Lead Procurement Specialist

World Bank Group•Washington, DC

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The World Bank Group is seeking an experienced and dynamic Lead Procurement Specialist to serve as the unit's focal point for procurement digitalization. This role will drive the strategic vision and operational delivery of OPSOP's digital procurement agenda, bridging procurement policy, systems architecture, user experience, and bring innovation from the tech world. The primary focus of this role is to lead OPSOP's procurement digitalization and AI agenda — serving as the institutional bridge between deep procurement expertise and the technology platforms, partners, and innovations that are reshaping how procurement is practiced. The selected candidate will drive the strategic vision and operational delivery of OPSOP's digital procurement agenda, with modernizing STEP, the procurement risk management, evidence based policy making and the Operations Portal as the core procurement platforms under the candidate's stewardship. The candidate will serve as the primary business owner of STEP 2.0, leading system enhancements, new module development, KPI monitoring, and data analytics — working closely with ITS to ensure that system design reflects field realities and operational needs. Beyond the core procurement systems, the candidate will ensure effective linkages between STEP 2.0 and critical platforms: the Funds Chain (financial management and disbursement) and the Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) digital tools. The candidate's role is to facilitate dialogue with the respective teams, technically reviewing integration options, and ensuring that data flows and workflows between these platforms and STEP 2.0 are smooth, coherent, and operationally useful for task teams and borrowers. A central responsibility of this role is to lead OPSOP's AI agenda — identifying, designing, and delivering AI-based solutions and tools that enhance procurement operations, risk management, contract analysis, market intelligence, and portfolio monitoring. The candidate will serve as OPSOP's lead for facilitating dialogue on AI use in public procurement across the Bank's regions, working with regional teams, task teams, and borrower governments to build awareness and promote adoption of AI-powered approaches tested and proven in field operations. The candidate will lead and manage OPSOP's AI in Procurement Knowledge Hub — the Bank's central repository for tools, case studies, guidance, and good practices at the AI-procurement intersection — and will convene communities of practice and learning events to accelerate knowledge sharing across regions. The candidate will build and sustain strong working relationships with ITS, the Digital VPU, and regional procurement teams, serving as a credible interlocutor who understands the dynamics of both the procurement community and the technology community. Working with the Digital VPU, the candidate will co-develop guidance, policy documents, and operational frameworks that translate procurement approaches into the context of a rapidly changing technology horizon, and will help clients and Bank teams tailor digital services to meet their specific needs. The candidate will champion responsible AI adoption, developing governance frameworks that ensure AI tools are deployed in line with the Bank's fiduciary obligations and values. The role also requires the candidate to provide intellectual leadership, mentoring, and coaching to OPSOP staff and digital specialists, contribute to knowledge products and external forums on e-procurement and procurement technology, and support the CPO and OPCS management in senior-level discussions on digital procurement investment and strategy.

Requirements

Master's degree or equivalent in a relevant field such as Information Systems, Engineering, Business Administration, Public Policy, Procurement, or Finance.
Minimum of 12 years of directly relevant procurement experience, with a substantial portion in operational procurement within the Bank operations.
Experience in at least two Bank's regions.
Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of operational procurement on complex projects across diverse lending instruments, including Investment Project Financing (IPF) and Program-for-Results (PforR).
Full accreditation as an Accredited Procurement Specialist (APS) under the World Bank's Procurement Framework.
Expert-level knowledge of current STEP — including its architecture, business processes, and integration with other corporate platforms.
Strong understanding of the linkages between procurement, financial management, and the ESF in the context of investment project financing.
Hands-on proficiency in advanced data analytics and the use of procurement data for portfolio management and risk monitoring.
Demonstrated, hands-on experience testing and applying AI tools in operational procurement settings at the field or country level — with evidence of real-world deployment and results.
Strong and continuously updated understanding of the technology landscape, including large language models (LLMs), natural language processing, machine learning, and agentic AI.
Ability to map procurement knowledge to technology architecture — serving as a bridge between operational procurement realities and intelligent system design.
Ability to anticipate upcoming changes in technology and proactively bring their implications into OPCS's operations and strategy.
Strong intellectual leadership.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Ability to build effective relationships across organizational boundaries — particularly with ITS, the Digital VPU, and regional teams.
Proven capacity to mentor staff, manage multidisciplinary teams, and foster a culture of innovation and continuous learning.
High personal integrity, sound judgment, and commitment to the World Bank's mission and values.
Oral and written mastery of English.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with open contracting standards, digital governance frameworks and DPI, and e-procurement systems design.
A strong background in digital technology, software development, data engineering, or systems architecture is a distinct advantage.
Familiarity with the Digital VPU's mandate, ITS platforms, and the organizational dynamics of technology delivery is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Lead OPSOP's procurement digitalization and AI agenda.
Serve as the institutional bridge between deep procurement expertise and technology platforms, partners, and innovations.
Drive the strategic vision and operational delivery of OPSOP's digital procurement agenda, modernizing STEP, procurement risk management, evidence-based policy making, and the Operations Portal.
Serve as the primary business owner of STEP 2.0, leading system enhancements, new module development, KPI monitoring, and data analytics.
Ensure effective linkages between STEP 2.0 and critical platforms: the Funds Chain and the Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) digital tools.
Lead OPSOP's AI agenda, identifying, designing, and delivering AI-based solutions and tools.
Serve as OPSOP's lead for facilitating dialogue on AI use in public procurement across the Bank's regions.
Lead and manage OPSOP's AI in Procurement Knowledge Hub.
Build and sustain strong working relationships with ITS, the Digital VPU, and regional procurement teams.
Co-develop guidance, policy documents, and operational frameworks that translate procurement approaches into the context of a rapidly changing technology horizon.
Champion responsible AI adoption, developing governance frameworks.
Provide intellectual leadership, mentoring, and coaching to OPSOP staff and digital specialists.
Contribute to knowledge products and external forums on e-procurement and procurement technology.
Support the CPO and OPCS management in senior-level discussions on digital procurement investment and strategy.