Procurement Associate

Job Description

Title: Procurement Associate

Company Name: Eco-Social Development Organization (ESDO)

Vacancy: 01

Age: At most 40 years

Job Location: Cox`s Bazar (Teknaf, Ukhia)

Salary: Tk. 50000 (Monthly)

Experience:

• 4 to 6 years
• The applicants should have experience in the following business area(s): NGO

Educational Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Management, Commerce, Economics, or a related discipline from a recognized university; a Master's degree in the same fields will be given preference.

• Candidates holding BBA/MBA with a Supply Chain Management, Procurement, or Operations Management major will be given preference.

• Professional certification in Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), Certified International Procurement Professional (CIPP), Contract Management, or Logistics will be considered a strong advantage.

• Additional training in donor-funded procurement, humanitarian procurement, or e-procurement systems will be considered an advantage.

• 4 to 6 years
• The applicants should have experience in the following business area(s): NGO

• Age At most 40 years

Experience Requirements

• Minimum 4 to 6 years of professional experience in procurement, supply chain, logistics, or operational management, preferably within NGO, INGO, or donor-funded project environments.

• Demonstrated experience in tender management, supplier selection, contract execution, and procurement compliance in a donor-funded context.

• Working knowledge of UNICEF's Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT), partnership procurement requirements, and three-quote and no-splitting rules is highly preferred.

• Experience procuring diverse categories including learning and teaching materials, technical or trade equipment, laboratory supplies, EdTech, and general office supplies is an advantage.

• Experience supporting audits, HACT spot checks, and donor procurement reviews.

• Sound understanding of Bangladesh statutory requirements including VAT, tax, and NGO Affairs Bureau regulations relevant to procurement.

• Experience working with UNICEF, UN agencies, INGOs, or donor-funded programmes will be highly preferred.

• Experience working in the Cox's Bazar Rohingya humanitarian response is an advantage.

Additional Requirements

• Strong knowledge of procurement procedures, donor compliance requirements, and value-for-money principles.

• Excellent negotiation, supplier management, and contract administration skills.

• Strong analytical, documentation, and reconciliation skills.

• Experience using procurement tracking systems, e-procurement platforms, or ERP procurement modules will be an advantage.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.

• Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple procurement processes simultaneously.

• High integrity, confidentiality, and professionalism.

• Strong commitment to child rights, inclusion, safeguarding, and gender equality.

• Must possess a valid driving license.

Job Context

Eco-Social Development Organization (ESDO) started its journey in 1988 with a noble vision to stand in solidarity with the poor and marginalized. Being a people` centered organization, ESDO envisioned for a society which will be free from inequality and injustice, a society where no child will cry from hunger and no life will be ruined by poverty. Near about three decades of relentless efforts to make this happen, ESDO has embraced new grounds and opened up new horizons to help the disadvantaged and vulnerable people to bring meaningful and lasting changes in their lives. During this long span, ESDO has adapted with the changing situation and provided the most time-bound services especially for the poor and disadvantaged. A community focused and people centered approach has been adapted by ESDO while consideration was given to the national policy and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as its guiding principle. ESDO is one of the most dynamic organizations expanding its development interventions across 422 upazilas under 56 districts of Bangladesh covering over 10 million poor and vulnerable people.

ESDO is going to implement a UNICEF-supported project titled “Provide quality, inclusive skills development and Myanmar Curriculum STEM education for adolescent learners aged 15-18, and portable skills training for education volunteers in Cox's Bazar” in Rohingya camps of Ukhia, Cox’s Bazar. The project aims to improve access to quality foundational literacy numeracy (FLN), trade skills, employability skills, leadership skills, entrepreneurship training,, STEM Education and portable skills opportunities for Rohingya adolescents and youth through multi-Purpose Centers (MPCs), Science & IT Labs, and SKILFO-based portable skills interventions.

The Procurement Associate is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing every procurement activity under this project in accordance with UNICEF requirements, ESDO's procurement policy, donor regulations, and the specific compliance commitments made during partnership approval. The position ensures the timely, transparent, cost-effective, and audit-defensible procurement of the goods, services, works, learning and teaching materials, trade course tools and consumables, laboratory equipment, EdTech devices, safeguarding and community awareness materials, and general office and facility supplies that programme delivery depends on. In a project of this scale, spread across multiple camps, multi-purpose centres, and laboratories, procurement discipline directly determines whether classes start on time, whether learners have the materials they need, and whether donor funds can be liquidated cleanly.

The Procurement Associate will work under the direct supervision of the the Skills Development Technical Lead on procurement priorities aligned to programme delivery, and will coordinate closely with the Warehouse Associate, Finance Associate, HR and Admin Associate, and programme colleagues across trade, laboratory, and facility functions. S/he will also closely liaison with the ESDO Head Office procurement focal.

Reporting to: Direct Reporting to Skills Development Technical Lead

Job Responsibilities

A. Procurement Planning, Cycle Management, and Timely Delivery

• Prepare and update project procurement plans in consultation with the Admin and Finance Manager, the Skills Development Technical Lead, and programme colleagues, aligned to the approved budget, activity calendar, and quarterly Direct Cash Transfer (DCT) cycles.

