Procurement and Contracts Officer

1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

Ministry of Local Government Unity and Culture is the lead implementing agency of a six-year programme known as Transforming Agriculture through Diversification and Entrepreneurship (TRADE) Programme. TRADE is a successor programme of Rural Livelihoods and Economic Enhancement Programme (RLEEP) and it is being co-funded by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) whose overall goal is to contribute to improved sustainable livelihoods of rural people in Malawi through Value Chain commercialisation and resilience of rural poor and smallholder’s producers”. TRADE Programme specifically seeks to: (i) increase production and productivity by smallholder farmers; (ii) functionally upgrade smallholder farmers and the rural poor to undertake new functions such as processing, storage, packaging to capture more value; (iii) improve horizontal linkages by strengthening the capacities of cooperatives to provide market access functions to smallholder farmers; and, (iv) improve vertical linkages between stakeholders at different functional levels of the commodity chain, including private sector.

TRADE supports rural entrepreneurs, focusing on youths and women to develop and sustain their agribusiness enterprise opportunities and ensuring that commodities are nutrition sensitive. The objective is achieved through targeted support to smallholder farmers and non-farm actors to benefit from commodity markets, improved access to rural financial services, market and business development services and partnerships with the private sector.

The programme directly contributes to Pillar 1 and 3 of MW 2063. and Strategic objective 2 of the Malawi Country Strategic Opportunity (COSOP 2016-2021). Under the Ministry of Local Government as lead agency, TRADE is being implemented under 3 interlinked components namely: sustainable producer-private partnerships; enabling environment for smallholder commercialization and component; and, institutional support and programme management. With a total target of 300,000 households, TRADE covers Eleven (11) Districts of Mchinji, Ntchisi, Dedza, Blantyre, Kasungu, Nkhata-Bay, Rumphi, Karonga, Lilongwe Rural, Thyolo and Chitipa, focusing on Seven (7) commodities namely Groundnuts, Soybean, Sunflower, Potato, Dairy, Beef and Honey).

The Ministry of Local Government Unity and Culture, therefore, invites experienced candidates to fill various positions existing under the TRADE Programme as follows:

PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACTS OFFICER
Number of Positions : 1
Recruitment: National
Reporting to: Procurement and Contracts Specialist

Job Purpose

The Procurement and Contracts Officer will support the management of procurement processes and contract administration to ensure compliance with Government of Malawi (GoM) procurement regulations and IFAD Procurement Guidelines.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

• Assist in developing procurement systems and ensuring compliance with procurement regulations.
• Facilitate the preparation and consolidation of Annual Procurement Plans (APPs).
• Review and ensure compliance with procurement manuals for Programme partners and grant recipients.
• Train Programme implementers on procurement processes, terms of reference development, and bidding procedures.
• Prepare bidding documents and ensure transparency in procurement processes.
• Maintain accurate procurement records in line with IFAD and GoM audit requirements.
• Provide technical guidance on contract management, monitoring supplier performance, and ensuring compliance.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience

• A Bachelor’s degree in Procurement and Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or Logistics.
• Membership in the Malawi Institute of Procurement and Supply (MIPS).
• At least seven years of experience in procurement and contract management.
• Experience in managing donor-funded programme contracts.

All applications, with attached copies of professional and academic certificates, National ID, Curriculum Vitae and evidence of membership to a relevant professional body, should be hand delivered to the following address, not later than 14th June, 2025:

The Secretary for Local Government, Unity and Culture,
Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture,
Post Office Box 30312,
LILONGWE 3.
(Room 12)