Location: FCT-Abuja, Nigeria (Hybrid)
Employment Type: Full-time

ABOUT ACE GROUP

ACE Group is a mission-driven consulting and non-profit organization committed to eliminating health and social inequities across Africa. We combine systems thinking, research implementation, and impact measurement to design contextually relevant solutions that scale and endure. Our core capabilities include strategy and systems design, program implementation, monitoring, evaluation, research and learning (MERL), digital innovation, and knowledge translation. Through these capabilities, ACE Group partners with organizations, donors, governments, and communities to strengthen systems, drive innovation, and advance equitable outcomes across the continent.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Senior Procurement Officer manages end-to-end procurement for ACE Group across ACE Strategy and Consults Ltd., AISID and affiliated institutions, ensuring that goods, services and works are sourced competitively, transparently and in line with organisational policy, donor requirements and Nigerian regulatory obligations. The role sits within the Operations department and reports to the Director of Operations.

This is a senior, hands-on role. The postholder is expected to run procurement processes independently from requisition through to contract close-out, maintain the controls and documentation that keep every purchase audit-ready, and serve as the organisation’s first point of reference on procurement policy and compliance questions.

The ideal candidate combines rigour in process and documentation with sound commercial judgement, negotiates confidently with vendors, and understands that in a donor-funded environment, how a purchase was made matters as much as what was bought.

The role is based in Abuja on a hybrid working arrangement and may require travel to project sites and affiliated facilities, to support deliveries, inspections and vendor engagement.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Procurement Planning & Policy

• Develop and maintain an annual procurement plan, consolidating requirements from departments, projects and affiliated institutions and aligning them with approved budgets and grant workplans.
• Implement ACE’s procurement policy, procedures, thresholds and approval matrix, and recommend refinements as the organisation grows.
• Advise budget holders and project teams on the appropriate procurement method, realistic timelines and required documentation for each requirement.

Sourcing, Tendering & Vendor Selection

• Manage the full sourcing cycle, including requisition review, specifications and terms of reference, Requests for Quotation, Requests for Proposal, Expressions of Interest, bid evaluation and award recommendation.
• Coordinate bid evaluation committees, ensuring evaluation criteria are set in advance, conflicts of interest are declared and decisions are fully documented.
• Conduct market surveys and price benchmarking to secure value for money across cost, quality, delivery and after-sales support.
• Negotiate pricing, terms and service levels with suppliers, consultants, service providers, hotels and event venues.

Contract & Vendor Management

• Prepare purchase orders, service agreements, framework agreements and retainership contracts, working with legal counsel where required.
• Maintain ACE’s approved vendor register, including due diligence and onboarding documentation (such as CAC registration, tax clearance and verified bank details) and periodic vendor performance reviews.
• Monitor contract delivery, milestones, renewals and expiry dates, escalating underperformance or disputes promptly.
• Establish framework agreements for recurring categories of spend, such as IT equipment, office supplies, travel, events and facility services.

Compliance, Controls & Audit Readiness

• Ensure all procurement complies with ACE policy, donor requirements and applicable Nigerian regulations, including VAT and withholding tax obligations on vendor payments, in coordination with Finance.
• Maintain complete, audit-ready procurement files for every transaction, from requisition and approval through to goods receipt, invoice and payment.
• Uphold segregation of duties, conflict-of-interest declarations and anti-fraud controls throughout the procurement cycle.
• Support internal and external audits and donor reviews, responding to queries and implementing agreed corrective actions.

Logistics, Assets & Inventory

• Coordinate goods receipt, inspection and delivery against agreed specifications, including deliveries to project sites and facilities outside Abuja.
• Maintain the fixed asset register and inventory records in coordination with IT and Facilities, covering tagging, custody, transfer and disposal.
• Support procurement and logistics for events, retreats and field activities, including venues, accommodation, transport and materials.

Reporting & Team Support

• Produce monthly procurement reports covering spend, savings, cycle times, open orders and compliance exceptions, as an input to the Operations report.
• Track procurement spend by entity, project and grant to support budget monitoring and donor reporting.
• Provide guidance and day-to-day supervision to procurement and administrative officers, and build procurement awareness among budget holders across the organisation.

DELIVERABLES

• An annual procurement plan aligned with approved budgets and grant workplans, reviewed quarterly.
• An up-to-date approved vendor register with due diligence documentation and performance ratings.
• Complete, audit-ready procurement files for every transaction.
• Framework agreements in place for recurring categories of spend.
• Monthly procurement reports on spend, savings, cycle times and compliance.
• An accurate fixed asset register and inventory records, reconciled periodically.
• Current procurement procedures, standard templates (RFQ, RFP, bid evaluation and contract) and approval matrix.

SUCCESS MEASURES

Performance in this role will be assessed against, among other measures:

• Compliance of procurement with ACE policy and donor requirements, with no material audit findings attributable to procurement.
• Value for money achieved through competitive sourcing and negotiation, evidenced by documented savings and cost avoidance.
• Timeliness of procurement against agreed cycle-time standards.
• Completeness and accuracy of procurement documentation and the vendor register.
• Reliability of vendor delivery to programmes and operations.
• Satisfaction of budget holders and project teams with the procurement support provided.

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS

• A bachelor’s degree in Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Economics, Accounting or a related field; a postgraduate qualification is an advantage.
• A minimum of five years’ experience in procurement, with at least two years in a senior or independent capacity managing end-to-end procurement processes.
• Demonstrated experience running competitive procurement (RFQs, RFPs, Expressions of Interest and tenders) and leading bid evaluations.
• Experience procuring under donor-funded grants, with working knowledge of donor procurement and documentation standards.
• Strong negotiation, contract drafting and contract management skills.
• Working knowledge of Nigerian tax obligations relevant to procurement, including VAT and withholding tax, and of vendor due diligence practice.
• Demonstrated integrity and discretion, with the confidence to uphold procurement rules under internal or external pressure.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and experience with procurement or ERP systems, alongside meticulous record-keeping.

DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE

• A professional procurement certification or membership, for example MCIPS (CIPS) or the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria (CIPSMN).
• Experience in health, international development or non-profit operations.
• Experience procuring IT equipment, medical or research equipment, or facility works.
• Experience supporting donor audits or reviews, for example for the Gates Foundation, FCDO or the Global Fund.
• Experience setting up or digitising procurement systems and workflows.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should submit a CV, cover letter, and a short example (no more than two pages) of a procurement process they managed end to end, with confidential details removed, to careers@acestrategy.org.

ACE Group is an equal opportunity employer. All applications will be treated with strict confidentiality.