Category Manager - Professional Services - req31406

Category Manager - Professional Services

Job #: req31406

Organization: World Bank

Sector: Procurement

Grade: GF

Term Duration: 3 years 0 months

Recruitment Type: International Recruitment

Location: Washington, DC,United States

Required Language(s): English

Preferred Language(s)

Closing Date: 2/28/2025 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank consists of two entities – the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA).It is a global development cooperative owned by 189 member countries. As the largest development bank in the world, the World Bank provides loans, guarantees, risk management products, and advisory services to middle-income and creditworthy low-income countries, and coordinates responses to regional and global challenges. Visit www.worldbank.org .

Vice-Presidency Context

The Budget, Performance Review and Strategic Planning Vice Presidency (BPS VPU) was created in July 2013 and expanded to include Corporate Procurement in July 2024. The purpose of the VPU is to deliver high value for money with efficient, effective, and professional finance, procurement, and resource management services to help drive sustained business success through delivery of the WBG strategy. At the same time, it is focusing on improving governance to enable better oversight of what and how services are provided and continuing to strengthen its professional workforce with up-to-date skills, knowledge, and experience. The BPS VPU delivery model has three core roles designed to provide high quality, relevant and consistent services:

• Business Partners: embedded partners focused on decision support and performance oversight with strong understanding of the business.
• Global Business Centers: providing thought-leadership and analytics, designing resource management policies, practices, and coordinating business finance knowledge management.
• Service Center: central unit to manage delivery of high volume and transactional and reporting services across Bank, including help desk to support to clients.
  
  

Unit Context, Locations, Roles

Responsibilities

The Corporate Procurement Department supports the mission of the WBG by performing the procurement function following the principles of transparency, fairness, competition, and best value in an efficient, effective, and customer-focused manner. These principles are employed globally and represent the strategic elements that guide the Bank Group’s activities in procurement and contracting practices. Corporate Procurement is responsible for coordinating and overseeing the sourcing strategy, selection, and contract execution for more than 130 Bank Group offices around the globe, serving our clients from offices located in Washington, D.C., Chennai, India and Sofia, Bulgaria. Within the BPSSM delivery model, the Corporate Procurement Department focuses on three core principles:

Commerciality: Deliver best “value for money” supply solutions measured by cost, quality, and speed.

Risk Management: Predict, mitigate, and manage vendor related risks to protect WBG’s interests

Sustainability: Develop environmentally and socially sustainable supply chains.

Categories Of Spend Include

i) Corporate Services and Real Estate;

ii) Human Resources and Professional Services; and

iii) Technology.

The Procurement Specialist (Category Manager) position reports to the Senior Procurement Specialist, who in turn reports to the Global Head of Sourcing and Supplier Management.

The position for the Procurement Specialist (Category Manager) requires in-depth knowledge of category management strategies and practices, and skills to lead sourcing initiatives from business needs to contract closeout including conducting negotiations, and dispute resolution; collaborate with business partners; and advise colleagues in WBG office worldwide on policy related matters.

Key Accountability For This Position Includes

• Leads category management and sourcing initiatives for categories within Corporate Procurement Category Management.
• Prepares and implements category strategies in all areas of responsibility.
• Understands client’s needs, collaborates with clients in developing procurement plans.
• Undertakes internal analysis for demand patterns, explores areas of synergies with other related programs, uses category knowledge to propose improvement in service delivery format, pricing format etc.
• Conducts market research for current and emerging market trends, identifies sources of supply; analyzes financial reports (cash flow statements, income statements, balance sheets) of major corporations, takes a keen interest in industry benchmarks across international markets.
• Possesses expert level understanding of commerciality and can demonstrate achieving value for money through strategic planning, solicitation, and negotiations.
• Possesses good understanding of third-party risks and collaborates with business partners to mitigate risks through sourcing and managing risk during category management. Collaborates with business partners in functional areas such as sustainability, legal, data privacy, information security, etc. as projects are prepared, sourced, and managed.
• Maximizes positive impact on sustainability through the sourcing process and category management.
• Prepares and presents complex sourcing projects to WBG’s leadership for review and approval.
• Prepares solicitation documents, criteria for pre-qualification and evaluation, reviews technical specifications for completeness, errors, omissions, and competitive qualities.
• Conducts pre-proposal conferences, leads review of responses.
• Negotiates contract terms and conditions and manages negotiation process for technical specification and finalizes contracts for award.
• Resolves contractual issues, supports clients in monitoring vendor performance and timely delivery and quality of services, expedites delivery as appropriate.
• Conducts debriefing for dispute and protest.
• Undertakes contract administration to ensure compliance with WBG policy and contract terms.
• Provides guidance and direction to project managers on contract management issues.
• Performs any other job-related instructions, as requested, with reasonable accommodation.
• 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.
  
  

Work Implies Frequent Interaction With The Following

• WBG staff at all levels, typically Business Unit Managers, Country Directors and Managers, Chief Administrative Officers, Legal Counsels, Resource Managers, Administrative Procurement Review Committee Members, and Project Task Leaders etc.
• Supplier representatives typically heads of companies and VPs, account managers, sales representatives, and commodity specialists, and technical representatives etc.
  
  

Selection Criteria

• Master’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience. Recognized professional certifications (e.g., CPSM, CIPS) or courses would be highly desirable.
• Minimum seven years of relevant experience in category management and sourcing complex procurements.
• Knowledge of international procurement practices and public/private sector procedures, with required in-depth experience in corporate-level service procurement at an international organization or multinational company.
• Extensive experience in developing category strategies incorporating industry benchmark, understanding of sources of supply, market trends, pricing, etc.
• Strong negotiating skills, including the ability to negotiate complex contract terms and conditions (e.g., international regulations, technology issues, data privacy, indemnification, intellectual property, cultural issues, assignment, contract termination).
• Knowledge of sustainable procurement trends and practices, including supplier diversity & inclusion.
• Strong interpersonal and analytical capabilities and logical problem-solving skills, and ability to structure data and assign resources effectively, monitor implementation and deliver results in line with project goals. Proven experience in category management and category management and HR / professional services sourcing. The category includes but is not limited to consulting, staff augmentation, third party administration, financial services, insurance, market data and training.
• Project Management skills with extensive experience in managing multiple related projects to ensure the overall program is aligned and directly supports the achievement of strategic objectives.
• Ability to deal sensitively in a multicultural environment and build effective working relationships with clients, colleagues, and other stakeholders.
• Experience with MS Office applications and proficiency of technology and/or systems relevant to the functional area (e.g., SAP, MS Dynamics, eSourcing tools) is desirable.
  
  

General Competencies

• Superior communication skills in English (verbal, written, and comprehension), and ability to resolve interpersonal conflict.
• Ability to function effectively in multi-disciplinary teams within a matrix management environment, as well as an individual contributor.
• Strong client service orientation.
• Ability to analyze and compare various sources of data, information and digital content.
• Embracement of various digital tools and advocate for the use of emerging technologies in work program delivery.
• Other language skills would be an asset.
• Learn more about working at the World Bank , including our values, benefits and inspiring stories.
  
  

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.