Procurement & Administration Officer at Water For People

Water For People is an international nongovernmental organization that works with people and partners to develop innovative and lasting solutions to water, sanitation, and hygiene challenges. The Procurement & Administration Officer leads efficient, transparent, and compliant procurement processes for the Tanzania country program while providing essential administrative and logistical support to the Dodoma office. Working closely with the Finance and Administration Manager, program teams, vendors, consultants, and service providers, the Officer supports value for money, timely service delivery, sound records management, and effective office operations.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES

Procurement

• Ensure the integrity, transparency, and proper documentation of procurement processes and compliance with Water For People financial regulations, procurement policies, donor requirements, and applicable Tanzania laws and regulations.
• Coordinate annual and project procurement planning with relevant teams, maintain current procurement plans, and monitor progress to support timely and cost-effective acquisition of goods, services, consultants, and small works.
• Advise staff and vendors on procurement procedures, required documentation, delivery status, payment processes, and other procurement-related matters.
• Determine appropriate procurement methods, support supplier prequalification, and promote fair and competitive bidding.
• Prepare solicitation documents, requests for quotations or proposals, bidding documents, procurement memos, evaluation materials, and other procurement correspondence.
• Manage procurement activities from requisition and solicitation through evaluation, approvals, negotiation, award, contracting, delivery, and closeout.
• Support the Procurement Committee as secretary by convening meetings, coordinating bid reviews, recording minutes, preparing evaluation reports, and documenting negotiations and recommendations for approval.
• Evaluate and maintain supplier shortlists based on capability, performance, pricing, quality, and compliance requirements.
• Conduct required vendor due diligence, including sanctions and anti-terrorism screening, before contracts or purchase orders are finalized.
• Prepare and administer purchase orders and vendor or consultant contracts; monitor deliverables, expiry dates, amendments, renewals, and termination processes.
• Submit procurement approvals, agreements, contracts, and amendments to the Finance and Administration Manager and other authorized approvers.
• Verify invoices, delivery notes, purchase orders, contracts, and supporting documents; prepare or coordinate payment requests and follow up with vendors and Finance to support timely payment.
• Reconcile ordered, delivered, and invoiced goods and services and resolve discrepancies promptly.
• Maintain current market knowledge through price analysis, supplier engagement, research, site visits, and review of technical, commercial, and payment terms.
• Maintain secure, complete, and orderly procurement records, databases, contract registers, purchase-order trackers, working files, correspondence, and electronic and physical archives.
• Prepare regular procurement status, compliance, market, and progress reports for management.

Office Administration and Logistics

• Provide day-to-day administrative support for the Dodoma and Mpwapwa office, including coordination of office supplies, shared services, correspondence, filing, reception coverage, visitor support, and general office organization.
• Coordinate staff travel arrangements, including approved travel requests, mission orders, flights, ground transportation, hotel bookings, and related documentation.
• Provide administrative and logistical support for meetings, training sessions, workshops, events, and field activities, including venue, catering, materials, equipment, transport, and participant arrangements.
• Coordinate routine servicing, maintenance, and repair of office equipment and facilities and support replacement planning.
• Maintain an accurate and current asset register and support asset tagging, assignment, movement, inventory checks, maintenance, and disposal processes.
• Coordinate the transport and delivery of supplies, equipment, and program materials to offices and field locations.
• Support vehicle administration by monitoring insurance, registration, inspections, servicing, repairs, maintenance schedules, and roadworthiness.
• Maintain vehicle logbooks and fuel records, review their accuracy and completeness, and periodically analyze fuel consumption and vehicle utilization.
• Maintain productive working relationships with landlords, utilities, service providers, travel vendors, hotels, and other office suppliers.
• Identify administrative or logistical issues, recommend practical solutions, and escalate operational risks to the Finance and Administration Manager.

HR Coordination and Records Administration

• Maintain accurate, confidential, and up-to-date physical employee records, personnel files, contracts, and HR documentation.
• Coordinate employee separation processes with Talent Team, including clearance procedures, records updates, and document archiving.
• Liaise with employees, service providers, and relevant stakeholders on routine HR administrative matters.
• Provide administrative support for employee engagement and staff welfare activities.
• Ensure HR physical record management practices comply with organizational policies, statutory requirements, and data protection standards.

Supervision and Coordination

• When drivers report to this position, provide clear work assignments, scheduling, coaching, performance feedback, and capacity building in line with organizational policies.
• Coordinate vehicle and driver availability to meet office, program, and field travel needs safely and efficiently.
• Promote adherence to safeguarding, security, health and safety, ethical conduct, and operational procedures among supervised staff and service providers.

