Acquisition & Assistance Specialist

The contractor performs technical and procurement management work that supports the USAID/Uganda Office of Acquisition & Assistance (A&A) team.

The Mission has an OYB in excess of $400m and includes several high-visibility, politically-sensitive Presidential Initiatives: the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI). Global Climate Change (GCC) Feed the Future (FtF) and Power Africa.

The work covers three Development Objectives generating technically complex cross-cutting programs requiring intricate and sensitive procurement operations. Individual A&A instruments range from

$10,000 purchase orders to $84M contract and grant agreements covering a portfolio of approximately $1.1 billion.

Technical work involves supporting the preparation, control, and review of procurement documents and reports related to planning strategies and appropriate solicitation documents, maintaining procurement plans and files and being responsible for the distribution and follow-up of official copies of A&A documents to permit the implementation and payment actions; or performing other similar work in support of implementation and operation of mission programs from conceptualization to close-out.

The position involves leadership and technical skills: (a) assistance with negotiation and preparation of awards; (b) aiding in the resolution of complex procurement issues; (c) assisting with the management of low to high-value program procurements (d) participating in discussions during the development stages of new activities and procurement planning.

The work requires multiple skills involving a practical knowledge of procurement procedures, operations, regulations, and mission programs in order to adequately protect U.S. Government interests. The mission is integrated into the U.S. Embassy and work must be coordinated with a whole-of-government approach, which requires coordination and sometimes workload integration with the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Department of Defense (DoD) Africa Command (AFRICOM), and the Department of State (DoS).

The contractor must be generally familiar with the acquisition and assistance authorities, responsibilities, and advantages of the other US Government Agencies and Departments operating in Uganda and other USAID missions in the Region and must be able to work in coordination with these organizations.

This position has the potential for expansion of duties into the administration of contracts and grants.

Attainment of the expanded position is contingent upon the contractor successfully completing required training, meeting agreed-upon objectives and milestones, and performing at the Fully Successful (or equivalent) level