• Process procurement requests received from programme, warehouse, laboratory, and administration colleagues in a disciplined sequence, and maintain a procurement tracking system that gives management real-time visibility of every open, pending, and completed procurement.

• Anticipate delivery lead times and ensure procurement is initiated early enough that goods and services reach the field before the activities they support, so that no cohort session, laboratory practical, or field deployment is delayed for want of materials.

• Support procurement forecasting, market intelligence, and cost benchmarking so that annual and quarterly plans are realistic and defensible.

B. Sourcing, Tendering, Vendor Management, and Contracting

• Conduct sourcing and tendering in strict compliance with ESDO's procurement policy and UNICEF partnership requirements, applying the three-quote rule, no-splitting principle, and open, competitive process for procurements above the applicable thresholds.

• Prepare Requests for Quotation (RFQ), Requests for Proposal (RFP), bid documents, comparative statements, and evaluation records with accuracy and full documentation of the decision trail.

• Coordinate quotation collection, bid opening, technical and financial evaluation, and award decisions in a fair and transparent manner, and ensure the composition of any evaluation committee reflects the required segregation of duties.

• Maintain a vetted vendor database and vendor enlistment records, monitor vendor performance across quality, timeliness, and contractual compliance, and remove non-performing or non-compliant vendors from the database with documented reasons.

• Prepare purchase orders, contracts, and service agreements with clear specifications, delivery terms, penalty and safeguarding clauses, and payment conditions.

C. Cross-Functional Coordination with Warehouse, Finance, and Programme Teams

• Coordinate with the Warehouse Associate on incoming goods, ensuring proper Goods Receipt Notes, inspection, quality verification, and documented handover before payment is processed.

• Coordinate with the Finance Associate on payment processing, vendor documentation, statutory deduction compliance, and reconciliation of procurement transactions in the accounting system.

• Coordinate with the Skills Development Technical Lead, Science and IT Labs Field Assistant, HR and Admin Associate, and Associate Construction Engineer on programme-driven specifications so that what is procured actually meets end-user needs and no last-minute substitutions compromise programme quality.

• Provide timely procurement information to programme colleagues so that implementation planning is informed by realistic sourcing and delivery timelines.

D. Compliance, HACT, Audit Readiness, and Value for Money

• Ensure every procurement complies with UNICEF financial guidelines, PCA requirements, HACT rules, ESDO's procurement policy, and the specific commitments made during partnership approval.

• Ensure value-for-money principles are applied consistently, balancing cost, quality, delivery timing, and lifecycle considerations, and document the value-for-money rationale in every award decision.

• Ensure procurement activities comply with statutory obligations of the Government of Bangladesh, including VAT, tax, and NGO Affairs Bureau requirements, in coordination with the Finance Associate.

• Support internal audits, UNICEF financial spot checks, programmatic spot checks, HACT assurance activities, and external or donor audits by providing accurate procurement documentation, decision trails, and explanations.

E. Safeguarding, PSEA, Accountability, Anti-Fraud Obligations and Ethical Practices

• Ensure every vendor, sub-contractor, and service provider signs up to ESDO's Code of Conduct, PSEA and Child Safeguarding standards, and anti-fraud undertaking before engagement, in line with the organizational PSEA Action Plan.

• Ensure procurement contracts and service agreements include clear clauses on prohibition of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA), definition of SEA, reporting obligations, and corrective action, in line with UN Implementing Partner Protocol requirements.

• Screen vendors and suppliers against exclusion, sanctions, and safeguarding lists as required, and escalate any suspicious pattern of behaviour or conflict-of-interest concern to the Admin and Finance Manager and Skills Development Technical Lead

• Ensure no gift, hospitality, favour, or personal benefit is accepted from vendors, suppliers, or service providers, and declare any potential conflict of interest immediately.

• Maintain strict confidentiality of procurement, vendor, and pricing information, and escalate any suspicion of fraud, collusion, price manipulation, or safeguarding concern to the Admin and Finance Manager and Skills Development Technical Lead immediately.

• Uphold the highest standards of Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), Child Safeguarding (CSG), Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP), and anti-fraud behaviour in every procurement transaction and vendor interaction.

F. Reporting, Documentation, and Records Management

• Maintain complete, well-indexed, and secure procurement files (physical and electronic) covering every stage of the procurement cycle from requisition to payment and delivery.

• Prepare monthly and quarterly procurement status reports, vendor performance summaries, and inputs to project reports, HACT assurance activities, and donor monitoring visits.

• Ensure procurement records reconcile with warehouse and financial records on a monthly basis.

H. Other Responsibilities

• Participate in project procurement reviews, planning sessions, and coordination forums as required.

• Contribute to continuous improvement of procurement processes and systems within the project.

• Any other duties assigned by the Admin and Finance Manager in the interest of the project.

As per project allocation and organizational policy.