Senior Procurement Specialist

The Latin America and Caribbean Region (LAC) Procurement Unit seeks to recruit two (2) full-time Senior Procurement Specialist (Internationally Recruited). The positions will be based in Washington DC, USA, also it is susceptible that these positions being decentralized in the future in a Bank’s country office in Latin America. The term of the respective contract is four (4) years, as per the Bank policy.

The Latin America and Caribbean Region Procurement Unit (ELCRU) is part of a new Global Procurement Practice of the Bank which itself belongs to the Bank’s Prosperity Department. ELCRU is under the authority of a Procurement Manager for LAC who directly reports to the Prosperity Director for the LAC region, although its unit serves all sectors of the Bank in the region.

The mission of the procurement unit in LAC (also called “PROLAC”) is essentially two-fold: (i) supervising all procurement operations carried by Borrowers and their implementing agencies in the 33 client-countries of the region and (ii) help Borrowers in their effort to reform their public procurement systems to achieve better value for money. As part of its mission, the Bank is implementing an ambitious Operational Procurement Change Program, which requires more hands-on support to Borrowers and sustainable engagement with the private sector.

The ELCRU unit is highly decentralized with staff in all the 6 Country Management Units (CMUs) of the region. ELCRU staff is also present in Washington DC, with the front office of the Procurement Manager and most of the staff serving the Caribbean. With a total of 37 staff, the ELCRU unit supervises a portfolio of more than twenty (20) billions of dollars, ranging from infrastructure projects to pharmaceuticals.

The procurement team (i) works closely with clients to support the development of their public procurement systems and (ii) ensures that procurement under Bank-financed projects is conducted in accordance with loan agreements and fiduciary standards and obligations. For that purpose, the procurement team provides services to internal and external clients and is responsible for procurement-related work concerning project preparation, implementation support, and project supervision.

The unit is also engaged in an ambitious initiative whose purpose if to professionalize the procurement function in Latin America and the Caribbean. That initiative follows a declaration signed in February 2025 by the World Bank, The Interamerican development Bank, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration and the Caribbean Development Bank.

The Senior Procurement Specialist(s) will be full members of the ELCRU team and will provide services to the Latin American and Caribbean Region. One position will support essentially operations in Central America, the Dominican Republic (LC2) and the Andean countries (LC6). The other position will support the Caribbean and the front office.

The Senior Procurement Specialist will directly report to the Practice Manager for the LAC region, who delegates coordination responsibilities to the Procurement Coordinators, who are Senior Procurement Specialists, decentralized in the field. Depending on the needs of the portfolio and priorities of the region, these position(s) might be decentralized to the field, possibly in El Salvador Ecuador for the one supporting that area in the region (to be confirmed).

Scope of Work:

• Work independently on procurement matters in the Bank’s fiduciary and service functions’ performance, seeking guidance on complex projects/issues from senior procurement staff and the Procurement Coordinator, as necessary.
• Employ appropriate methodologies for handling both simple and complex procurement tasks and/or issues.
• Support Borrowers in engaging early with potential suppliers or contractors, promoting the use of the new forms of collaborative contracts when possible.
• Assisting the unit with identification of procurement processes subject to early business engagement and of potential companies potentially interested in such processes.
• Working across sectors is responsible for reviewing and handling the technical, commercial, and legal aspects of procurement (in consultation with Legal and Policy departments as necessary) at all stages of the project cycle, including analysis of systemic and other procurement issues, procurement planning, design, implementation and management, and training.
• Provide operational advice to clients and Bank staff on concepts, policies, and procedures for international and national procurement.
• Participate in missions as sole procurement expert on large projects; assesses procurement implications of project design, evaluates the institutional capacity of the Borrower, and develop suitable procurement plans.
• Participate in country procurement assessments, prepare background analysis, collaborate on developing appropriate public procurement legislation and practices and tailors’ instruments to meet specific client needs.
• Negotiate and resolves difficult procurement issues with Borrower agencies and handle questions/complaints from officials and contractors on bidding and award issues.
• Designs and conducts workshops to educate procurement professionals in the Bank and Borrower agencies on the Bank’s philosophy and approach to procurement, the rationale of its policy framework, relevant procedures, processes, and specialized procurement topics.
• Prepare a range of procurement-related documents and reports.
• Support the professionalization agenda of the region, participating to seminars, classes, and contributing to the curriculum for the professionalization
• Establish appropriate interaction with country counterparts on sector, organizational, human resources management, financial, economic, and regulatory practices.
• To provide guidance and training to junior procurement staff at GD and GE and ACS staff in the Country Office, when needed.
• Work implies frequent interaction with Managers and Technical Specialists in the work unit and staff from other agencies, donors, consultants, and borrowers.

Selection Criteria:

• Master’s degree with a major in a relevant discipline (e.g., Law, Engineering, Procurement, Finance, Business or Commerce) or equivalent academic qualification relevant to this position.
• Minimum of eight (8) years of direct relevant professional experience in International Financial Institutions procurement operations and contract management.

• Excellent oral and written communications skills in English, independently preparing a variety of written outputs and editing technical reports. Spanish is mandatory for those applying for the position serving Latin America.
• Proven past experience working in Latin America and the Caribbean, as a procurement expert.
• Solid understanding of the concepts, principles, and practices governing international procurement, with the ability to translate concepts into operational work, including but not limited to VFM, sustainable procurement, strategic sourcing, market analysis, contract management, etc.
• Understanding of State-of-the-art knowledge of public procurement principles, systems, process and planning, legal frameworks and institutions and approaches to international procurement.
• Good understanding of critical linkages and relationships among clients’ business drivers, business operations and objectives and Procurement processes.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, flexibility, and ability to work in teams in a multi-cultural environment.
• Ability to deal sensitively and diplomatically with internal/external contacts at all levels; work independently, prioritizing work, taking initiative, and solving problems; adapt to changing business needs by continuous learning/training.
• Recognized ability to exercise good judgment and in handling confidential and sensitive information.
• Demonstrate ability to function under time pressure and handle multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment of changing priorities, with initiative and resourcefulness.
• Excellent administrative, organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Knowledge of technology skills, particularly in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Proven fluency in Spanish for one of the position.

Source: https://worldbankgroup.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/32742?c=worldbankgroup