Chemonics International Inc. seeks a Procurement and Construction Manager for USAID Moldova Rural Competitiveness and Resilience Activity (RCRA) project

Chemonics International Inc. seeks a Procurement and Construction Manager for USAID Moldova Rural Competitiveness and Resilience Activity (RCRA) project. The goal of RCRA is to stimulate a sustainable and inclusive recovery from the regional crisis brought on by the latest Russian invasion of Ukraine and accelerate an inclusive, climate-resilient economic development of rural Moldova by protecting the development gains made with USAID support over the past decade and further stimulate the competitiveness of key economic sectors, including the wine industry, high-value agriculture, and tourism. 

Moldova RCRA is implemented by USAID contractor Chemonics International Inc. (www.chemonics.com), a U.S.-based international consulting firm providing expertise in developing and emerging-market countries since 1975.

Position Description:

The Procurement and Construction Manager will be responsible for managing technical acquisitions (procurement of commodities/services and subcontracts) for project activities and project-supported construction efforts. S/he will coordinate with RCRA technical staff to ensure that funds spent on procurements are managed in compliance with applicable USAID rules and regulations and Chemonics policies and regulations in a responsible, effective, and efficient manner, contributing to the achievement of RCRA goals and objectives.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions)

Procurement of Commodities and Services (including construction services) 

• Work directly with local vendors and service providers to obtain quotations and/or initiate procurements of requested commodities and services.
• Lead evaluation committees by comparing prices, specifications, and delivery dates to determine the
• best bid among potential suppliers. Organize and prepare documentation for evaluation committees, invite members, and provide administrative guidance for the evaluation committee meetings. Compile comparative evaluation summary if trade-off approach is not used.
• Supervise and prepare all types of procurement documents, including bid evaluation reports, negotiation memorandums, notifications of award, purchase orders, subcontracts, IQSs, etc.
• With support from Chemonics Washington construction experts, draft IQSs for architecture and engineering services and construction firms, for use on future rehabilitation activities. This should encompass the design of the IQS RFP, leading any required bidders’ conferences, leading the evaluation process, drafting the IQS, communicating with the Chemonics home office to ensure all internal compliance, identifying and following-up on any USAID contractual requirements these documents trigger, and leading the field office through the administration of at least one task order.
• Oversee the RCRA Procurement team in developing a system to track the status of procurement requests, subcontracts, and orders.
• Develop a roles and responsibilities chart for construction-related tasks, and support the operations and technical teams in these tasks, including:
• Comparing suppliers' bills with bids and purchase orders to verify accuracy.
• Inspecting delivery of services at refurbishment sites.
• Approving bills for payment and charge or forwarding invoices to appropriate accounts.
• Monitor vendor/subcontractor performance and compliance, including identifying needed contract modifications.
• Maintain the overall integrity of the procurement filing system by ensuring that appropriate
• documentation is included in each procurement file.
• Develop construction-related approval documentation for submission to USAID.
• Provide construction procurement status reports as requested by project staff.
• Travel to construction/rehabilitation sites as required.
• After receiving purchase action request form, draft request for quotations/information in coordination with the technical lead for review by the Program Services Director and/or technical lead.
• If no competition is conducted, document price reasonableness through market research and/or compile justification for absence of competition.
• Serve as communications focal point during solicitation process, answering appropriate questions, or compiling and publishing answers to questions.
• Collect and review evaluation summaries and develop initial technical evaluation summary, to be reviewed by the Program Services Director as needed.
• Conduct price analysis and serve as the liaison during negotiations.
• Monitor subcontracts and purchase orders issued to vendors and follow-up as necessary to ensure compliance with terms and conditions. Provide regular updates to the Chief of Party, Senior Finance and Accounting Manager, Program Services Director, and technical leads. 
• Contribute to the preparation of requests for approvals and/or waivers. 
• Conduct market pricing analysis and cost verification as needed. 
• Conduct inspections and document via procurement inspection forms.
• According to scopes of work drafted by technical team members, and with support from Chemonics Washington construction experts develop requests for proposals for construction activities according to standard Chemonics templates.
• Draft effective solicitations and form appropriate deliverables for construction activities.   
• Assist the project to provide training to project staff on procurement policies and procedures. 
• Monitor and track incoming shipments and collect incoming shipment documentation from vendors and donors and compile financial package for payment.
• Complete and execute provisional loan receipts for in-kind purchases. 
• Translate necessary documents in English/Romanian/Russian.
• Other relevant procurement tasks.
• Conduct other activities as directed by the Chief of Party or Program Services Director.

