Senior Procurement Associate

About the Role

• The Senior Procurement Associate will lead and manage the procurement function of the Food for Education Foundation. This role ensures that procurement activities are aligned with organizational goals, cost-effective, compliant with policies and regulations, and contribute to continuous process improvement. The position will also oversee supplier management, procurement operations, and support cross-functional initiatives such as warehouse efficiency and menu re-engineering.

Roles & Responsibilities
Strategic Procurement Leadership

• Develop and Implement Procurement Strategies: Formulate and execute procurement strategies that align with F4E organizational goals, ensuring both cost-effectiveness and value addition.
• Market Analysis and Forecasting: Analyze market trends to anticipate procurement needs and adjust strategies accordingly.
• Demand Planning: Contribute accurate termly consumption data, lead times, reorder levels, and supplier constraints to the Operations/Production demand and stock planning process, to prevent stock-outs and overstocking, as per the Procurement Policy.
• Seasonal & Strategic Sourcing: Time the procurement of key inventory items (e.g. grains, legumes, seasonal produce) to periods of peak market supply and lowest price — informed by the demand plan and within storage capacity, shelf-life, and food safety constraints — to capture cost savings ahead of price increases in off-season periods.
• Risk Management: Identify potential risks in the F4E supply chain and develop mitigation plans to address them.

Supplier Relationship and Contract Management

• Supplier Selection and Negotiation: Lead suppliers' prequalification process, engagement, negotiate contracts, and establish favorable terms and conditions for F4E.
• Performance Monitoring: Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess supplier performance and implement corrective actions when necessary.
• Vendor Base Diversification: Maintain a minimum of 3 active, qualified vendors per procurement category (e.g. per food ingredient line, service type) to preserve competitive tension, ensure supply continuity, and avoid over-reliance on a single source; escalate any category that falls below this threshold with a plan to onboard additional vendors.
• Contract Administration: Oversee the administration of contracts, ensuring compliance with agreed terms and conditions.
• Vendor Impact Storytelling: Collaborate with internal teams to identify, document, and share stories from vendors that illustrate the impact of F4E's school feeding program — on their businesses, livelihoods, and communities — supporting the organization's broader storytelling and reporting needs as an NGO.

Outsourced Services & Consultancy Management

• Vetting of Outsourced Providers: Support the prequalification and due diligence of all outsourced service providers, as per the Procurement Policy.
• Engagement & Contract Tracking: Maintain a live register of active outsourced engagements (contracts, Statements of Work, and consultancy agreements), including agreed deliverables, terms, and expiry/renewal dates, and flag upcoming renewals or expiries to the relevant Head of Department in good time.
• Performance Tracking: Support Heads of Department in monitoring and documenting the ongoing performance of outsourced service providers against agreed deliverables and the Supplier Performance Evaluation Matrix, escalating underperformance or non-compliance promptly for corrective action.

Operational Oversight and Compliance

• Procurement Operations Management: Supervise day-to-day, end-to-end procurement activities, ensuring timely and cost-effective acquisition of goods and services.
• Compliance Assurance: Ensure all procurement activities comply with internal policies, legal requirements, and industry standards.
• Audit and Reporting: Coordinate internal audits of procurement processes and prepare reports for senior management.

Team Leadership and Development

• Team Management: Lead and mentor the F4E procurement team, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture.
• Training and Development: Identify training needs and provide opportunities for professional development to enhance team capabilities.
• Performance Evaluation: Conduct regular performance reviews against set KPIs and provide constructive feedback to team members.

Continuous Improvement and Innovation

• Process Optimization: Identify opportunities for process improvements and implement best practices to enhance F4E procurement efficiency.
• Technology Integration: Leverage technology and procurement software/ERPs to streamline operations and improve data accuracy.
• Sustainability Initiatives: Promote sustainable procurement practices that align with F4E's environmental and social responsibility goals.

Menu Re-Engineering

• Termly Menu Development: Lead the procurement-side input into F4E's termly menu re-engineering cycle, a core organizational deliverable — working closely with the Operations team on new product trials to develop innovative, nutritionally enhanced menu items or variations.
• Market & Seasonal Input: Guide menu options using market trends, seasonal ingredient availability, and regional taste preferences, so that new or revised menu items are both deliverable at scale and cost-effective to source.