to inquiries of shipping agent on orders to be consolidated or separated from weekly shipping consignments;
• Instructing shipping agent when required, on treatment of different orders, pickups, deliveries and shipments; and,
• Consult Procurement Officers on any information needed by shipping agents and act as single point of contact between Unit and shipping agent/ customs clearing agent.
3. Managing the ‘Logistics’ procurement category;
• Being accountable for procuring logistics requirements of the Unit, in compliance with the Unit Procurement Policies and Standard Operating Practices, including procurement of shipping agent and clearing agent services;
• Managing sourcing, selection and ordering of services of couriers for shipment of
• samples, biological shipments and courier shipments both locally and internationally; and,
• Receiving payment schedules and invoices from logistics and clearing agents, checking accuracy of the same, submitting these for requisitioning, approval and following up their timely payment.
4. Coordination of procurement component of the Unit purchase-to-pay process;
• Tracking of all procurement deliveries to the Unit and ensure these are appropriately forwarded for payment and settled in accordance with the Unit’s Accounts Payables Policy;
• Regularly updates the tracking/update tool with the payment status of each outstanding order
• Coordinating with the Stores department, Procurement department, Finance
• department and Suppliers to troubleshoot/ investigate and resolve any contested or ‘on-hold’ deliveries and ensure these are escalated for resolving or resolved and payments settled; and,
• Receiving the Finance ‘Outstanding Pre-payments’ report and follow up with Procurement Officers, Requesters, and Stores to provide correct updates on the status of open pre-paid orders.
5. Procurement performance reporting;
• Keeping track of the annual tender and initiatives plans and produce a monthly dashboard/report on progress of completion of tenders and initiative projects;
• Keeping track of the annual Procurement team targets and publish a monthly update on progress towards achieving Procurement objectives; and,
• Collecting and analyze data from the ERP tool and other sources, on each purchase request and the different stages from need realization to delivery. In addition, use this data to report on Procurement’s performance in achieving service levels and turnaround times, for each purchase request.
6. Provide Support to Procurement Officers;
• Relieving Procurement Officers and perform Procurement officer functions when a Procurement Officer is on leave, out of office or when assigned to do so by Head of procurement;
• Performing any reasonable clerical actions requested by Procurement Officers including
• filing; and,
• Inspecting deliveries following up with suppliers and/ or requestors on specific requests.
7. Financial Management
• Complying with all Unit Financial and Procurement policies and SOPs while conducting duties.
8. LSHTM Integration
• Participating positively and proactively in the process of integrating and harmonizing procedures across all LSHTM sites.

Person Specification
• Bachelor’s degree in Procurement, Logistics, Supply Chain management, Commerce, Business Administration, Economics, Statistics, Commerce, Accounting, or related field;
• CIPS qualification, minimum Level 4;
• Should possess 1year experience in an analytical role, working with spreadsheets, analyzing data and producing reports;
• Experience working with an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system;
• 1 Year of progressive experience in procurement/ logistics/ supply chain role;
• Should be an intermediate level user of Microsoft Excel (Knowledge of use of MS Excel
• FORMULA tab and the function library therein, DATA Tab tools and functions, consolidating data, using PivotTables and Subtotals beyond the introductory level, Charting data and formatting Charts, able to create compound and complex formulas, such as array formulas, able to build spreadsheet models, dashboards and automated templates for use by lower level users of Excel);
• Good knowledge of standard workplace IT-tools such use of computers, printers, scanners and the WindowsOffice suite;
• Good understanding of international trade, logistics, laws, practices and Uganda customs requirements;
• Should exemplify integrity – zero tolerance to unethical acts;
• Client orientation – always putting self in client’s shoes;
• Innovation – constantly developing new or improved approaches;
• Quick learner – quickly picks up and applies new information on the job; and,
• Results focused – looks for ways to achieve results, not excuses why results cannot be achieved.

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 12

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Job application procedure
Follow the link below to fill a form and submit your application documentation:
https://redcap.link/Procurement_Associate1 
Filling the form more than once will lead to automatic disqualification. High level of integrity while filling the form is required and will be considered during shortlisting.
Combine all your application documentation i.e. cover letter, CV, certified copies of academic documents & National ID into one PDF document. Deadline for application is 18th March2024, 5:00 pm. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interview. This position is open to Ugandan nationals only. Strictly follow the application procedure as failure to do so will lead to automatic disqualification. Only online applications through the link provided will be accepted. You will receive a notification in your email if your application and documentation have been successfully received.
N.B: You will be required to present certified copies of your academic documentation before employment and so are advised to embark on the certification process soon enough to enable timely contracting.
The applications should be addressed to:
The Head of Human Resources,
MRC/ UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit,
P.O. Box, 49,
Entebbe, Uganda.
Consider your application unsuccessful if not contacted within eight (8) weeks after the closing date of the advert. Any form of lobbying at any stage will lead to automatic disqualification.
By submitting your personal information, you consent to the MRC/ UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit holding and using it in accordance with its recruitment policy and procedure.
The Unit reserves the right to verify documents attached with the relevant awarding institutions to authenticate their validity.

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