Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org

Unit Overview:

The Corporate Procurement Unit is responsible for the procurement of goods, works and services (including consulting services) to support the WBG’s 130+ offices around the world. Corporate Procurement manages an annual spend around USD 2B with around 25,000 vendors. The team has staff located in Washington, DC, Chennai, India and Sofia, Bulgaria. Corporate Procurement utilizes category management to achieve better outcomes, improved quality, greater savings, efficient use of resources, a better understanding of the market, and an increased focus on collaboration and innovation.  Corporate Procurement focuses on three key principles: Commerciality, Risk Management, and Environmental, Social, and Governance outcomes. Categories of spend include: i) Corporate Services and Real Estate; ii) Human Resources and Professional Services; and iii) Technology. To learn more about Corporate Procurement, visit: CP website. 

Roles & Responsibilities:

The Procurement Associate (Category Associate) position is located at the Corporate Procurement Technology team in Chennai, India. This position reports to the Senior Procurement Specialist (Head of Category), who in turn reports to the Chief of Corporate Procurement.

Responsibilities include supporting activities for Category Managers and Analyst in conducting sourcing activities. Understanding Procurement policies and procedures and guiding clients, understanding business needs, conducting analysis, sourcing administrative tasks, projects, and external analysis (e.g., market research & forecast, market share & trends, benchmarks, cost drivers), attending meetings with clients and vendors as directed.

The position for the category team understanding of general procurement processes and principles; experience in category management as well as exposure to technology sourcing will be beneficial.

The category includes, but is not limited to, IT Infrastructure (Data Center & colocation service, Mid-High-end servers and software, Data Back-up services), Business, Applications for Finance, Accounting, HR, Treasury, General Services, familiarity with cloud-based software services (XaaS), and other related IT solutions and disruptive technologies.

Key accountability for this position includes:

•Performs administrative tasks supporting Category Manager and Analyst in Conducting procurement, sourcing, and category management activities required by the World Bank Group globally.

•Understands client’s needs, generates solicitations, and manages bidding process for assigned areas; collaborates with clients in developing procurement plans as directed; carries out market research to identify sources of supply; reviews technical specifications for completeness and competitive qualities; develops vendor pre-qualifying and evaluation criteria; prepares contracts; and engages vendors in process discussions.

•Category management of designated categories.

•Monitors vendor commercial performance.

•Conducts research, trend analysis and benchmarking in international markets including category management.

•Liaises with clients in preparation and delivery of presentations to Procurement Committees.

•Undertakes activities to ensure compliance with World Bank Groups’ policy.

•Maximizes positive impact on sustainability (diversity, environment, social responsibility) through the sourcing process and category management.

•Possesses a good understanding of risk management, analyses risks, and works with business partners to mitigate risks through sourcing and managing risks during category management.

Due to the requirements of the job, this position may require frequent adjustments to the work schedule created by the time zone difference with many of the clients it supports and may also involve a limited amount of travel.

Selection Criteria

•Bachelor’s or Masters degree in Business Administration, Sciences, Commercial, Public Administration or equivalent combination of education and experience. Recognized professional certifications (e.g., CPSM, CIPS, PMI) or courses in addition to the education would be highly desirable.

•Minimum three years of relevant experience is in the field of Procurement, Business Development, Portfolio Management, and Commercial experience as well as, contract management, dispute resolution, and managing interpersonal relationships and communication with key stakeholders and suppliers dealing with external and internal agencies. Preference will be given to those with experience in category management and IT/Technology sourcing, IT project management. 

•Ability to conduct a preliminary review of basic procurement documents and identify synergies or inconsistencies between various data sources and reach conclusions.

•Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with experience in generating data-driven documents and responding to inquiries.

•Strong organizational skills, and ability to work skillfully in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment, managing multiple tasks within tight deadlines.

•Effectively provide professional team support and ability to guide less experienced staff.

•Ability to deal sensitively in a multicultural environment and build effective working relationships with clients, colleagues, and other stakeholders.

•Experience with MS Office applications, especially Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and data analytical skills (PowerBI, Databricks etc.) will be desirable.

General Competencies:

•Ability to function effectively in multi-disciplinary teams within a matrix management environment, as well as an individual contributor.

•Can work in a consensus driven organization and good influential skills to manage disagreements.

•Demonstrates in depth knowledge and understanding of project management concepts, as they relate to the implementation of complex, multi-functional projects in varied geographical and economic conditions.

•Superior communication skills in English (verbal, written, and comprehension), and ability to resolve interpersonal conflict.

•Strong client service orientation.

•Other language skills would be an asset.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC, including our values and inspiring stories.