Cowater International Inc. is a well-established international development and management consulting firm based in Ottawa, Canada with experience in 60 countries worldwide. More information about the firm may be obtained at www.cowater.com.
Cowater is currently recruiting for a part-time Canadian Procurement Specialist for a tender in Cuba. The objective of the project is to improve the accountability of public expenditures in Cuba by strengthening the office of Comptroller-General of the Republic (CGR). Key outcomes of the project will include:
- improved quality of audits performed throughout the National Audit System (NAS);
- increasing knowledge and skills of NAS auditors in areas of audit methodology and supervision;
- increasing the capacity of CGR officials to disseminate training on audit and supervision techniques across the NAS;
- increasing the capacity of the CGR to ensure compliance with, and integration of, internationally-harmonized audit standards throughout the NAS; and
- improved capacity of CGR to manage, oversee and apply information systems and technology to audit functions.
The part-time Canadian Procurement Specialist will be based in Canada and will report to the Canadian Project Manager. S/he will have the overall responsibility to procure and deliver goods and services, including the procurement of IT equipment and software in accordance with the Procurement Plan. The Procurement Specialist will also travel to Cuba at the project outset, and as required, to assess the procurement capacity of the CGR.
Responsibilities will include (inter alia):
- working with the Project staff and partners to design and deliver a Procurement Plan;
- developing procurement guidelines, model contracts, administrative systems, including but not limited to project file management;
- providing training to CGR in open, transparent and competitive procurement methods;
- establishing a simple method of local procurement, securing transparency and best value for cost;
- administering contracting procedures;
- coordinating imports and their distribution in Cuba with appropriate authorities, and identifying local and regional sources of supply;
- procuring equipment as identified in the approved Procurement Plan
- arranging shipments by sea and/or by air;
- maintaining a list of potential suppliers able to bid under the special circumstances of working in Cuba, identifying updated prices, assessing technical merit and/or quality; and
- coordinating with project specialists to ensure integration of IT audit and administration requirements into the procurement planning and implementation.
Required Qualifications:
- a Masters degree in auditing, accounting, business administration or a field related to international procurement;
- at least 7 years of experience in procurement in Canada or in the Americas-at-large for multi-year development projects of 5 million dollars or more;
- experience in working in projects involving procurement, including developing procurement strategies and/or development plans, located in Cuba or in Latin American countries other than Cuba;
- 15 years of experience in procuring equipment, machinery and tools in Canada or in the Americas, together with 15 years of expediting and managing international imports;
- experience in expediting and managing information technology hardware and software products; and
- experience in developing procurement strategies and/or in conducting procurement processes competitively.
Fluency in Spanish will be considered a very strong asset.
Interested candidates are invited to submit their applications to jobs@cowater.com. Please indicate “Canadian Procurement Specialist – Cuba” in the subject line.
Closing is August 10th. We thank all of those who apply, but only those making the short-list will be contacted.