Background

WACREN is the West and Central African Research and Education Network which supports interconnections and fosters collaboration between R&E institutions in the region and international peers by building and operating a world class network infrastructure, developing state of the art services, promoting collaboration among national, regional, and international R&E communities, and building the human capacity of the REN community.

WACREN was constituted in 2010 with its headquarters in Accra, Ghana. Membership to the organization is open to national research and education networks (NRENs) from all 22 countries of the region and to other organizations sharing the WACREN vision. WACREN currently has 16 members, including NRENs from 13 countries in West and Central Africa.

Taking advantage of the European Union funded AfricaConnect2 and AfricaConnect3 projects, WACREN has started the process of rolling out its network, and thus needs more highly skilled, enthusiastic and motivated human resources to implement this process and put WACREN on a steady and sustainable growth path.

The following Terms of Reference are for the position of Project and Procurement Officer.

Scope of Work

• Serve as the focal point in the AfricaConnect3 project and work closely with projects coordinators of partners;
• Act as focal point of other projects and initiatives that WACREN is member of, as assigned by the CEO;
• Coordinate and manage project reporting to partners and ensure timeliness;
• Manage project tasks/actions and support the carrying out of communication and advocacy activities;
• Assist WACREN Officers in developing project proposals;
• Develop a procurement manual for WACREN;
• Develop a Project Procurement Policy, procurement plan and Procedure document for each project;
• Develop, manage and maintain project procurement templates including notices, bidding documents, evaluation documents, and supply contracts.
• Prepare, manage and monitor annual procurement budgets and expenditures;
• Carry out any other assignments as requested by the CEO.

Qualification Required & Experience

Key Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Essential:

• A Master’s Degree or Bachelor’s degree in Project management, Procurement or equivalent;
• At least 3 years relevant continuous work experience in a Project management and/or procurement function;
• Good knowledge of Procurement procedures of Ghana or countries with similar environment;
• Demonstrated experience in project reporting and procurement;
• High integrity, drive for excellence and good interpersonal skills;
• Result orientation and ability to work autonomously;
• Good communication and analytical skills;
• Work experience with computer tools such as word processing, power point spreadsheet and project management applications.
• Fluency in English or French, with working knowledge in the other language would be an added advantage;

Desirable:

• Experience working in and/or with non-profit organizations;
• Experience in managing grant-related procurement from international funding organizations, especially the European Commission;
• Knowledge of the sub OJEU (Official Journal of the European Union) threshold requirements and other rules;
• Experience working in/with ICT-focused organizations.

Type of Contract, Reporting, Assumption and Place of Duty

If successful, the selected applicant, who reports to the CEO, will be proposed a 3-year contract, with a probationary period of one (1) year. The contract is renewable, subject to available resources and mutual agreement between WACREN and the position holder.

Place of duty is Accra, Ghana, but Staff is expected to move to another location (any country in West and Central Africa), should the Secretariat move from Ghana and/or opens other offices in the region.

There might be an interim period during which the successful applicant will work from home.

Location: Accra