Procurement Assistant (U.S. Embassy Yaounde) Full Time

The Embassy is seeking eligible and qualified applicants for the position of Procurement Assistant (Contracting Specialist).

The work schedule for this position is: Full Time (40 hours per week) Start date: Candidate must be able to begin working within a reasonable period of time of receipt of agency authorization and/or clearances/certifications or their candidacy may end.

Duties

Basic Function of the Position: Under the direction of the Director of the Embassy Branch Office in Douala (EBO), the Economic/Political/Commercial Assistant monitors and reports on developments in economic, political, and commercial affairs and assists with other Embassy and EBO-related activities as assigned.  The employee will, under the direction of the EBO Director, provide information to U.S. and Cameroonian exporters, importers, and investors.

Requirements:EXPERIENCE: Must have at least 4 years of progressively more responsible experience in sales, economic research, business consulting, commercial banking, or related field.

JOB KNOWLEDGE: Should have a thorough understanding of the Cameroonian economy and that of the sub region, including trade patterns, commercial practices, financing practices, organizations, major industries, etc.  Should also have an awareness and an interest in politics and political science.  Should have a thorough understanding of the “language” of business and economics, to successfully interact with the U.S. and Cameroonian business communities.  Must be computer literate (intermediate) in MS Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and internet. This may be tested.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES: Must be able to develop and maintain good working relationships with counterparts in order to reach upper-level contacts in Cameroon’s public and private sectors for principals. Must be able to obtain, evaluate, and analyze commercial data to prepare reports.  Must have excellent communication skills. This may be tested.

* IMPORTANT:  Applicants who claim status as a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran must submit a copy of their most recent DD-214 (“Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty”), equivalent documentation, or certification.  A “certification” is any written document from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions within 120 days after the certification is submitted by the applicant. The certification letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service.  Acceptable documentation must be submitted in order for the preference to be given.