National Expert – Legal Procurement Officer

Duty Station: Cairo with short-term missions to project sites and partner institutions in Egypt and when required Italy.

Contract and Remuneration: Contract under Egyptian Labour Law. Remuneration commensurate with qualifications and within the approved programme budget.

Duration: 10 months including a two-month probation period renewable subject to performance programme needs and availability of funds.

Expected Start Date: 01 March 2026

1. Background and Objective of the Assignment

The Italian-Egyptian Programme for the Development of Robbiki Leather City is implemented by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) Cairo Office in cooperation with Egyptian institutional counterparts.

The programme involves complex procurement activities for services supplies and technical assistance governed by Italian public procurement law applicable to AICS foreign offices (including Legislative Decree 36/2023 Ministerial Decree 192/2017 and subsequent amendments) AICS internal regulations and where relevant EU PRAG rules.

The objective of this assignment is to support the Programme Management Unit (PMU) in all procurement contracting and programme management functions ensuring full compliance with Italian procurement legislation proper documentation and sound financial and operational management.

2. Scope of Work and Key Functions

Under the supervision of the Programme Director / Manager the National Legal Procurement Expert will be responsible for:

Procurement and Contract Management

Providing continuous technical advice on public procurement procedures applicable to AICS foreign offices.

Initiating coordinating and managing procurement procedures for services and supplies below and above EU thresholds in line with:

o Italian procurement legislation

o AICS regulations and internal guidelines

o EU PRAG rules where applicable.

Preparing complete tender dossiers including administrative documents Terms of Reference or Technical Specifications draft contracts and explanatory reports.

Supporting tender evaluation committees preparing evaluation grids minutes award proposals and clarification notes.

Drafting and finalising contracts and amendments monitoring implementation managing extensions or variations and ensuring proper contract closure.

Carry out any other activities identified by the Head of the Foreign Office

Programme and Operational Management

Supporting the Programme Director in preparing and updating the Operational Plan procurement plans and implementation schedules in line with Annex I of the Robbiki Agreement.

Assisting in coordinating technical assistance capacity-building actions study tours and institutional support activities.

Ensuring consistency between procurement activities technical outputs and programme timelines.

Financial and Administrative Functions

Supporting the execution of expenditures related to procurement and service contracts signed by AICS.

Coordinating with the Financial and Administrative Expert to ensure correct registration of contracts payments and financial flows.

Monitoring expenditure trends commitments and compliance with approved budgets.

Supporting preparation of interim annual and final financial reports and contributing to audit processes.

Reporting and Compliance

Contributing to technical reporting (Quarterly Information Notes Annual and Final Reports).

Ensuring full traceability and archiving procurement and contractual documentation.

Providing technical inputs during monitoring missions evaluations and audits.

3. Deliverables

1. Initial and updated procurement plans.

2. Complete tender dossiers compliant with Italian law and AICS rules.

3. Evaluation support documents (reports scoring sheets award proposals minutes).

4. Drafted and finalised contracts amendments and closure documentation.

5. Inputs to operational plans timelines and implementation schedules.

6. Contributions to quarterly annual and final technical reports.

7. Draft Terms of Reference for experts consultants and service providers.

8. Expenditure tracking and financial monitoring inputs.

9. Documentation for audits and evaluation missions.

10. Additional outputs required for effective programme implementation.

4. Reporting and Supervision

The National Legal Procurement Expert will report directly to the Programme Director / Team Leader and work in close coordination with the PMU technical experts and the financial and administrative team.

Requirements

5. Requirements

Essential Requirements

University degree (Bachelor or higher) in Law Economics Public Administration Engineering or related fields.

At least 6/10 years of professional experience in procurement contracting or programme management within international development cooperation contexts.

Proven experience in applying Italian public procurement law preferably in foreign or international contexts.

Demonstrated experience in managing complex tenders for services and supplies.

Experience working with international donors public institutions or international organizations.

Excellent command of English and Arabic written and spoken.

Proficiency in standard office software and procurement planning tools.

Preferential Requirements

Previous professional experience with AICS MAECI or other Italian public institutions.

Direct experience with AICS foreign office procurement guidelines and accounting systems.

Familiarity with EU PRAG procedures and EU-funded programmes.

Experience in Egypt or comparable country contexts.

Strong drafting skills for legal procurement and technical documentation.

Ability to manage multiple procurement processes simultaneously.

Strong coordination and communication skills with institutional counterparts.