Procurement Manager

Company description:

About Digicel

Enabling customers to live, work, play and flourish in a connected world, Digicel’s world class LTE and fibre networks deliver state-of-the-art mobile, home and business solutions.

Serving 10 million consumer and business customers in 25 markets in the Caribbean and Central America, its investments of over US$5 billion and a commitment to its communities through its Digicel Foundations in Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago have contributed to positive outcomes for over 2 million people to date. 

With the Better-Connected ethos at the heart of everything, its 5,000 employees worldwide work together to make that a powerful reality for customers, communities and countries day in, day out.

Digicel also delivers news, sports broadcasting, digital media and financial services in several of its markets.

Visit www.digicelgroup.com for more.  

Job description:

Job Title: Procurement Manager

Primary objective of the job:

The Procurement Manager is responsible for:

• Procurement of inventory, direct purchase of items and services for the company, ensuring cost effectiveness, efficiency and quality
• Managing Inbound and Outbound deliveries with Company’s Brokers to ensure customs documents comply with cargo manifest and cleared without incurring demurrage or container rental charges for offloading cargoes
• Ensuring the efficient management of the sourcing of goods and services while maintaining strong vendor relationships and business objectives
• Supporting the Site Acquisition process, particularly the processing of Lease Agreements to include maintaining respectful relationship with landowners and other parties internal and external to the Company
• Assisting in the Project Management process to the extent of electronically tracking and compiling the construction files required to physically start construction of cell sites
• Overseeing the delivery of two (2) persons in the Procurement team ensuring efficient acquisition of goods, services and site leases while maintaining strong vendor relationships and business objectives.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

Procurement and Contracting:

• Proactively obtain quotations from vendors, lead bidding process between business users and vendors, evaluate & negotiate bids, liaise with end users and prepare supplier recommendations based on price, quality and delivery time in accordance with the Company Policies
• Handle, monitor and resolve all queries / claims from suppliers. Communicate any changes in description that may emanate from procurement process and issue formal changes to the vendors. Follow up on vendor concerns related to payments
• Ensure actions are addressed before contract expiry either to terminate or renew contracts or issue new agreements with vendors
• Expedite and follow up of all purchase orders to ensure on time delivery and resolution of queries and prepare reports on KPI’s to measure performance
• Resolve queries emanating from the procurement to pay process
• Foster an open and respectful high-performance environment for a motivated, united and competent team
• Proactively operate to meet set key performance metrics to monitor the effectiveness and efficiency of the procurement function and processes
• Establish and maintain a good professional working relationship with suppliers/vendors to determine vendor capabilities align to business requirements
• Identify and recommend potential suppliers for quality, price and service
• Actively contribute to the company’s cost saving initiatives and annual targets (i.e. Identify and recommend cost saving initiatives that emanate from the business plan and routine works, challenge vendor costs wherever possible and negotiate the best commercial value for the company)
• Lead vendor performance reviews during the contract period
• Utilize technology and new procurement techniques to create value for the company
• Gather and analyze key procurement data using data collection techniques and develop metrics to report results
• Create dashboards, charts and reports using visualization tools (e.g. Power BI, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Support development of procurement strategies aligned with the department’s and company’s short- and long-term objectives
• Analyze and recommend improvements to procurement processes
• Understand and comply with all materials procedures. Ensure there is consistency of procurement practices within the performance of the job
• Promote good procurement and contracting practice and ensure business practices conform to the corporate expectations in terms of Code of Conduct and business ethics
• Lead negotiations with suppliers to secure favorable terms and conditions, ensuring compliance with company policies and industry regulations
• Set performance goals for the procurement team members and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess effectiveness and identify areas for improvement
• Identify and implement cost-saving opportunities while mitigating supply risks and ensuring high-quality products and services
• Evaluate supplier performance, conduct regular reviews, and foster long-term partnerships to enhance procurement processes
• Work closely with internal stakeholders to understand their needs and provide timely and cost-effective procurement solutions
• Stay informed about market trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory changes that may impact procurement activities.

