Corporate Procurement Category Analyst at World Bank Group

The Category Management Analyst position will report to the Senior Procurement Specialist who in turn reports to the Global Head of Sourcing and Supplier Management. This position 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, prepares and implements strategies and sourcing initiatives for categories within Corporate Procurement Category Management.
• Understands client’s needs, aligns them with category strategies, generates solicitations, and manages bidding process for assigned areas; collaborates with clients in developing procurement plans; 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Conducts pre-proposal conferences, leads review of responses and conducts debriefing for dispute and protest.
• 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.
• Undertakes contract administration to ensure compliance with WBG policy and contract terms.
• Provides guidance and direction to project managers on contract management issues.
• 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

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience. Recognized professional certifications (e.g., CPSM, CIPS) or courses would be highly desirable.
• Minimum five 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 activities.
• 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.
• 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