The World Bank is seeking a Senior Procurement Specialist for its Eastern and Southern Africa Region, based in Bujumbura, Burundi. This role involves providing technical fiduciary advice on procurement activities, supporting clients in achieving value for money, and leading procurement reforms. The specialist will work closely with various stakeholders, including government officials and procurement specialists, to enhance procurement systems and service delivery. The position requires a strong background in public procurement and the ability to operate effectively in a multi-cultural environment.
Candidate Requirements:
Master’s degree in relevant field
Minimum 10 years of experience in public procurement
Knowledge of international procurement principles
Ability to work in multi-cultural environments
Strong writing skills
Excellent command of English and French
Knowledge of procurement reforms
Proficient in Excel and data analytics tools
Experience in FCV and low-capacity environments
Experience in at least 2 countries
E T Consultant
Job #:
req36859
Organization:
World Bank
Sector:
Procurement
Grade:
EC2
Term Duration:
1 year 0 months
Recruitment Type:
Local Recruitment
Location:
Burundi
Required Language(s):
English / French
Preferred Language(s):
Closing Date:
6/10/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
Description
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? 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 and promoting shared prosperity. 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. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org
Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE) Region
We need the best and brightest talent focused on our region in order to harness the potential and innovation happening across the continent. Home to about 700 million of Africa’s people, Eastern and Southern Africa is a geographically, culturally and economically diverse region of 26 countries. The subregion harbors some of Africa’s protracted conflicts, rendering many of its countries fragile, while significant gaps in education, health, and skills development continues to keep people from reaching their full potential. This creates a huge development challenge, impacts heavily on the lives and livelihoods of people, and hinders regional integration and trade! But it also creates an opportunity to work closely with country leaders, civil society, development partners, and young people to chart a brighter course for the future.
The Institutions Global Department comprises a variety of different professional disciplines working on public institutions, including procurement, public sector management, governance and anti-corruption, and financial management. The Procurement Department convenes a leading group of practitioners focused on advancing cutting-edge practices and innovations in the fields of procurement, anti-corruption and open government. To enhance its capacity, the Department seeks to recruit/appoint a highly organized, energized and experienced professional, capable of operating effectively.
The Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE) Region’s Procurement Unit is largely decentralized and based in 20+ country offices. The Procurement team in AFE is managed by an Accredited Practice Managers (PM) who is based at Nairobi and Pretoria. AFE Procurement Unit seeks to recruit a locally hired Senior Procurement Specialist to be based in Bujumbura, Burundi to provide support as ADM procurement Specialist for part of Burundi portfolio and Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and provide Hands on Expanded Implementation Support (HEIS) to any other country where required. The Procurement Specialist will be working under the guidance of the Procurement Team Leader based in Kinshasa, DRC and will report to the AFE Accredited Practice Manager based Pretoria.
Job Duties and Responsibilities:
• Provides technical fiduciary advice on procurement activities and engages in policy dialogue to strengthen procurement systems in client countries.
• Supports clients in achieving value for money (VFM) in public procurement to enhance service delivery and development outcomes with integrity.
• Understand relevant procurement markets using analytical tools and approaches to define more effective procurement strategies.
• Supports Borrowers to conduct market research and early market engagement to define optimal procurement approaches, preparing Project Procurement Strategy for Development and develop procurement plans
• Lead in the preparation of OPRC case reports and conduct initial review of OPRC cases
• Participates in missions and plays a key role in developing practical approaches to procurement while simultaneously dealing with difficult policy and operational issues.
• Prepares and/or comments on draft operational directives and policy papers; produces major/complex reports.
• Develops and executes training modules on complex sector related procurement topics.
• Provides hands on support to Borrowers to prepare bidding documents and procurement strategy for development
• Provide hands on expanded implementation support (HEIS) to other countries as required
• Lead procurement reforms including implementation of e-procurement systems working closely with Public Procurement Regulatory body
• Leads capacity building activities
The work implies frequent interaction with the following stakeholders:
• Management in the duty station and on some occasions in HQ or other countries.
• Government officials and equivalent contacts in other international organizations, partner entities, etc.
• Procurement specialists within the World Bank and government units.
• Counterparts in the Bank across VPUs, Global Practices and other units involved in meeting the Bank’s business objectives.
• Other external constituencies and expert groups.
Selection Criteria
• Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g. business administration, engineering, commerce, law, procurement, etc.)
• Minimum of 10 years of direct relevant experience in carrying out technical duties in public procurement on Donor/MDB financed project procurement.
• Knowledge of the concepts, principles and practices governing international procurement, with the ability to translate concepts into operational work, such as VFM, sustainable procurement, strategic sourcing, market analysis, contract management, etc...
• Good knowledge of concepts, principles and approaches to international procurement and of public procurement systems.
• Ability to deal sensitively in a multi-cultural environment and build effective working relations with clients and colleagues.
• High levels of integrity and proactivity
• Strong writing skills demonstrated by recent papers/documents and highly persuasive in work approach
• Excellent command of English and French. Those with basic knowledge of French language and willing to deepen the knowledge will be considered
• Knowledge of institutions and procurement reforms in work countries
• Excellent knowledge of excel and good knowledge of data mining and analytics tools such as Power BI, Tableau etc
• Experience in working in FCV and low-capacity environment.
• Experience working in at least 2 countries as consultants or staff of an organization
WBG Culture Attributes:
1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders. 2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact. 3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.
As per WBG policy, an Extended Term (ET) appointment is subject to a lifetime maximum of three (3) years. Former and current ET staff who have completed or are in the process of completing their third-year ET appointment are not eligible for future ET appointments.
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.
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Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.
Summary by Impactpool
The World Bank is seeking a Senior Procurement Specialist for its Eastern and Southern Africa Region, based in Bujumbura, Burundi. This role involves providing technical fiduciary advice on procurement activities, supporting clients in achieving value for money, and leading procurement reforms. The specialist will work closely with various stakeholders, including government officials and procurement specialists, to enhance procurement systems and service delivery. The position requires a strong background in public procurement and the ability to operate effectively in a multi-cultural environment.
Candidate Requirements:
Master’s degree in relevant field
Minimum 10 years of experience in public procurement
Knowledge of international procurement principles
Ability to work in multi-cultural environments
Strong writing skills
Excellent command of English and French
Knowledge of procurement reforms
Proficient in Excel and data analytics tools
Experience in FCV and low-capacity environments
Experience in at least 2 countries
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