Procurement Officer

Job Description

Title: Procurement Officer

Company Name: Sesame Workshop

Vacancy: --

Age: Na

Job Location: Dhaka

Salary: --

Experience:

• At least 2 years

Bachelor’s degree in business, Supply Chain Management, Procurement, or a related field (Master’s preferred)

• At least 2 years

• Minimum 2 years of experience in procurement or supply chain management, with a focus on donor-funded projects or NGOs
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel for tracking, reporting, and dashboard creation; experience with procurement tracking software is a plus
• Strong knowledge of procurement processes, vendor management, and comparative analysis for cost-effectiveness
• Familiarity with donor requirements, local procurement regulations, and organizational policies for compliance
• Experience preparing Comparative Statements and analyzing vendor offers to ensure value for money
• Excellent organizational and time management skills to handle multiple procurement tasks efficiently
• Effective communication skills to build and maintain vendor relationships, conduct evaluations, and manage performance
• Knowledge of budget management for office supplies and adherence to organizational budgets
• Experience in consultant and professional hiring, including issuing work orders, handling compliance, and tracking deliverables
• Ability to prepare annual procurement plans, improve procurement processes, and implement best practices in alignment with organizational strategies
• Proven ability to conduct procurement process and policy training across teams

Company Description

Sesame Workshop Bangladesh, the country office of Sesame Workshop, a not-for-profit educational organization, creates innovative and engaging content to help all children grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. For more than 50 years, the Workshop has been a global pioneer in educating and entertaining children through multiple media. Sesame Workshop Bangladesh (SWB) started its operations since 2004 and got registered with the NGO Affairs Bureau under the Office of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh in October 2012. SWB produces the famous children television series 'Sisimpur’ being broadcasted by multiple TV channels; produce and distributes contents through digital platforms; develops variety of print materials including storybooks, puzzles, games, posters, charts etc.; and distributes them through government organizations and NGOs. For more information, please visit www.sesameworkshop.org

Position Profile

The Procurement Officer is responsible for overseeing and managing the procurement process within the organization, ensuring timely and cost-effective purchasing of goods and services in compliance with organizational policies, donor regulations, and local laws. The role involves managing procurement activities using advanced Excel techniques and self-developed dashboards for tracking and reporting purposes, without delegation of authority for expenditure. The Procurement Officer will work closely with various departments to ensure smooth procurement operations, vendor management, and logistical support. The description below is indicative and will not be limited to the following -

Department: Operations – Procurement

Reports to: Director- Finance and Operations

Job Location: SWB Country Office, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Contract length: Full time Employment with extension

Key Job Responsibility

Procurement Management & Reporting

• Manage the procurement process from requisition to payment, ensuring the accurate and timely entry of data into the procurement tracker/software.
• Track and update procurement status using advanced Excel or self-developed dashboards for efficient monitoring and reporting.
• Ensure that all procurement requests are processed in accordance with organizational policies and donor requirements.
• Request and collect quotations from vendors and enter data from quotations into the procurement data base system.
• Prepare Comparative Statements and analyze vendor offers to ensure the best value for money.
• Issue Purchase Orders (POs) and ensure that purchase orders are aligned with requested items, validated by the correct PR numbers and budget code from the requester, and comply with all necessary documentation and approvals.
• Collaborate with the Senior Manager of Administration to process Goods Receipt Notes (GRN) for all purchase orders issued and received. Additionally, ensure the purchased goods, supplies, or services are handed over to the Senior Manager of Administration for further action.
• Process payment to vendors upon receipt of goods/services, ensuring timely payments and accurate documentation.
• Ensure compliance with procurement policies, donor regulations, and local laws during all stages of procurement and payment processing.
• Actively working with procurement team as a procurement secretary for REQ/RFP/Bidding process.

Vendor Management & Communication

• Maintain and update vendor master data in the Master database system via Excel spreadsheets, ensuring vendor information is accurate and up to date.
• Assist with the vendor enlistment process by entering and updating data, ensuring that a sufficient pool of vendors is available for all categories of goods and services.
• Provide required information to Admin for Sanction screening for all vendors/consultants before engagement, ensuring compliance with security and regulatory standards.
• Develop and maintain vendor relationships by communicating effectively with suppliers and following up on pending orders and service requests.
• Oversee vendor performance by ensuring timely delivery, quality compliance, and addressing any issues that arise during the procurement process.
• Monitor vendor evaluations and initiate corrective actions for any vendors involved in large procurement activities.

Office Supplies & Logistics Support

• Coordinate and manage quarterly office supplies procurement and ensure timely handover to Admin for distribution to all staff/unit in accordance with office needs and schedule.
• Ensure accurate and complete costing of all materials procured and monitor budget adherence for office supplies.
• Ensure procurement support to Admin for external workshops/meetings, ensuring appropriate venues, accommodations, and logistical arrangements are made in a cost-effective manner.

Consultant & Professional Hiring

• Process hiring of consultants and professionals, ensuring compliance with the procurement guidelines, organizational policies, and statutory requirements.
• Assist in issuing work orders and provide all information and documents to Admin for agreements, or MOUs for consultants and service providers.
• Maintain a database of potential consultants and professional service providers, updating this database at least twice a year.
• Follow up with consultants/professionals to monitor progress and ensure deliverables are completed as per agreed timelines.
• Ensure that invoices are processed and forwarded to treasury/finance within three working days after satisfactory receipt of services.

Procurement Strategy & Process Improvement

• Assist in the preparation of the annual procurement plan, ensuring timely and accurate procurement scheduling for materials and services required for the year.
• Monitor and improve procurement processes, using advanced Excel dashboards and reports to ensure transparency and efficiency.
• Ensure all procurement activities are aligned with organizational strategies, policies, and goals to drive cost savings and process improvements.
• Implement best practices in procurement, contributing to the development of procurement policies and procedures as needed.
• Conduct training on procurement process and policy across the organization.

The position offers an attractive remuneration package based on qualifications and experience with other facilities according to the organization policy.