Guidelines

Written

• Adhere to Water For People policies, handbooks, financial regulations, procurement procedures, donor requirements, and administrative guidance.
• Follow established and approved Tanzania country program procedures.

Unwritten

• Apply sound judgment, proper business practice, and responsible purchasing principles.
• Know when and how to negotiate to achieve fair, ethical, and cost-effective outcomes.
• Maintain integrity, confidentiality, transparency, impartiality, and due process.

BEHAVIOR AND COMPETENCIES

Connect to Mission – Embrace the Water For People mission and work to align tasks to support mission; align own behavior with the needs or priorities of the organization and demonstrate commitment to the mission; show respect and composure, publicly admit mistakes and commit to learn

Manage through Ambiguity – Deal comfortably with uncertainty; effectively cope with change; decide and act without having the total picture; balance thinking with action

Demonstrate Cultural Awareness – Understand and value different perspectives while looking for the common ground; recognize and respect diversity through words and actions; effectively interact, work and develop relationships with people of various cultural backgrounds

Action-oriented – Set priorities and take action; has an unwavering commitment to delivering quality work products; recognize needs or opportunities to act; maintain an attitude of open, curious and proactive learning, continually expanding own area of understanding and expertise

Sense of Team – Create partnerships and effective working teams; consciously use the informal structures, dynamics and culture of an organization to get things done; actively share and seek input in decision-making from appropriate sources; show others how their objectives align with own, getting past individual bias; invest in building relationships with others

Build Talent and Team – Focus on people before determining business strategies and plans; appropriately recognize the contributions of individuals and teams; nurture the development of others through effective coaching and mentoring, and proactively pursue the resolution of poor performance

Impact and Influence – Has a well-developed understanding of employee motivation and behavior; identify job and department related strengths and weaknesses of individuals; influence others to achieve outcomes; reassure and encourage employees and others though behavior focused performance; focus on development of additional skills and organization awareness for the benefit of the job or department

QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS REQUIRED

• Bachelor’s degree in procurement, supply chain management, business administration, logistics, or a related field.
• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in procurement and administration or logistics.
• Nonprofit or international NGO experience preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing competitive procurement processes, contracts, vendor due diligence, records, and compliance with organizational or donor rules and regulations.
• Working knowledge of applicable procurement and business practices in Tanzania.
• Ability to prioritize multiple assignments in a fast-paced environment, meet deadlines, exercise sound judgment, and communicate effectively with management, staff, and vendors.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and other relevant systems.
• Strong writing, presentation, negotiation, analysis, recordkeeping, and reporting skills.
• Ability to work with limited supervision, take initiative, maintain confidentiality, and build effective working relationships.
• Fluency in spoken and written English and Swahili.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS / WORKING CONDITIONS

• Position is based at Water For People’s office in Dodoma, Tanzania.
• Periodic travel to program and field locations within Tanzania will be required.
• Flexibility to work outside-standard office hours to support travel, events, urgent procurement, global and team meetings or operational needs.

Note: This job description outlines the primary responsibilities and qualifications for the role, but it is not an exhaustive list. Your manager may assign additional duties as needed to support the success of the organization or the success of this position.

Water For People is committed to protecting children encountered during our work and by our employees, preventing sexual abuse and exploitation of all individuals with a particular focus on women and children and other marginalized communities in the performance of our work, preventing human trafficking in the performance of our work and in our supply chain and to having a drug-free workplace. During the recruitment processes, additional documentation will be requested to comply with our policies and in accordance with the legal requirements in your country of residency, this includes a background check. If you apply for employment, we want you to be aware of our recruitment, selection and hiring processes including important policies regarding employee conduct.

Water For People is an equal opportunity employer who is committed to creating a culture of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in our workplace. Water For People strives to create and maintain a level of diversity that reflects the communities we serve. Achieving this—regardless of race, ethnicity, ancestry, tribal affiliation, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, veteran status, disability, socioeconomic class, educational attainment, Parental status, genetic information, political affiliation, marital status or other social identities is critical to our ability to have a world where every person has access to reliable and safe water and sanitation services.

Our commitment ensures that we:

• Have a different array of thinking that comes from diverse backgrounds and cultures, enabling us to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges.
• Strive for a culture of inclusion and belonging by treating each other with dignity, respect, and appreciation enabling us to feel welcome, supported, and valued.
• Effectively connect, communicate, and build long-lasting relationships with stakeholders within our diverse communities.
• Have diversity of thought, perspectives, backgrounds, identities, and talents that will support our mission to develop high-quality drinking water and sanitation services are available to Everyone Forever.