Procurement Officer, Kenya

Who We Are! 

🌍 Africa has the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population. By 2035, the continent is poised to contribute more young people to the global workforce each year than the rest of the world combined. 

At Educate! we're obsessed with impact. We leverage iterative learning to build highly scalable youth employment solutions aimed at unlocking the potential of the world’s youngest continent. 

Educate! prepares youth in Africa to learn, earn and thrive in today’s economy by: 

1. Introducing an employment-focused school subject into secondary and 
2. Delivering livelihood boot camps for out-of-school youth, with a focus on marginalized rural girls and young women.

To date, more than 500,000 youth have been meaningfully impacted across Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania, and along the way, Educate! has become the largest youth employment and skills provider in East Africa.

Educate! is a team of over 300 largely African staff and 300 volunteer youth mentors. We prioritize building an engaging, fulfilling and growth oriented work environment. 50% of our top 30 leaders have been with us for over 5 years, 10+ alumni have started their own organizations, and 6 current or former team members were Acumen Fund East Africa fellows. 

We have been backed by top foundations such as Imaginable Futures, Livelihood Impact Fund,  Jack Dorsey’s #startsmall, CIFF and Echidna Giving. Educate! won a 2018 Klaus J. Jacobs Prize and a 2015 WISE Award, and has been highlighted by the World Bank’s S4YE's Impact Portfolio, an Al Jazeera documentary, BBC, The Brookings Institution as one of 14 case studies on scaling education, and the Gates Foundation as a Goalkeepers Accelerator. In 2022, we received a catalytic investment from philanthropist Mackenzie Scott to scale our systems change work.

Educate!'s long-term vision is to design solutions that measurably impact millions of youth across Africa each year.

Good to note: To Our Awesome Applicants! 🚀💫

We know that incredible candidates sometimes hesitate to apply if they don’t meet every requirement. If this role excites you, we encourage you to apply! 

We’re looking for passionate individuals who believe in our mission and can bring unique perspectives to our team—not just those who check every box. We value diversity and strongly encourage women and individuals from all backgrounds to apply.

Position Overview

Educate!, the largest youth skills service provider in East Africa is looking for a dynamic and enthusiastic Procurement Officer who will lead day-to-day procurement operations and supports strategic sourcing for Educate! Kenya. The role ensures efficient, compliant, and value-for-money procurement; healthy vendor relationships; and on-time delivery of goods and services that enable program success. The Officer partners closely with Programs, Field Operations, Finance, ICT, and Admin to plan needs, run fair competitions, and keep auditable records.

What You Will Do:

Procurement Operations & Compliance (35%)

• Lead the full procurement cycle from request to delivery, ensuring all actions meet Educate! policies, donor, and audit standards.
• Review and process requests, source competitive quotations, issue purchase orders, and ensure timely confirmation from vendors.
• Coordinate with Finance to validate documentation, reconcile procurement records, and ensure on-time invoice approvals (≥95% within SLA).
• Maintain up-to-date trackers and 100% compliant, audit-ready procurement files.

Vendor & Contract Management (25%)

• Build and maintain a prequalified vendor database that meets due-diligence standards.
• Negotiate supplier contracts and ensure clarity of deliverables, pricing, and SLAs.
• Monitor supplier performance through quarterly vendor scorecards and renew or terminate contracts based on outcomes.
• Uphold ethical and transparent supplier relationships aligned with Educate!’s Ethics Guide.

Strategic Sourcing & Cost Optimization (20%)

• Conduct regular market research to benchmark pricing and identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Advise budget holders and management on procurement planning and value-for-money strategies.
• Support long-term sourcing frameworks to reduce lead times and enhance quality consistency.
• Track and report documented savings and cost-avoidance results quarterly.

Systems, Reporting & Continuous Improvement (20%)

• Ensure data accuracy and visibility through ERPNext, ApprovalMax, and related approval tools.
• Generate monthly spend and compliance reports to inform forecasting and management decisions.
• Recommend and implement process improvements that enhance procurement efficiency and control.
• Maintain adherence to safeguarding, conflict-of-interest, and anti-fraud standards.

Who You Are: 

You hold a Bachelor’s degree in Procurement, Supply Chain, Business Administration, or a related field, and bring 1–3 years of progressive procurement experience, ideally within an INGO or social-impact organization. You’re a skilled negotiator with a sharp eye for sourcing and contract management, and your proficiency with ERP systems (ERPNext, IFMIS, or Sage) keeps processes running seamlessly. You’re confident in advanced Excel or Google Sheets, and you thrive on strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and clear communication. Your professional integrity, discretion, and ethical judgment set you apart, and if you’re a KISM member or hold CIPS Level 4+ certification, that’s a definite plus!

What We Offer 💼

• A vibrant, mission-driven environment with a supportive and fun team. 
• Competitive salary based on experience.
• Learning & growth opportunities  

Application Process: Rolling basis, interviews happening soon!

Our Culture & Tenets(Values) 🌱

We’re ambitious. Are you? Educate! is growing fast, so new opportunities are opening up and expanding all the time. We’re inspired by people with drive, and we love to help them reach their full potential. We expect everyone at Educate! to contribute above and beyond their job description, grow their skills, and advance their careers, and we are committed to supporting our staff members on that journey of their careers, and we are committed to supporting our staff members on that journey. 

1. We put Youth First, Impact-Obsessed - We are purpose-driven, focused on impact, and prioritize what truly matters. We listen to youth, design our efforts around their needs, and ensure every dollar creates transformative experiences they value.
2. We Exceed Expectations - We take pride in going above and beyond to achieve the best results—proactively identifying problems and seeking solutions without waiting or stopping at what's requested.
3. We Are Always Learning - We are committed to seeking and applying new knowledge and ideas. We stay open-minded and continuously try new things, experiment, grow, and improve. We invest in learning for ourselves and our teams.
4. We are One Team, Many Views - We value all individuals, believe diverse ideas and open dialogue drive excellence, foster a supportive and respectful environment where everyone can freely express themselves. We work as one team and prioritize the organization's mission over personal or team interests.
5. We have the Startup Mindset - We innovate relentlessly to grow our impact, we never think “we have arrived” or “we’re done.”We constantly challenge the status quo, embrace change, and move quickly toward our vision. Unafraid of failure, we question anything that hinders progress.

Every person at Educate! — from interns to the executive director — is evaluated by how they live up to these five cultural tenets. They are at the core of how we achieve our mission and why we work as well as we do.  Educate is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all who interact in our community. In creating this environment, we encourage people from a variety of cultures, backgrounds and life experiences to join our diverse team. 

We’re committed to ensuring all candidates are screened for child and youth safety. As part of the process, you’ll need to provide a Certificate of Good Conduct. Educate! reserves the right to withdraw employment offers if any risks to youth are identified.