Senior Procurement Specialist

Job #: req24075

Organization: World Bank

Sector: Procurement

Grade: GG

Term Duration: 4 years 0 months

Recruitment Type: International Recruitment

Location: Sydney,Australia

Required Language(s): English

Preferred Language(s): Closing Date: 9/15/2023 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

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. Visit www.worldbank.org.

Despite substantial economic growth and poverty reduction, East Asia and the Pacific (EAP) Region still faces enormous development challenges. Growth has been uneven across and within countries, institutions still need strengthening, and the Region has a significant role in global public goods. The COVID pandemic dealt EAP a setback, especially in 2021. As a result, poverty is expected to rise for the first time in over four years. Many of our region’s population remain vulnerable to income shocks, including a global economic slowdown, changing global and regional value chains, and climate-related risks. If you are ready to make an impact, we are looking for dedicated professionals to join our committed, creative and diverse team to improve people’s lives and help EAP countries! East Asia and the Pacific Region: https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/pacificislands

The Governance Global Practice (GGP) comprises various professional fields working on public institutions, including procurement, public sector management, governance and anti-corruption, and financial management. GGP convenes a leading group of practitioners focused on advancing pioneering practices and innovations in procurement, anti-corruption, and open government. To enhance its capacity, we seek to recruit a highly organized, energized, and skilled professional capable of operating effectively in the Pacific Islands and Papa New Guinea (PNG)

Most of the EEAR2 procurement team is decentralized and based in country offices. Procurement team members supporting the country programs in Indonesia, East Timor, the Philippines, Thailand, the Pacific Island, and PNG are managed by an Accredited Practice Manager (PM) based in Bangkok, Thailand. The Senior Procurement Specialist will report to the Procurement Practice Manager for EEAR2 under the direct oversight and guidance of the Procurement Team Coordinator for the Pacific Islands and PNG.

Pacific PNG Procurement Team Scope of Work and Staffing

The Bank’s Pacific portfolio comprises 90 operations across twelve countries totaling US$2.7b in net commitments and includes IBRD, IDA, Recipient-Executed Trust Funds, and Co-Financing. Investment Project Financing (IPF) constitutes 81 of these projects.

The EEAR2 supports the Pacific Islands and Papua New Guinea (PNG). It is currently staffed by one Procurement Team Coordinator and five Procurement Specialist staff (Pacific and PNG Procurement Team, or the Team). The Pacific and PNG 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 per loan agreements and fiduciary standards and obligations. For that purpose, we provide services to internal and external Clients in the CMU countries. We are responsible for procurement-related work concerning project preparation, implementation support, and supervision. The team is also responsible for providing procurement input to knowledge products.

Duties and responsibilities

This Senior Procurement Specialist will be based in Sydney, Australia and will perform functions as the Procurement Hub Coordinator. Overall duties and accountabilities are both to deliver, and to coordinate the procurement fiduciary functions to the Bank’s portfolio in PNG and the Pacific. The role is intended to ensure delivery of effective and efficient advice, review and clearances of procurement documents and decisions under Bank-financed projects in the hub(s) countries. The hub coordinator responsibility also includes support of the Bank’s dialogue with the Government authorities on the procurement capacity building/development initiatives and the development of the national public procurement systems. The hub coordinator is expected to frequently interact with APM office and CMU management; government officials; and international organizations, etc. The coordinator is expected to coordinate across the practices, including with the regional PS/FM specialists.

Comprehensive list of the roles and functions of the Procurement coordinator.

1. Team Leadership and Professional Staff Development

•  Lead and support the procurement team in delivering the fiduciary work and reforms in the Hub countries.
•  Provide advice and mentorship to the procurement team and help achieve individual business and professional development objectives.
•  Monitor the performance and workload of the procurement team and coordinate back-up arrangements.
•  Discuss any specific training needs of the procurement team and proposed enhancements with the APM.
•  Interact with the management/CMU and participate in relevant meetings.
•  Assist APM and perform duties as delegated.
•  Provide support to APM in coordination with other Procurement Hub leaders for the successful delivery of the EEAR2 work program.
•  Lead initiatives on specific procurement topics across the CMU and the Region.
•  Monitors the compliance with country specific prior review thresholds.
•  Maintain up to date procurement brief covering all hub countries.

2. Upstream Work on Programs and Projects:

•  Coordinate the procurement upstream involvement in project preparation and implementation of country partnership frameworks for the hub countries.
•  Effectively coordinate Procurement Specialists work in the hub countries.
•  Work with the hub team to identify generic country key procurement issues, risks and recommendation, and ensure CMUs inclusion of the same in CPF, SCD, IPFs, PforRs and DPOs, as applicable; Join SCD/CPF discussions to reflect procurement challenges and ensure that procurement activities are included as part of a larger EFI- Governance strategy.
•  Engage with the CMU and support the APM in preparing the budgetary allocations through WPA and Primarily responsible for budget implementation.
•  Bring to the attention of the country teams and APM, key procurement issues that affect WPA delivery in a timely manner and coordinate to ensure that the issues are appropriately addressed.
•  Participate in review meetings for projects in the hub countries and ensure that risks and appropriate mitigation measures are identified and included in PPSDs, PADs and FAs.
•  Conduct quality assurance of input to PRAMS and PPSDs for projects in the hub countries.
•  Provide leadership in the context of fiduciary, including HEIS, APA etc., and country procurement assessments.
•  Introduce innovations and apply the full range of features of the Procurement Framework to raise the awareness of Task Teams on available options to deal with such complex operations.
•  Provide quality assurance for reports generated by field Procurement Specialists and Consultants, (i.e. PCDs, PADs, FAs and ASAs).
•  Assist the APM to ensure that there are no PRAMS are prepared by consultants or staff who are not procurement certified and accredited.

