The Senior Procurement Officer serves as a key strategic partner in CAREโs procurement operations, leading sourcing initiatives and managing contracts for goods and services. Acting as an authorized agent, this role collaborates with program and other department teams to ensure procurement aligns with organizational goals, donor requirements, and ethical standards. This position works primarily with staff in headquarters (HQ) to provide technical procurement expertise as part of a collaborative team to achieve departmental objectives in terms of value for money and other departmental objectives. With a strong emphasis on strategic sourcing, the officer oversees sourcing strategies, competitive bidding processes, contract negotiation, and ensures compliance with U.S. laws and CARE policies. The role also provides technical expertise across the whole of the procurement and contract lifecycle to key stakeholders. This includes the use of technology to automate the overall procurement and contract lifecycle. A customer-focused approach is essential to delivering value and mitigating risk across the organization RESPONSIBILITIES: Strategic Sourcing and Procurement Planning Coach internal customers on how to get the best value when procuring goods and services. Develop and implement sourcing strategies with customers, that align with CARE overall and individual departmental objectives and needs. This is a combination of training the key stakeholders in how to conduct best practice procurement in more of a self serve model for lower value/risk procurements and taking the lead in conducting the procurement for higher value/risk requirements, according to the Procurement Policy requirements. This includes conducting market analysis and supplier evaluations to identify opportunities for cost savings and value creation. Lead competitive bidding processes (RFPs, RFQs) and negotiate contracts with vendors and service providers for higher value/risk purchases. Ensure procurement decisions reflect the organizationโs values, including diversity, equity, and sustainability and that all purchases comply with all policies, local laws and regulations, and donor requirements Relationship and Stakeholder Management Build strong relationships with internal departments to understand their procurement needs and priorities. Facilitate cross-functional collaboration to improve procurement planning and forecasting. Maintain open communication with vendors and partners to foster trust and long-term engagement Manage RFPs and ongoing contract mgmt. for higher value/risk procurements Lead the RFQ/RFI/RFP process for purchases over the thresholds as defined in the Procurement Policy, collaborating with cross-functional headquarters teams. Define the sourcing strategy, identify and guide selection committees, negotiate contracts, and ensure best value for CARE. Manage the full contract lifecycle, including execution, amendments, and performance monitoring. Apply expertise in contract management and legal terminology to ensure accuracy, compliance, and risk mitigation. Ensure contracts include clear milestones and deliverables to support performance tracking and protect CAREโs interests. Maintain compliance with CARE policies, donor requirements, and applicable laws, while staying current on industry standards Embedding best practice procurement Lead collaboration with CARE employees to ensure procurement policies and procedures reflect industry best practices and organizational values. Serve as a thought leader in nonprofit procurement and key spend categories, staying current with industry trends and donor-specific procurement requirements. Use technology, tools and templates to streamline the procurement and contract lifecycle across HQ procurement. Help design and deliver training on procurement best practices to stakeholders at various levels across the CARE organization