PROCUREMENT OFFICER

PROCUREMENT OFFICER

REPORTS TO: PROCUREMENT AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGER

Job Summary:

To execute procurement activities efficiently by ensuring timely purchasing, supplier coordination, accurate procurement documentation and compliance with approved procurement procedures.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Procurement Execution and Supplier Coordination

• Receive and review approved purchase requisitions and ensure procurement activities are initiated in accordance with approved specifications, quantities, budgets, and required delivery timelines.
• Obtain and evaluate quotations from approved and potential suppliers, ensuring that prices, specifications, quality, lead times, payment terms, warranties, and other commercial conditions are clearly compared.
• Prepare and process purchase orders (POs) based on approved procurement requirements and ensure that orders are placed only after the required approvals have been obtained.
• Coordinate closely with suppliers to confirm order acceptance, production status, dispatch arrangements, delivery dates, quantities, and documentation.
• Follow up on outstanding purchase orders and proactively communicate potential delays, shortages, quality concerns, or changes in supplier commitments to the relevant departments.
• Coordinate procurement of furniture materials, hardware, fittings, upholstery materials, timber and boards, adhesives, tools, spare parts, packaging materials, office supplies, and other operational requirements.
• Work closely with Production, Warehouse, Stores, Finance, Sales, and Operations to ensure that procured items are delivered when required and in the correct specifications.
• Coordinate urgent and emergency purchases while ensuring that appropriate approvals and procurement controls are maintained.
• Maintain effective supplier relationships while ensuring that business requirements and procurement standards are consistently upheld.
• Support local and international sourcing activities where required, including supplier identification, quotation requests, order placement, shipment coordination, and delivery follow-up.

2. Costing and Commercial Evaluation

• Prepare detailed procurement cost comparisons for materials, furniture components, equipment, services, and other purchases.
• Analyse supplier quotations based on unit prices, quantities, taxes, transport, delivery charges, payment terms, lead times, warranties, and other applicable costs.
• Conduct price and market checks to establish reasonable and competitive procurement costs.
• Support the preparation and review of product and project costings, particularly for customised furniture, assembly projects, tenders, and large customer orders.
• Identify opportunities for cost reduction through competitive sourcing, supplier negotiations, bulk purchasing, framework agreements, alternative suppliers, and improved order planning.
• Negotiate prices, discounts, credit terms, delivery terms, minimum order quantities, warranties, and other commercial terms within delegated authority.
• Monitor changes in supplier prices and communicate significant cost movements to management and affected departments.
• Ensure that procurement decisions consider total landed cost, rather than purchase price alone, where applicable.
• Maintain records of historical prices to support future negotiations, budgeting, forecasting, and procurement planning.
• Work with Finance and relevant operational departments to ensure that procurement costs are correctly captured for budgeting, costing, and financial reporting purposes.

3. Procurement Documentation and ERP Processing

• Prepare and maintain complete procurement documentation from requisition through quotation, evaluation, approval, purchase order, delivery, inspection, and invoice processing.
• Ensure that all purchase orders accurately reflect approved specifications, quantities, prices, taxes, delivery requirements, payment terms, and supplier details.
• Process procurement transactions accurately and promptly in the company's ERP/procurement system.
• Create and maintain supplier records, item codes, purchase orders, goods receipt references, and other relevant procurement information in the ERP system.
• Ensure that procurement transactions are properly linked to approved purchase requisitions and relevant cost centres, departments, projects, or budgets.
• Monitor open purchase orders in the ERP and ensure that completed, cancelled, partially fulfilled, or outstanding orders are appropriately updated.
• Coordinate with Stores/Warehouse to ensure that goods received are accurately recorded against the relevant purchase order.
• Work with Finance to facilitate the three-way matching of Purchase Order, Goods Received Note (GRN), and Supplier Invoice before payment processing.
• Ensure procurement files contain all required supporting documents, including quotations, quotation analysis, approvals, purchase orders, delivery notes, inspection records, GRNs, invoices, contracts, and correspondence.
• Maintain an organised electronic and physical procurement filing system that supports easy retrieval and audit requirements.
• Generate procurement reports from the ERP system, including outstanding POs, supplier spend, procurement lead times, price movements, and procurement status.
• Ensure accuracy of procurement data entered into the ERP and promptly correct errors or discrepancies identified.
• Support ERP improvements and automation of procurement workflows where necessary.