3. Implementation Support to Ongoing Programs and Projects:

•  Coordinate and provide guidance/advice to procurement implementation support of all projects in the hub countries.
•  Ensure that post-review procurement and third-party procurement audits in projects are carried out; review of all post review reports and take proactive actions to address identified weaknesses/noncompliance on timely basis. Consult with the APM on the non-compliance cases.
•  Regularly monitor the standard reports on overdue updates of PRAMS; ensure that PRAMS are updated as needed and that there is no overdue update to any PRAMS in hub countries; send reminders to APS if needed; check quality of input and risks in PRAMS taking into consideration disbursement achieved and remaining procurement in project in updating the procurement risk; cross check of procurement risk rating in PRAMS with activity risks in STEP and ISR procurement risk rating; ensure consistency of the risk ratings across the portfolio and APS.
•  Regularly monitor ISR ratings to ensure Procurement team inputs are recorded and reflective situation/stage.
•  Regularly monitor procurement plans in STEP to ensure that there is no contract below the mandatory prior review thresholds planned to be prior reviewed without approval of the Global Procurement Director, as per the Procedures, in hub countries; ensure that a memo is prepared to seek any approval on this regard.
•  Monitor the PforR in the portfolio.
•  Provide quality assurance for APSs’ reviews of large and complex procurement packages in the hub countries.
•  Coordinate APS strategic planning of the procurement clinics for the portfolios in the hub countries.
•  Coordinate training clinics and programs to Borrowers including the use of STEP.
•  Monitor contract awards are publication.
•  Ensure that procurement clearances are provided through STEP only; ensure that procurement clearances are not provided by consultants or staff who are not accredited.

4.Collaboration with CMUs and the Global Practices:

•  Coordinate procurement inputs to the preparation and execution of WPA for hub countries (CMU).
•  Continue to disseminate the new Procurement Framework to both Bank’s and Borrower’s staffs and private sector including though engagements organized by the CMU (e.g., CPPR).
•  Monitor APSs workload and service standards as well and procurement plans implementation.
•  Reach out across Governance practice, Program Leaders, Operations Officers, and key staff in other GPs to showcase the role of procurement as a force for better governance.
•  Conduct and disseminate data analytics on contracts, PPRs, PRAMs, etc. (including but not limited to focus on evidence-based information about the impact of public procurement in the context of the political economy).
•  Coordinate procurement inputs and the monitoring of key procurement risks in Country Portfolio Performance Reviews and other relevant reviews in Hub countries.

5. Capacity Development & Knowledge Sharing:

•  Provide effective guidance and mentorship to APSs in the hub countries for the delivery of ad-hoc clinics and advice to clients, task teams, and the private sector.
•  Support and supervise APS plans for training clinics and programs to Borrowers including the use of STEP.
•  Support the APSs in the hub countries as needed.
•  Considering the business need of country portfolio, discuss with APM any specific training needs for staff and clients.
•  Provide guidance/support capacity building of country Supreme Audit Institutions/Procurement Regulatory Agencies in the Hub countries to carry out procurement audits/post reviews in Bank financed Projects.
•  Develop strong client relationships in hub countries and partnerships with procurement stakeholders to foster collaboration and exchange of knowledge and good practices.
•  Coordinate work to promote professionalization of procurement function among client countries.
•  Encourage APS to write short blogs or stories to showcase the work on some of the innovative and new approaches to procurement and contract management, work on systems and capacity development, including the results achieved.
•  Ensure that a one-page flyer is prepared for each capacity building event and sent to the APM (for dissemination); consolidate data and information on capacity building events as well as impact of these events.

6. Country Procurement Systems:

•  Provide leadership to the hub team on country procurement systems assessment and Reform.
•  Ensure that ongoing ASA (e.g., MAPS assessment) progressed on time and provide quality assurance and advice; follow up on opportunities to engage with the clients on the analytic activities and reform agenda.
•  Promote innovations in capacity development, beneficial ownership disclosure, Open Contracting, citizen engagement in public procurement etc. through components in IPFs, DPFs, P4Rs, etc.
•  Work with the Governance teams and other sectors; develop strong client relationships; proactively coordinate with MDBs/development partners present on the ground on procurement capacity and country procurement systems development.
•  Coordinate participation of the procurement team in implementation supervision mission of projects with PFM components in the hub countries.

Selection Criteria

•  Master’s degree with a major in a relevant field (e.g., Engineering, Law, Procurement, Finance, Business, or Commerce) or equivalent academic and experiential qualifications relevant to this position.
•  Minimum of eight (8) years of relevant professional experience in procurement and contract management, preferably in the Pacific context and/or FCV small island states.
•  Excellent oral and written communications skills in English, independently preparing a variety of written outputs and editing technical reports.
•  Knowledge and specialized command of all significant 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 the sector/country level.
•  A sound understanding of the concepts, principles, and practices governing World Bank 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. Experience preferred in the Pacific context or small island states.
•  Knowledge of institutions and procurement reforms in Borrower’s countries, preferably in the Pacific context or small island states.
•  Ability to deal sensitively in a multicultural environment and build effective working relations with clients and colleagues.
•  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 multicultural environment.
•  Ability to deal sensitively and diplomatically with internal/external contacts at all levels; work independently, prioritizing work, taking the initiative, and solving problems; adapt to changing business needs by continuous learning/training.
•  Recognized ability to exercise sound judgment 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 and organizational skills and attention to detail.
•  Knowledge of technology skills, particularly in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

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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