Logistics:

• Prepare and process import and export documentation according to customs regulations, laws, or procedures/validate documentation presented by Company’s Broker
• Validate all customs documents covering imports, for processing through Customs & Excise Division, Company, and other agencies, (including Invoices and Bills of Lading and cargo manifests)
• Calculate and process duties and taxes owed on shipments/validate sums presented by Company’s Broker
• Support Broker clearing goods through customs and ensuring they reach their final destination. Mitigate any incurring of demurrage and penalties from Port Authorities or other entities
• Monitor or trace the location of goods at any given time and provide realistic delivery dates to internal stakeholders and cause for any variances
• Request or compile all necessary import documentation, such as customs invoices, certificates of origin, and cargo-control documents
• Arrange for transportation, storage, or delivery of goods
• Consult with customs agents to ease passage of goods through customs processes
• Identify shipping requirements / timescales to relevant delivery point personnel
• Maintain relations with key stakeholders and ensure compliance with established policies and procedures
• Ensure goods move across national borders without encountering delays or complications due to non-compliance with customs laws and regulations
• Classify invoices in accordance with The Custom (Common External Tariff) Orders
• Coordinate cargo through Customs & Excise Division and obtain release, ensuring that the cargo leaving the Customs Bonds reflects what was released for delivery to Company
• Ensure that the survey sheet for shortages or damaged shipment is received, where necessary
• Obtain documents for clearances at the Port or other shipper premises and prepares delivery note, and follows up to ensure that cargo is received at place of delivery and is verified
• Arrange for the most economical use of transport, and hire of equipment for loading at the wharves, ensuring that materials and products are cleared from the Port, if possible, within the statutory free period
• Prepare and/or coordinate all documentation in a timely manner to avoid all non-essential costs mainly rent and demurrage. Where such additional cost becomes due that the payments are processed promptly to minimize the total costs
• Prepare and/or pends supports for payment vouchers for payment of duties, sea freight, local transport, other handling charges and related expenses.

Site Acquisition:

• Coordinate the process for acquiring locations for use as cellular sites, ICTs and related telecommunication and broadcasting services, administrative space and/or or other related uses inclusive of regulatory requirements and negotiating the most commercially advantageous terms
• Ensure that all leases and contracts are compliant with the requisite approvals, both internally and from the relevant Government agencies including but not limited to TATT, Regional Corporations and TCPD
• Oversee adequate records management both physically and software related to support easy retrieval of contracts or related documentation and reporting on key milestones
• Monitor the contracts landscape to ensure all sites and recurring contractual requirements have valid contracts in place, timely renewal of contracts and support any contract variations as the business may require
• Supervise the preparation of payments of rental process for all sites and monitors compliance to payment terms on all contracts
• Responsible for all the site acquisition functions related to network rollout, relocations, co-locations and removals inclusive of contract amendments and access to sites
• Support the business units with contentious contracts issues providing advisory and mediation where required
• Prepare annual site lease rental budget and monitors against actual spend.

Academic Qualifications and Experience Required:

• Undergraduate Degree in Supply Chain / Business Management and/or Professional level certification in CIPS, ISM or APICS
• At least ten (10) years’ of working experience in procurement in a service environment
• Possess strong analytical skills; experience in an analytical role will be an asset Experience using an Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP)
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office Suite and data visualization tools (e.g. Power BI, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Background in Land Law matters and Real Estate work
• Excellent negotiating skills
• Familiarity with the National legislation regarding all aspects of land acquisition, conveyance and title surrender will be an asset
• Familiarity with the land survey process, cadastral sheets, Real Property Ordinance registration and common law registration will be an asset
• Experience in and with the mobile telecommunications sector would be considered an asset
• Possess a valid driver’s license and MUST own a vehicle.

Specific Skills/Experience and/or Knowledge:

• Proficient in the use of the Asycuda System and Microsoft Office Suite Applications (optional)
• Working knowledge of Customs Rules and Regulations, Procedures and Practices relative to processing Imports and Exports
• Experience in bunkering for Customs Clearance.

A combination of the candidate’s qualifications and experience would be taken into consideration.

Functional Skills:

• Be ambitious, driven and passionate about all things related to procurement with an excellent comprehension of how the industry works and the key world players
• Experience with modern sourcing and procurement systems
• Demonstrated data analysis capabilities and strong negotiation skills
• Contracting skills and demonstrated knowledge of standard contractual terms and conditions to mitigate legal risk
• Excellent knowledge & use of Microsoft suite (Word, Excel & Access) and ERP systems for Purchase to Pay and Contract Management
• Must be able to function in a fast-paced environment
• Have polished presentation, communication, and analytical skills
• Strong organizational, leadership and people management skills
• Have an adaptive style in being able to often communicate technical ideas in simple terms
• Have strong organizational skills, being able to manage multiple projects at once
• Dealing with multiple tasks and a wide cross section of persons in varying work environment.