4. Supplier Performance Management and Coordination

• Monitor supplier performance against agreed requirements, including quality, price, delivery time, quantity, responsiveness, documentation, and after-sales support.
• Maintain supplier performance records and periodically prepare supplier performance reports.
• Track supplier delivery performance and identify recurring delays, shortages, incomplete deliveries, or other service failures.
• Coordinate with Quality Control, Production, Warehouse, and relevant users to document supplier-related quality issues.
• Follow up on rejected, defective, damaged, or non-conforming materials and coordinate corrective action, replacement, credit notes, or other agreed remedies.
• Maintain a supplier scorecard covering relevant performance indicators and support periodic supplier reviews.
• Escalate persistent supplier performance problems to the Procurement Manager/Head of Procurement and relevant management.
• Support supplier development initiatives aimed at improving quality, delivery reliability, pricing, capacity, and responsiveness.
• Maintain appropriate communication with suppliers while avoiding commitments outside the officer's authority.
• Support supplier onboarding, due diligence, background checks, and periodic supplier re-evaluation in accordance with company procedures.
• Ensure that critical suppliers have appropriate contingency or alternative sourcing arrangements where business continuity requires them.

5. Procurement Compliance and Controls

• Ensure all procurement activities comply with the company's approved procurement policies, procedures, approval limits, delegated authorities, and ethical standards.
• Ensure purchases are supported by properly approved purchase requisitions before commitments are made to suppliers, except where authorised emergency procedures apply.
• Adhere to approved supplier selection, quotation, evaluation, negotiation, purchase order, receiving, and payment processes.
• Ensure appropriate segregation of duties between requesting, procurement, receiving, approval, and payment functions.
• Maintain transparency, fairness, confidentiality, and consistency in supplier selection and procurement decisions.
• Avoid conflicts of interest and disclose any actual or potential conflict involving suppliers or procurement transactions.
• Ensure that supplier selection and procurement decisions are supported by objective documentation and are capable of being independently reviewed.
• Monitor procurement transactions for unusual pricing, duplicate orders, split purchases, unauthorised commitments, incomplete documentation, or other control exceptions and escalate concerns appropriately.
• Ensure procurement activities comply with applicable Ugandan laws, tax requirements, contractual obligations, and relevant company policies.
• Support procurement audits by providing complete and accurate procurement records and responding to audit queries.
• Ensure that supplier contracts, agreements, quotations, and other commercial documents are properly authorised and retained.
• Participate in periodic reviews of procurement procedures and recommend improvements to strengthen controls, efficiency, transparency, and value for money.
• Comply with the company's policies on anti-bribery and corruption, AML/CTF, sanctions, confidentiality, data protection, health and safety, sustainability, and responsible sourcing.

6. Manage and maintain the product master, ensuring accurate and detailed product coding in compliance with established procedures.

7. Conduct regular code reviews, deactivate redundant or obsolete codes, and support the integration of active product codes with the company website to improve product visibility, identification, and accessibility across departments.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Procurement and Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Commerce, Business Administration, or related field.
• Minimum three (3) years of experience in procurement or supply chain operations.
• Professional qualification in Procurement and Supply Chain Management is an added advantage.
• Proficiency in ERP systems and Microsoft Office applications

Key Skills and Competencies:

• Excellent negotiation and supplier management skills.
• Strong analytical and cost management abilities.
• Attention to detail and accuracy in documentation and reporting.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in procurement software, ERP systems, and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple priorities.

How to Apply:

All applications will be received and reviewed through the BrighterMonday Portal by clicking on the 'Apply Here' section