• Subcontracts
• According to the scope of work drafted by technical team members, draft requests for quotations and proposals following standard Chemonics templates, to be reviewed by the Program Services Director as needed. 
• Provide guidance to RCRA team on best methods for competition, drafting effective solicitations, and forming appropriate deliverables.                 
• Distribute solicitations by researching potential offerors, developing advertisements, and publishing/distributing them with relevant sources.
• Serve as communications focal point during solicitation process, answering questions, or compiling and publishing answers to questions.
• Organize and prepare documentation for evaluation committees, invite members, and provide administrative guidance for the evaluation committee meetings.
• Collect and review evaluation summaries and develop technical evaluation summary, to be reviewed by the Program Services Director as needed.
• Conduct price analysis and serve as the liaison during negotiations for subcontracts.
• Ensure references and screening for selected offeror and review financial documents and certifications are completed to ensure compliance.
• Based on the RFP and in coordination with technical lead, develop fixed-price subcontracts and accompanying documentation, to be reviewed by the Program Services Director as needed
• Develop negotiation memorandum, incorporating information from the evaluation committee and negotiation process, to be reviewed by the Program Services Director as needed.
• Field questions regarding subcontracts and facilitate execution.
• Ensure maintenance of electronic filing system for subcontracts, ensuring all documents are in place.
• Maintain tracker for deliverables payments and coordinate with technical team members to ensure that deliverables are received in time.
• Develop modifications and accompanying documentation for subcontracts, to be reviewed by the Program Services Director as needed.
• Once deliverables are approved by the technical lead, compile financial package for payments.
• Ensure subcontracts are appropriately closed.
• Translate necessary documents in English/Romanian/Russian.
• Conduct other activities as directed by the Chief of Party or Program Services Director.
• Comply with Chemonics’s standards of business conduct and ensure the highest levels of honesty, integrity, openness, and transparency in administering procurement decisions.
• Respect and abide by all the internal regulations of Chemonics Office in Moldova as expressed in the Chemonics International Moldova Field Office Policy Manual.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in procurement of commodities and services, preferably on USAID or other donor-funded projects;
• Experience in procuring construction services;
• Bachelor’s degree in the related field;
• Excellent negotiation, market research, analytical and problem-solving skills as well as attention to detail and high-level of organization;
• Strong understanding and experience with drafting solicitations, negotiation memorandums, selection memos, subcontracts etc. strongly preferred;
• Experienced user of Microsoft Office suite and Office 365;
• Experience working in one or more RCRA technical sectors (high value agriculture, wine, tourism) preferred.
• Supervisory experience, skilled in training and mentoring junior staff;
• Ability to follow directions while also working independently, multitask and work under the pressure;
• Adaptable and willing to learn new skills as needed;
• Fluency in Romanian and proficiency in English required (position will require extensive use of written English);

• Proven ability to work professionally and constructively as part of team, meet deadlines, communicate effectively, and deal with diverse partners in challenging environment.
• Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity.

Reporting

The position will report to the Program Services Director.

Please send an email with your CV in English attached and “Procurement and Construction Manager” in the subject line to MDA-RCRA-Recruit@chemonics.md by September 29, 2023. No telephone inquiries, please. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Only those candidates selected for interview will be contacted.

Chemonics is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors.