Head of Procurement

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has been working in Rwanda for more than 40 years.

Rwanda is a country with a turbulent and, at times, tragic history, and the impact of the 1994 genocide is still felt today. Nevertheless, Rwanda has achieved progress at a number of levels since 2000. Stability, security, steady economic growth and low corruption are some of the key successes. The country is also regarded as a pioneer in Africa in environmental protection, digitalisation and gender equality.

Despite these encouraging developments, however, Rwanda is still a very poor country that continues to rely on international support. This support is in virtually all sectors and is coordinated by the Rwandan Government. As a reliable partner in an efficient task-sharing system, GIZ works in three priority areas on behalf of the German Government:

Economic development and employment
Governance and democracy
Digitalisation

https://www.giz.de/en/worldwide/332.html

Vacancy Announcement

Head of Procurement

for

the Service Unit Rwanda/Burundi

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federally owned international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations. The GIZ Office in Kigali covers GIZ’s portfolio in Rwanda and Burundi. GIZ Rwanda/Burundi implements projects on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the European Union and other commissioning authorities in the following priority areas: Sustainable Economic Development; Good Governance; Climate, Energy and Sustainable Urban Development; Digital Transformation and Digital Economy; and regional projects in the Great Lakes Region.

As of 01.01.2026 the centralised Service Unit Rwanda/Burundi was set up to bundle and professionalise the services supporting the Clusters with their programmes, projects and service packages. The Sub-Unit “Procurement” within the Service Unit RW/BI is mandated to

(1) Process and validate incoming procurement requests, providing advisory services to the projects on procurement processes in the initial stages, ensuring quality and compliance before submission to the responsible unit according to threshold limits (placement of request, BANF) and

(2) carry out low threshold purchases of goods and services in accordance with the delegated financial authority and applicable GIZ procurement regulations (P+R).

Location: Kigali, Rwanda

Fixed Term: 01.08.2026 – 31.12.2027

Position: 1

A. Main Tasks and Responsibilities

Lead and oversee the end-to-end contract and procurement management process, including negotiation, drafting, and conclusion of contracts and purchase orders with suppliers and service providers in line with applicable regulations and compliance standards.
Ensure effective contract performance management by monitoring supplier delivery, compliance, and timelines, as well as overseeing invoicing and payment processes to guarantee contractual and financial accuracy.
Take overall responsibility for the contract lifecycle, including amendments, renewals, and close-out procedures, ensuring audit-proof documentation and full transparency of all procurement activities.
Strategically develop the unit as a first point of contact and trusted advisory function for projects on all procurement-related matters, ensuring compliance with GIZ policies (P+R), legal requirements, and procurement standards.
Provide strategic leadership for procurement planning and sourcing activities by aligning procurement strategies with organizational needs, budgetary requirements, and sustainability objectives to ensure efficiency, value for money, and quality outcomes.
Oversee and further develop procurement strategies through market analysis, process optimization, and continuous improvement of procurement approaches to strengthen performance, advisory quality, and operational effectiveness.
Providing supportive and value-based leadership to the procurement team in the Service Unit in line with the organization’s leadership approach.

B. Required Qualifications, Competences and Experience

Master’s degree in the field of Business Administration, Procurement and Supply Chain Management or related areas.
Several years of professional experience in procurement ideally in the area of international cooperation.
Excellent knowledge with extensive hands-on experience of S4HANA/SAP as well as MS Office applications; knowledge of GIZ procedures (P+R) is an asset.
Strong strategic and analytical mindset with the ability to translate organizational objectives into effective sourcing and procurement strategies, ensuring long-term value creation and efficiency.
Deep understanding of markets, supplier landscapes, and cost structures combined with solid expertise in value-for-money approaches, total cost of ownership (TCO), and data-driven decision-making.
Proven ability in stakeholder management, negotiation, and advisory roles, acting as a trusted partner to internal clients while ensuring compliance, governance, and alignment with strategic resourcing principles.
Fluent written and oral English and French skills (C1 as per the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages; CEFR); knowledge of Kinyarwanda is an asset.

Interested candidates should submit their application (motivation letter, updated CV, certificates and references), via our electronic job portal by using the button “apply”; until 25.05.2026 at 4:00 PM. All attachments should be put together in one PDF file not larger than 2 MB.Please quote the job title in the subject.

GIZ is a signatory of the Diversity Charter. Recognition, appreciation and inclusion of diversity in the company are important to us. All employees shall be valued - regardless of gender and gender identity, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, social background, age or sexual orientation. We support equal opportunities and welcome applications from people with disabilities.

This includes the provision of reasonable accommodation, if needed, in order to participate in the job application and interview process and to perform essential job functions. Please let us know, if you have any particular requirement should you be invited for assessment/interview or that you wish us to consider, when considering your application.

Women and persons with disabilities are particularly encouraged to apply.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for test and interview.

GIZ Office Rwanda

KN 41 St. / Nr.17, Kiyovu

P.O. Box 59, Kigali,

Rwanda

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