Procurement Associate

About the role

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is hiring a Procurement Associate for its Kenya field office in Nairobi, reporting to the Deputy Country Director. The role supervises the procurement team and holds end-to-end oversight of day-to-day transactional buying while driving complex, higher-risk sourcing of specialized service providers such as research and survey firms. It is a one-year position open to candidates authorized to work in the country.

Key responsibilities

• Own the departmental budget and goals, and oversee procurement planning, consolidation and tracking
• Ensure timely, rigorous supplier prequalification and maintain risk management discipline across standard procurement
• Oversee full-cycle procurement: specification, requisition review, vendor sourcing, tendering, bid evaluation, negotiation, selection and award
• Make sure contracts are properly drafted and managed, and oversee inventory, the asset register, asset tagging, insurance and leasing
• Maintain supplier relationships and oversee the asset disposal process
• Lead strategic sourcing: market and supplier research, and manage each strategic assignment from scope of work and solicitation documents to contract negotiation and management
• Maintain a strategic risk register covering supplier capacity, legal compliance, financial instability, cost overruns, political instability, permit delays and ethical issues
• Act as procurement's point of contact with projects, finance and legal, supervise and coach procurement staff, and report on performance

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, procurement, business administration or a related field
• Professional certification such as CPSP-K, CIPS or another relevant certification
• Registered member of KISM with a current, valid practicing license
• 5 years of experience in supply chain, procurement or logistics
• Demonstrated experience in complex or strategic sourcing (consulting, research firms) and in high-risk operating environments

Preferred skills

• RFP/solicitation design and structured proposal evaluation
• Negotiation and contract management
• Risk management, budgeting and stakeholder management
• ERP systems

Applications are made online; they are reviewed on a rolling basis and only shortlisted candidates are contacted. The deadline is 4 November 2026.