Senior Procurement Specialist Job #: req33016 Organization: World Bank Sector: Procurement Grade: GG Term Duration:ย 4 years 0 months Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment Location: La Paz,Bolivia Required Language(s): Spanish/ English Preferred Language(s): Spanish/English Closing Date: 6/8/2025 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
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ย Description
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Procurement Unit
The Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) Region Procurement Unit (ELCRU) is part of the newly formed Global Procurement Practice of the Bank which itself belongs to the Bankโs Prosperity Department. ELCRU is under the authority of an Accredited Procurement Manager (โAPMโ) 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 โPROLACโ) 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. The unit helps also to the dissemination and promotion of the overall agenda of the Bank, supporting the Bank in its advancement of public goods and its fight against poverty and for a shared prosperity.
The ELCRU unit is highly decentralized with staff in all the 6 Country Management Units (CMUs) of the region. ELCRU staff are 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 40 staff, the ELCRU unit supervises a portfolio of more than twenty (20) billions of dollars, ranging from data services to large infrastructure projects.
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 team is also responsible for providing procurement input to Economic and Sector Work analysis and diagnostics.
The Senior Procurement Specialist will be a member of the team that provides services to the CMU covering Andean countries (Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru), and to the various Global Practices which finance investment, development policy and Program-for-Results operations in this region.
The Senior Procurement specialist will be working under the oversight of the World Bankโs Procurement Practice Manager (APM) for the Region, under the supervision and guidance of the Procurement Coordinator for Andean countries, based in Lima, to whom the Practice Manager (APM) delegates coordination responsibilities for the CMU. The staff will work in close coordination with the other procurement team members working in the CMU, including the Procurement Analyst based in La Paz.
Scope of Work
โข Provide technical fiduciary advice on procurement activities and engage in policy dialogue on procurement with client countries.
โข Support client countries in achieving value for money (VFM) in public procurement to enhance service delivery and development outcomes with integrity.
โข Understand relevant procurement markets using analytics and approaches to define more effective procurement.
โข Participates in missions and plays a key role in developing practical approaches to procurement while simultaneously dealing with difficult policy and operational issues.
โข Prepares and/or comments on draft operational directives and policy papers; produces major/complex reports.
โข Develops relationships with government senior officials to advance policy dialogue in procurement.
โข Transforms policy dialogue into concrete proposals that enhance and strengthen countriesโ national procurement system.
โข Plays a significant role within the function in guiding/mentoring lower level staff, consultants and other stakeholders.
โข Develops and executes training modules on complex sector related procurement topics.
โข Mentors junior staff and participates to all capacity-building initiatives for internal and external audiences in the CMU and beyond.
Selection Criteria
โข Master's Degree or equivalent qualification relevant to this position.
โข Minimum of 8 years relevant experience in public procurement and project procurement with Multilateral Development Banks.
โข Proven knowledge of public procurement principles, systems, process and planning, legal frameworks and institutions and approaches to international procurement.
โข Ability to independently provide well researched analyses of complex procurement issues and problems.
โข Knowledge and specialized command of all major facets of Bank procurement policies and practices as applied across a wide range of Bank lending operations at all phases of the project cycle, and ability to address broader issues at sector/country level.
โข Good understanding of critical linkages and relationships among clients' business drivers, business operations and objectives and Procurement processes.
โข Ability to deal sensitively in a country-specific and multi-cultural environment and build effective working relations with clients and colleagues.
โข Languages: Spanish required / Fluency in English.
โข Prior Experience working in Latin America would be an asset.
Participants are advised that the submission will be in English, while interviews may be carried out in Spanish and English.
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.
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