Procurement Manager

SPARK Schools is a social impact disruptor and is leading change in the education space through its network of affordable private schools. The SPARK Schools network provides transformational education innovation through Africa’s first blended learning model, which elevates student achievement and provides the tools teachers need to serve their students effectively.

The blended learning model, which combines classroom teaching and online instruction, allows teachers to anticipate student needs and equips schools to provide personalized education at an affordable cost. SPARK Schools is pioneering this transformative education model to ensure the accessibility of university and careers for all.

SPARK Schools is a high growth, mission and values-driven entrepreneurial organisation, operating 20 primary schools, 4 high schools and serving over 15,000 families in 2023. We are looking for dynamic people to join our team.

**Purpose of Role**:
The Procurement Manager will oversee the purchasing activities of the company and ensure that all procurement processes are carried out efficiently and effectively. The Procurement Manager will also be responsible for sourcing and selecting suppliers, negotiating contracts, and managing vendor relationships. The Procurement Manager will be required to manage the Procurement function and to support and guide the procurement activities taking place at Schools and by the various teams at the Support Office.

**Reports To: Chief Operating Officer (COO)**

**Responsibilities**:

- Develop, maintain and execute a procurement strategy for SPARK Schools - in support of the SPARK mission, vision, and business plan - and that ultimately reduces inefficiency, enables schools to run seamlessly, captures cost efficiencies and enhances governance and controls.
- Develop and implement procurement policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the company's standards, values, mission, vision and legal requirements.
- Manage the procurement process from requisition to purchase order, ensuring that all purchase requests are authorized, optimized, accurate and in line with the budget.
- Implement processes and systems to monitor supplier performance, and tracking order fulfillment across the school network.
- Analyze cost drivers to identify potential cost savings and improvements in procurement processes.
- Monitor and manage budget, ensuring that costs are managed within approved budgets and identifying cost-saving opportunities.
- Set up category planning to ensure that procurement is optimal and planned for well in advance.
- Identify, evaluate and build and maintain good relationships with a network of suppliers.
- Negotiate all aspects of procurement including, for example, commercial terms (pricing, discounting, payment terms, etc) contract terms, service level agreements, and delivery terms.
- Develop and maintain a supplier database.
- Monitor risks in relation to suppliers - service delivery, product quality, governance.
- Monitor procurement administration to ensure good governance and sound financial management of suppliers.
- Manage and monitor assets to ensure that the company has the necessary items to meet business needs.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders to ensure that procurement approach and delivery is meeting business needs.
- Collaborate with schools and Support Office teams to drive continuous improvement in procurement processes and systems.
- Set in place the enablers and controls to support efficient procurement, by schools, directly from suppliers (for example for consumable items)
- Lead, mentor and coach staff - across the business - who run procurement activities.
- Ensure that all procurement activities comply with relevant laws, regulations, ethical standards and internal policies.
- Identity opportunities to enhance procurement impact on ESG metrics such as BBBEE, Carbon Footprint, and others
- Develop and implement procurement metrics to monitor procurement performance and identify areas for improvement.
- Prepare regular reports and presentations on procurement performance, supplier performance, and procurement savings.

**Requirements**:
**Qualifications and Criteria**:

- Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain Management or Business Administration with coursework in procurement, negotiation and contracting.
- Minimum 5 years experience - directly negotiating with suppliers.
- Experience in procurement of both goods and services - Required
- Proven track record of saving costs through efficient and effective procurement

**Competencies**:

- Strong attention to detail/detail orientation
- Customer orientation and relational skills.
- Analysis/problem solving skills
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Strong and effective verbal and written communication skills

**Values**: Service, Persistence, Achievement, Responsibility, Kindness

**Benefits**

**SPARK offers**:

- fair market linked remuneration
- performance-based annual