Procurement specialist

OVERVIEWThe Government of Malawi, through the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC), has received financing from the World Bank Group and the Malawi Social Protection Multi-Donor Trust Fund. The fund is supported by the European Union, Ireland, the United Kingdom through FCDO, Germany through KIW, Iceland and Norway to implement the Integrated Social Protection for Resilience and Opportunity (INSPIRE-O) Project.The NLGFC intends to use part of the financing to recruit qualified specialists and officers to support project implementation.The NLGFC invites applications from suitably qualified and experienced candidates for the position of Procurement Specialist, based at its offices in Lilongwe.JOB TYPE: Full Time – Three (3)-Year ContractDate of Issue: Friday, 6th November 2026Application Deadline: Friday, 13th November 2026, at 17:00 hoursContract Duration: Three (3) years, renewable annually based on performance and availability of financial resources, or as mutually agreed by both parties.Duty Station: NLGFC Offices, LilongwePOSITION: PROCUREMENT SPECIALISTJOB SUMMARYThe Procurement Specialist will be a senior and key member of the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) at NLGFC, providing expert procurement advice and support to the INSPIRE-O Project.The successful candidate will establish and manage a robust, transparent and efficient procurement system covering goods, works, non-consulting services and consulting services.The role will ensure compliance with the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers, the Government of Malawi's public procurement and financial management regulatory framework, the project's Financing Agreements, and the Project Implementation Manual (PIM).The Procurement Specialist will also strengthen procurement and contract-management capacity within NLGFC and participating Local Authorities.DUTIES AND KEY RESPONSIBILITIES1. Procurement Planning and MonitoringPrepare and regularly update the INSPIRE-O procurement plan in consultation with the PIU, user departments, technical teams and participating Local Authorities.Maintain an activity-level procurement tracker showing planned and actual milestones, review requirements, current status, responsible parties, delays and agreed corrective actions.Support accurate and timely updating of procurement information in STEP and other applicable electronic procurement systems.Identify procurement bottlenecks and implementation risks and propose practical corrective actions for consideration by authorised Client representatives.2. Procurement Processing and Quality AssurancePrepare procurement documents for works, goods, non-consulting services and consulting services.Prepare bidding documents, Requests for Quotations (RFQs), Invitations for Bids (IFBs), technical specifications, Bills of Quantities (BOQs), Terms of Reference (TORs), Requests for Expressions of Interest (REOIs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs), evaluation reports and contracts.Review procurement documents and reports received from participating Local Authorities for completeness, consistency, compliance and readiness for approval or review.Coordinate revisions arising from Client or World Bank comments and maintain clear records of comments, responses and final submissions.Support procurement activities during solicitation, receipt and opening of bids, evaluation, selection, negotiations where applicable, contract award and contract signing.Prepare procurement inputs for implementation-support missions, annual post reviews, field visits and supervision activities.Coordinate timely submission of procurement documents to the World Bank/IDA for a "No Objection" where required.Establish and maintain a procurement complaints database and ensure complaints from bidders and consultants are addressed appropriately and on time.3. Contract-Management SupportMaintain a consolidated contract register covering contract amounts, amendments, payment status, key milestones, securities where applicable, completion status and outstanding issues.Support the PIU and Local Authorities in monitoring contract implementation and identifying delays, variations, claims, performance issues and required management actions.Support contract administration and ensure contractual obligations, including advance payment guarantees, performance bonds and insurance premiums, are in place before payments are made.Establish and maintain a performance-monitoring database for suppliers, contractors and consultants.Prepare performance evaluation reports for all contracts.Establish procedures for receiving, inspecting, testing and accepting goods to ensure compliance with contract specifications.Provide procurement and contract data to the Financial Management team for reporting, disbursement documentation and reconciliation.Prepare monthly and quarterly contract-implementation status updates for management review.4. Capacity Building and Knowledge TransferConduct procurement and contract-management