Strategic Sourcing Specialist

Job Description

ABOUT HEALTHY LEARNERS

Healthy Learners is an award-winning non-profit organization committed to improving the health of children in Zambia and beyond. We partner directly with the government and local communities to ensure schoolchildren stay healthy, learn effectively, and have a brighter future. Healthy Learners has experienced rapid growth over the past several years.

School-aged children in low-resource settings suffer from a high burden of disease and often lack access to basic healthcare. These preventable and curable illnesses frequently lead to life-long health challenges or disabilities. In the short term, these illnesses cause school absenteeism, poor academic performance, and high dropout rates. In the long term, they undermine physical, cognitive, and emotional development and hinder economic prosperity.

Healthy Learners bridges this gap by making schools entry points into the public healthcare system. This approach ensures children receive healthcare when they need it- improving health outcomes and reducing absenteeism. We currently serve more than 975,000 students and are working to scale our model across Zambia and other countries in the region.

ABOUT YOU

You exemplify the qualities of being Humble, Hungry, and Smart in your work:

Humble (Continuous Learning & Inclusion): You embrace a growth mindset, actively seeking feedback and fostering an inclusive environment where collaboration thrives. You champion continuous learning, ensuring procurement processes evolve with industry trends and organizational needs.

Hungry (Efficiency, Excellence, and Innovation): You possess a relentless drive for efficiency and excellence, approaching procurement challenges with a solution-oriented mindset. Your ability to optimize sourcing strategies, negotiate favorable terms, and anticipate risks enables you to deliver cost-effective solutions that support operational success.

Smart (Emotional Intelligence & Psychological Safety): Your exceptional emotional intelligence allows you to build trust and maintain strong supplier and stakeholder relationships. You create an environment of psychological safety, where open communication, transparency, and ethical decision-making drive procurement excellence.

Job

POSITION OVERVIEW

As Healthy Learners expands, efficient and cost-effective procurement is critical to ensuring the uninterrupted supply of essential goods and services. The Sourcing Specialist will play a pivotal role in optimizing sourcing strategies, supplier relationships, and contract negotiations to drive procurement excellence. Reporting to the Procurement Manager, this position will be responsible for developing sourcing plans, conducting supplier evaluations, and ensuring that procurement activities align with organizational goals, policies, and donor compliance standards.

This role requires a highly analytical and strategic thinker with expertise in supply chain optimization, market intelligence, and supplier negotiations. The ideal candidate will have experience in strategic sourcing, procurement planning, and cost reduction strategies in donor-funded environments.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Sourcing and Supplier Management

Support development, implementation, and management of strategic sourcing plans to optimize procurement processes and ensure cost efficiency.

Conduct market research and supplier benchmarking to identify cost-saving opportunities and enhance supply chain resilience.

Manage supplier prequalification, selection, and performance evaluations to ensure quality, compliance, and cost-effectiveness.

Support supplier negotiations to secure favorable pricing, terms, and conditions, ensuring alignment with organizational needs.

Manage the supplier relationship process, ensuring that contracts and agreements are reviewed and executed in accordance with procurement policies.

Monitor Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to track supplier performance, contract adherence, and service levels.

Collaborate with cross-functional teams (finance, logistics, and warehousing) to optimize procurement operations and ensure timely deliveries

Procurement Strategy and Cost Optimization

Assist the Procurement Manager in implementing procurement strategies that drive long-term cost savings and efficiency improvements.

Analyze spending patterns and total cost of ownership to identify areas for procurement process enhancement.

Ensure procurement activities are conducted with high ethical standards, minimizing risks related to fraud, waste, and abuse.

Support the development of forecasting models to align procurement planning with inventory and program needs.

Develop and maintain a robust database of preferred suppliers and vendors to streamline sourcing processes.

Conduct periodic market intelligence assessments to stay ahead of industry trends and procurement innovations.

Contracting and Compliance

Assist in the development, review, and management of procurement contracts, ensuring compliance with appropriate regulations and Healthy Learners’ policies.

Monitor contract validity, renewal cycles, and amendments, ensuring that vendor agreements remain effective and beneficial.

Conduct risk assessments on suppliers and contracts to mitigate supply chain disruptions and ensure regulatory compliance.

Ensure that procurement documentation and reporting adhere to local and international regulatory requirements, donor guidelines, and best practices.

Work closely with legal and finance teams to resolve contractual disputes and improve agreement term

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Reporting

Provide procurement data insights and reports to support budgeting, planning, and financial decision-making.

Assist in the development of procurement policies, procedures, and training programs to build sourcing expertise within the supply chain team.

Coordinate with finance, logistics, and warehousing teams to ensure alignment between sourcing strategies and operational execution.

Foster a culture of continuous improvement, driving efficiencies in sourcing and procurement operations.

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

Required

Bachelor’s degree in Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a related field.

Minimum three years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, or contract management.

Strong expertise in supplier negotiations, contract structuring, and market intelligence.

Experience with procurement systems (ERP, SAP, Oracle, Ariba) and data analytics for decision-making.

Strong financial acumen and ability to conduct cost-benefit analyses.

Membership in a professional body (e.g., CIPS, Zambia Institute of Purchasing and Supply) is required

Preferred

Experience working in non-profit or donor-funded programs with large-scale procurement needs.

Knowledge of risk management frameworks and supplier due diligence processes.

COMPETENCIES

Strategic Thinking: Proactive in planning and aligning operational goals with organizational strategy.

Adaptability: Comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Attention to Detail: Commitment to accuracy and quality in all aspects of work.

Collaboration: Excellent interpersonal skills for building strong relationships across departments and with external stakeholders.

WHAT WE OFFER

Opportunity for Impact: Directly contribute to improving children’s healthcare by optimizing procurement and supply chain processes.

Competitive Compensation: A market-aligned salary and benefits package.

Professional Growth: Access to leadership development, training, and strategic projects.

Supportive Work Culture: A collaborative and mission-driven environment dedicated to operational excellence.