Senior Procurement Specialist

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Senior Procurement Specialist

Country

United Kingdom

City

London

Department

Operational Policies Vice Presidency

Business Unit

Procurement

Closing date for applications

1 January 2013

Role Overview

The EBRD finances public and private sector loans in its countries of operations in Central & Eastern Europe and in countries of the former Soviet Unionas well as the, for the Bank, new Southern Mediterranean (‘SEMED’) region. Procurement within these projects, either financed directly by the Bank or by donor funds managed by the Bank, is governed by the Bank’s Procurement Policies and Rules (PP&R) as approved by the Board. 

The Procurement Director is the custodian of the PP&R. The Procurement Director exercises this responsibility with the assistance of procurement specialists whose functions always involve, at varying degrees, two components: a policy function (expert interpretation of the PP&R) and an implementation function (advising the operation Team, clients, ensuring compliance, monitoring).

 

The Senior Procurement Specialist is a very senior procurement authority and is the specialist through whom the Director of PD exercises his/her responsibility for the procurement policy function, on both public and private sector procurement matters. The Senior Procurement Specialists exercise its delegated authority in an autonomous fashion, consulting with the PD Director for guidance in more complex cases. 

This job description covers the position as Senior Procurement Specialist in the Procurement Department with focus on what is for the Bank a new geographical region, “SEMED”.

Key Responsibilities and Deliverables

Policy

• Provide guidance and support in the interpretation and implementation of the Bank’s Procurement Policies and Rules for both public and private sector operations.
• Propose policy updates and amendments, as appropriate, in order to improve and maintain the Bank’s PP&R.
• As appropriate, propose and develop new or amended, procurement guidelines and standard documents in order to maintain these current.
• Develop and maintain relationships with procurement counterparts in other IFIs, procurement associations, and with procurement authorities in countries of operations to share lessons from other institutions and always be up to date concerning best practice.
• Review and analyse countries of operations’ procurement laws and co-financiers procedures to assess their compatibility with the PP&R and initiate discussions to resolve conflicts between these that would prevent the Bank from financing transactions.
• Actively participate in meetings with PD staff and Business Procurement Specialists, sharing lessons learnt and proposing improvements.
• Prepare and/or contribute to the preparation of procurement guidance notes for publication on the Bank’s intranet.

Compliance

• Advise and propose changes on issues related to the internal approval procedures (the Bank’s no-objection process) to ensure that tendering and contract implementation are efficient and comply with the PP&Rs.
• Review complaints and submit recommendations to the Procurement Director.
• Provide support to the Office of the Chief Compliance Officer in the review of any possible allegations of fraudulent and corrupt practices in relations to procurement.
• Review exceptions to open tendering, or other material changes representing issues such as derogations to the PP&Rs, prior to submission to the Operations Committee

Quality

• Ensure that project documents, satisfactorily address procurement and contracting arrangements prior to submission to the Operations Committee. In cases of financing of Private Parties to concession or similar undertakings, ensure that the proposed transaction and procedures meets the requirements of the policy on EBRD Financing of Private Parties to Concessions
• Participate in the selective review of tender documents and tender evaluation reports for pre-identified high risk contracts.
• Manage Independent Procurement Reviews of public sector projects in order to determine their degree of conformity with the agreed procurement and implementation procedures.
• Participate in the preparation of the Annual Procurement Report to the Executive Committee, the Audit Committee and the Board of Directors.

Training and Outreach

• Develop and arrange training and information activities on procurement for Bank staff, clients and business community to consolidate and develop competences and familiarity with the Bank’s PP&R.

Special tasks

• The focus of this position is the Bank’s SEMED region but the incumbent will also support the Department in covering procurement related activities Bank wide.
• Ensure the Bank’s PP&R, Tender Documents, procurement guidance notes and other relevant procurement material is available in French and kept to a current standard.
• Provide hands on support to the Bank’s Procurement specialists in Banking and provide professional advice, development and guidance to more junior staff.

Essential Skills, Experience & Qualifications

Candidates must possess extensive practical and relevant procurement experience (minimum 10 years) and educated to Degree level or equivalent, preferably in business administration, engineering or law. This position requires:

·           Extensive practical experience in project implementation involving international procurement with
extensive knowledge and understanding of the procurement principles and practices of multilateral development banks.

·                Experience in developing, reviewing, correcting standard tender documents and procurement policies

·                Demonstrated and recognised significant experience in providing procurement advice and guidance to more junior staff

·                Experience in dealing with senior procurement interlocutors and counterparts in MDBs

·                Good communication skills including presentation and strong negotiation skills.

·                Integrity and ability to implement fiduciary responsibilities.

·                Handling complaints and interpreting complex documents and policies experience demonstrating problem solving.

·                Excellent French and English language skills, both oral and written. Knowledge of the SEMED region and other languages spoken in the region is an advantage.

Competencies & Personal Attributes

• Technical & Professional Expertise – the ability to make effective and appropriate use of the technical skills and knowledge as described above, with a good understanding of corporate governance and issues of segregation of authorities.
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• Strategic Thinking – Capable of thinking strategically, being aware of relevant threats and opportunities which present themselves to the organisation and developing appropriate strategies for management consideration. 
• Team Player – capable of working in a team environment and provide constructive input and feasible solutions..
• Analytical Capacity – demonstrated analytical capacity to understand and resolve problems
• Communication skills – the ability to communicate appropriate, concise, articulate and accurate information in written and verbal formats to the right audience at the right time and to all levels of seniority both inside the EBRD, in other organisations, clients and third parties.
• Judgement - Problem solver with good personal and business judgement.
• Results Orientation and Drive - dedication, self motivated, readiness to work under diverse pressures and strict deadlines, allied to high commitment, in providing strategic orientation and policy vision in order to support the achievement of the Bank’s business goals and objectives.
• Client Service Oriented – the capacity to ensure that professional solutions are delivered in accordance with best practice in public and private sector operations while assisting the Bank in meeting its operations objectives.
• Organisational awareness and alignment – demonstrate a good understanding of the Bank’s mandate and be sensitive to the Bank’s culture and the ways of getting things done and being able to navigate within such a framework.

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