Buyer Team Leader

Introduction

Are you a procurement professional looking to make a change with the work you do? We have an opportunity for your consideration. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) seeks to recruit a qualified candidate to fill the position of Buyer Team Leader responsible for coordinating the purchasing process in an ICRC delegation.

This is a position directly based in our international field, we are looking for someone with a strong humanitarian motivation for roles in over 90 countries to help people affected by armed conflict and other violence.

About Us

ICRC works worldwide to provide humanitarian assistance to people affected by conflict and armed violence. We take action in response to emergencies and at the same time promote respect for international humanitarian law. We are an independent and neutral organization, and our mandate stems essentially from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. We work closely with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and with their International Federation in order to ensure a concerted, rational and rapid humanitarian response to the needs of the victims of armed conflict or any other situation of internal violence. We direct and coordinate the international activities conducted in these situations.

About the Role

As Buyer Team Leader you will ensure that purchasing is carried out in line with standard institutional policies and procedures by:

• Providing support and guidance to the local procurement team and representing the team when the position involves team management.
• Processing specific purchase orders and establishing contracts with suppliers, ensuring that all related information is available in the local database or filing system.
• Negotiating purchase conditions and purchasing all specific goods and services as specified in the requests.
• Driving and implementing ICRC’s purchase strategy for each family of products in collaboration with the responsible purchaser at our Geneva headquarters.
• Anticipating purchase needs together with the logistics coordinator.
• Assisting the procurement officer to clarify problematic requisition orders.
• Supervising and training national staff dealing with purchase.
• Participating in procurement planning with the Supply Chain Planner, warehouse, transport and medical logistics.
• Participating in the  choice of the supply source, handling quality claims and validating suppliers’ invoices.
• Ensuring end-to-end follow-through of the procurement process till delivery of goods by the supplier.
• Prospecting, visiting, evaluating and selecting suppliers. 
• Maintaining updated databases of suppliers and items.
• Keeping and updating the purchase procedures and "tableau de bord": with activities and anomalies indicators (e.g. purchase orders, purchase values and consolidated volumes of suppliers/families/sites, anomalies etc).
• Maintaining a good system of purchase orders, suppliers and products files.
• Assisting in tenders for transport and clearing.

Required Profile and Skills

• At least 5 years of professional experience in Strategic Sourcing in an international and multicultural environment (in commerce, industry and/or humanitarian field).  
• Proven experience in procurement as a Senior buyer, Buying Team Leader, Category Manager, Senior Purchaser or any related position
• Fluency in English (minimum level C1) and French (minimum level B2).
• Good understanding of supply chain processes and knowledge of Direct and Indirect categories
• Bachelor’s degree in procurement, logistics, supply chain management or any closely related field. 
• Qualification in related field and purchasing knowledge including skills in negotiation, competitive bidding and product portfolio management 
• Integrity, good interpersonal skills, professional, open-minded, adaptable, diplomatic and strongly motivated by humanitarian work
• Able to work under pressure in sometimes a dangerous environment and ability to take relevant decisions within a given framework. 

Other Desired Traits

• Degree in agronomy, computer science or civil, electrical, mechanical or electromechanical engineering is an asset
• Experience leading a team of 2 to 10 people is a real plus 
• Knowledge of any other ICRC working language used in the field (Spanish, Arabic or Russian) is a strong advantage.

Constraints working in the field

• This is a position directly based in our international field, we are looking for someone with a strong humanitarian motivation for roles in over 90 countries to help people affected by armed conflict and other violence.
• In line with our principle of neutrality, the ICRC does not assign personnel to a country of which they are nationals
• You must be in good health and will have to do a medical check-up prior to deployment to the field
• You must possess a valid driver’s licence for manual transmission vehicles
• You must be prepared to accept unaccompanied postings (i.e. no spouse, partner, children or dependents) for at least the first two years

What we offer

The length of this assignment is 12 months.

By joining us, you will benefit from a rewarding work experience in a humanitarian and multicultural environment, generous social benefits including but not limited to medical cover, paid leave, a competitive salary and multiple training opportunities! Additionally, you also get the opportunity to join the ICRC talent pool and be considered for future assignments globally. 

ICRC is committed to diversity and welcomes applications from qualified candidates.

Deadline for Application: 15 May 2022