Senior Buyer - Group Purchasing Program

Introduction:

Chartered in 1983, Aga Khan University (AKU) is a private, autonomous and self-governing international university with 13 teaching sites in 6 countries distributed across three continents. As an integral part of the Aga Khan Development Network, AKU provides higher education in several disciplines, carries out research pertinent to the countries in which it exists and has campuses, programmes and/or teaching hospitals in Afghanistan, Kenya, Pakistan, Tanzania, Uganda and the UK. As an international institution, AKU operates on the core principles of quality, relevance, impact and access; and AKU is a model of academic excellence and an agent of social change.

As an equal opportunity employer, AKU believes in promoting a diverse and inclusive culture and is committed to adopt appropriate standards for safeguarding and promoting a respectful relationship with and between diverse workforce of its faculty, staff, trainees, volunteers, beneficiaries, wider communities, and other stakeholders with whom it works, including children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees/trainees and partners to share this commitment.

Responsibilities:

Senior Buyer will be responsible to work closely with the respective purchasing departments of the AKDN Institutions working in Pakistan to ensure that their procurement requirements are met in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Specifically, you will be responsible for:

• Assist supervisor to ensure fulfillment of AKDN Pakistan Institutions’ requirements in a timely and cost-effective manner.
• Obtain and analyze quotations from suppliers to make effective purchasing recommendations to the respective network institutions. This includes evaluation of prices, product quality, delivery timeline, and after-sales services.
• Analyze annual spend data of all network institutions and carry out product mapping exercises to identify suppliers for strategic dialogues and identify high-value products being purchased by respective institutions that could be substituted with cost-effective quality options. This can be achieved by seeking purchasing data from network institutions periodically.
• Facilitate network institutions in the resolution of supply chain challenges faced by them.
• Undertake market surveys and market intelligence studies to understand trends and gather knowledge about new products. This can be achieved through gathering information from direct and indirect sources, including meetings with suppliers, publications, and online sources.
• Negotiate with suppliers to ensure cost-effective purchase prices are available to network institutions.
• Ensure close coordination and develop good working relationships with all AKDN Pakistan institutions
• Maintain an updated record of inquiries received from network institutions.
• Assist in the preparation of periodic reports for the AKDN Pakistan Group Purchase Committee, including annual progress reports and other meeting working papers.
• Follow institutional policies related to functional responsibilities, code of ethics, discipline, acceptance of gifts, anti-fraud, and other HR-related policies.
• Maintain an updated record of enquiries received from AKDN Pakistan institutions.
• Assist in the preparation of the periodic reports for the AKDN Pakistan Group Purchase Committee, including annual progress report and other meeting working papers

Requirements:

• Master’s degree OR 16 Years of Education (preferably in Supply Chain Management, Business, or related field)
• 2-3 years of experience in procurement and supply chain fields
• Knowledge/ Experience of procurement of clinical items will be preferable
• Adequate knowledge of purchasing and supply chain operations.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively and collaboratively with the management and key stakeholders within the AKDN Pakistan institutions.
• Excellent analytical and presentation skills
• Proficient in the use of MS Office, especially MS Excel
• Excellent communication skills in English (Oral & Written)
• Ability to negotiate the best terms for the AKDN Pakistan institutions.

Comprehensive employment reference checks will be conducted.