Jobs and Careers

TERM: 

Full-time

JOB DESCRIPTION: 

The Austrian Development Agency (ADA), the operational unit of the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC), is looking for a Procurement Officer (locally contracted, full-time, f/m) for the Project "EU Green Agriculture Initiative in Armenia" (EU-GAIA). Under the direct supervision of the Finance and Administration Manager, and the overall supervision of the Project Manager, the incumbent will pro-actively support the Project team in all procurement processes especially related to the procurement of the inputs for beneficiaries as well as for establishing the demo sites and establishing/ upgrading the post-harvest infrastructure units.

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

- Plan, implement and manage procurement/ tendering procedures of goods, works or services for the Project;
- Contribute to the development of technical specifications and ToRs for the procurement/ tendering of goods, works and services in consultation with relevant members of Project staff, with specific emphasis on ensuring they are comprehensive, generic and minimizing risks of misinterpretation at the evaluation stage;
- Prepare procurement/ tendering documents, request for proposals and other documents with the relevant EU and ADA procurement rules and implement the bidding processes, including administrative and procedural support to the evaluation and selection process, like researching and shortlisting of suppliers, contractors and consultants taking into account their experience and qualifications, comparing and evaluating offers;
- Support the component managers in preparing the grant contracts and drafting and preparing the award of the grant contracts for selected applicants in compliance with EU and ADA rules and regulations;
- Provide necessary technical assistance for grant applicants, in particular through trainings, in cooperation with the Project component managers;
- Prepare contracts for services, supplies and works in full conformity with EU and ADA rules where applicable;
- Review quality of purchased products and equipment;
- Maintain updated records of purchased equipment; regularly update inventory list;
- Monitor contract implementation until contract closure procedures and final reporting;
- Contribute to regular narrative, as well as budget and expenditure reports (ADA and EU);
- Carry out other job-related duties as required by the Supervisor.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

- University degree in a relevant field (e.g. Law, Public or Business Administration, Procurement) or equivalent experience; public procurement certification from the recognized institutions is an asset;
- At least 5 years of experience in the procurement of goods, works and services in an international environment, preferably in the sphere of agriculture; knowledge of the Austrian Procurement Law is an asset;
- Experience in implementation of projects in the field of agriculture and/ or market system development would be an advantage;
- Experience in EU or ADC funded projects is an asset;
- Understanding of international development cooperation principles and quality standards is highly desirable;
- Demonstrated gender, diversity and environmental competence, ability to integrate the gender perspective into tasks and activity;
- Excellent written and oral communication/ reporting, presentation skills in English and Armenian languages; knowledge of German and/or Russian languages would be an asset;
- Excellent liaison skills, ability to balance interests of different stakeholders;
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; ability to work in multinational and multicultural environment;
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications;
- Adherence to the highest standards of ethics and integrity;
- Flexibility to adjust working hours to actual workload, as required;
- Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines;
- Valid driving license (category B) is desirable.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES: 

Interested candudates are welcome to send their CV and a Cover Letter, as well as other relevant documents to: *******.***********@***.**.** with the subject line "Procurement Officer". Women are particularly encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence and no application fees or information with respect to bank account details are required by ADA for the recruitment process. Please note that in the event of an invitation for an interview, ADA is unable to reimburse costs incurred. Candidates must expect that references from previous employers will be requested by ADA. Please refrain from phone calls. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. ADA retains the discretion to re-advertise the vacancy, to cancel the recruitment, or to offer an appointment with a modified job description or for a different duration.

Please clearly mention in your application letter that you learned of this announcement through Career Center and mention the URL of its website - www.careercenter.am. Thanks.

ABOUT: 

The Austrian Development Agency (ADA) has been delegated by the European Union (EU) to implement a strategic project focusing on development of Green Agriculture in Armenia (EU-GAIA). The overall objective of the action is to contribute to the realization of shared and balanced inclusive growth in the Northern provinces of Armenia through boosting green agriculture and enhancing local value added by focusing on the following specific objectives:
Specific Objective 1: The policy, legal and institutional environment is conducive to green agriculture development;
Specific Objective 2: Selected agribusinesses have better access to infrastructure, green technologies, good agricultural practices and markets;
Specific Objective 3: Selected agribusinesses are more competitive through access to inputs, equipment, infrastructures and services;
Specific Objective 4: Selected organic agribusinesses are more competitive through access to inputs, equipment, infrastructures and services.
The Project which is worth 11.7 Mio. Euros will be implemented over a period of 42 months.