JOB PURPOSE / ROLE:
The Procurement Specialist is responsible for sourcing, negotiating, and purchasing goods and services for Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi (SUAD) in a timely, cost-effective, and ethical manner. This role ensures that purchases are of the right quality, delivered on time, and aligned with the organization's budget and compliance policies.
Key Activities
Requisitions
- Understand the goods/services required including technical specifications, delivery timelines, and budgetary constraints.
- Assess the scope and complexity to identify the appropriate sourcing strategy or which vendors are best equipped to meet the requirements.
- Liaise with user departments to ensure the completeness, clarity, and accuracy of procurement-related information, including specifications, justifications, and required documentation.
- Periodically review PRs assigned to ensure timely delivery of goods and services
Vendor Management
- Review the existing vendor database for potential suppliers who have experience in providing the required goods/services ensuring that these vendors are reputable and capable of fulfilling the requirements.
- Conduct market research and identify qualified suppliers based on the needs, ensuring that suppliers align with project specifications, budget constraints, and timelines.
- Manage the supplier onboarding process, ensuring that new suppliers meet compliance, legal, and regulatory requirements.
- Continuously review the supplier master file to ensure all information is accurate and up to date.
- Regularly monitor the end-users vendor performance reports based on KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) such as delivery times, quality of goods or services, customer service, and cost-effectiveness to ensure alignment with SUAD objectives.
- Maintain regular communication with suppliers to address and resolve supplier grievances or claims against suppliers.
- Foster strong, mutually beneficial relationships with key suppliers
Direct Purchases, Spot Buying, and Credit Card Purchases
- Effectively manage the day-to-day purchasing operations through spot buying, direct purchases, and credit card transactions in accordance with Procurement policies and procedures.
- Ensure accuracy, timely preparation and submission of credit card reconciliation reports to the Finance department ensuring that all credit card expenditures are properly documented and accounted for in the financial records.
RFQs and RFPs
- Prepare, issue, and manage the complete tender process, including Request for Information (RFIs), Request for Quotations (RFQs), Request for Proposals (RFPs), and Auctions, in accordance with procurement policies and procedures.
- Conduct detailed commercial evaluation of quotations/proposals with emphasis on price, quality, delivery period, and terms of payment as well as the combined techno-commercial evaluation
- Identify potential areas for negotiation and implement cost-reduction strategies to maximize value for money for SUAD.
- Prepare both sourcing strategy and tender award submission reports to obtain approvals as per the DOA
- Support sourcing strategies aligned with SUAD's sustainability and local content objectives, where applicable.
Procurement System
- Issue Purchase Orders against signed agreements and/or approved award strategies through the approved platforms and communication channels ensuring complete and correct information are reflected in the Purchase Orders.
- Distribute approved Purchase Orders to the awarded suppliers and relevant user departments, ensuring that all parties are informed and aligned on the terms and delivery schedules.
- Regularly follow up with end-users to ensure the timely and accurate receipt of approved Purchase Orders.
- Actively participate in discussions regarding system enhancements or automation initiatives aimed at improving procurement efficiency.
Travel and Tickets
- Coordinate with SUAD appointed Travel Agencies and Academic Departments for the Annual Plan of Visiting Professors (VPs) to ensure ticket and hotel reservations are booked in advance based on budgets in alignment with the VP Travel Policy.
- Maintain and update a comprehensive Travel log for monitoring purposes
- Manage the complete procurement cycle for all travel and ticket purchases required by SUAD, ensuring competitive pricing and adherence to procurement procedures.
Policies and Procedures
- Adhere to departmental policies, processes, standard operating procedures, and guidelines to ensure that all tasks are executed in a controlled, efficient, and consistent while maintaining quality, and compliance across procurement operations.
- Ensure compliance to ethical procurement practices, including confidentiality, conflict of interest management, and anti-bribery principles.
Reporting, Record Keeping, and Documentation:
- Maintain and ensure that all procurement records such as tenders, purchase orders, vendor records, vendor performance evaluations, signed contracts, variations, award decisions, bank guarantees, etc. are accurately filed and stored so that relevant documents can be quickly accessed by authorized personnel. This applies to both digital and physical copies, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements
- Generate reports on procurement activities, expenditures, and savings for management review.
- Prepare detailed reports on procurement activities, including but not limited to no. of tenders issued, POs raised and open POs, open PRs, no. of suppliers registered, savings, supplier performance reports for submission to management to provide an overview of Procurement activities.
QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, & SKILLS:
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in business administration, supply chain, procurement or any related field
Minimum Experience:
- 3 years Procurement experience or in a similar role
- Experience in a government entity or educational sector is an advantage
Job-Specific Skills:
- Knowledge of Procurement and supply chain management standard concepts, practices, and procedures
- Excellent negotiation, interpersonal, effective communication, and organizational skills.
- Proficiency in procurement software (Oracle, SAP, ADERP, etc.) and Microsoft Office Suite.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Attention to detail and high level of accuracy.
- Team player and can work with minimal supervision
- Languages: English is mandatory; Arabic is an advantage
