Procurement Assistant

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. 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, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. 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. 

The Corporate Procurement Unit is responsible for the procurement of goods, works and services (including consulting services) to support the WBG’s 130+ offices around the world. Corporate Procurement manages an annual spend around USD 2B with around 25,000 vendors. The team has staff located in Washington, DC, Chennai, India and Sofia, Bulgaria. Corporate Procurement utilizes category management to achieve better outcomes, improved quality, greater savings, efficient use of resources, a better understanding of the market, and an increased focus on collaboration and innovation.  Corporate Procurement focuses on three key principles: Commerciality, Risk Management, and Environmental, Social, and Governance outcomes. Categories of spend include: i) Corporate Services and Real Estate; ii) Human Resources and Professional Services; and iii) Technology. To learn more about Corporate Procurement, visit: CP website.  

Responsibilities: 

The Procurement Assistant position in the Service Desk is located in Chennai, India. This position reports to Procurement Specialist. The Procurement Specialist reports to Senior Procurement Specialist (Head of Chennai and Procurement Operations), who in turn reports to the Chief of Corporate Procurement.

The position requires skills and relevant work experience in procurement advisory, strong interpersonal relationships, and excellent communication skills. Direct client interface would form a core part of the work.

Key responsibilities for this position include: 

• Respond to client calls and e-mails on procurement matters
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues using all available resources
• Follow up with clients regularly on open cases
• Ensure that all client requests are clearly and accurately documented with case-management software
• Learn and adhere to established operating procedures
• Perform ad hoc administrative duties
• Undertake regular training to enhance knowledge of procurement services, policies, procedures, and systems
• Provide operational support as assigned (creating purchase/change orders, registering vendors, supporting PCard transactions, supporting sourcing and contract management tasks)
• Collect and analyze responses from service desk customer-service surveys and pinpoint areas for improvement
• Run reports and perform ad hoc research and analysis for service streams
• Carry out regular audits to ensure that it meets internal standards for quality, accuracy, and timeliness
• Produce and maintain up-to-date, detailed reference manuals describing all internal processes and tasks
• Assist with the development of a comprehensive database of FAQs to resolve client queries
• Serve as a liaison with service streams and clients to continuously enhance efficiencies
• Build and maintain courteous and effective working relations with vendors, clients, and colleagues
• Due to the requirements of the job, this position will require frequent adjustments to the work schedule and time zone differences with many of the clients it supports. It may also involve a limited amount of travel.

Selection Criteria:

• Associate degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum two years of relevant experience helping international clients in a customer-support environment.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to speak articulately, write clearly and concisely, and determine whether the message was properly understood.
• Strong grasp of business English, including correct and appropriate grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Advanced familiarity of highly diverse and intricate work routines, processes, and procedures.
• Ability to learn and ask for guidance in organizing effectively assigned work tasks.
• Strong work ethic, meticulous attention to detail, and proven ability to work well under pressure.
• Good organizational skills, and ability to work capably in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment, managing multiple tasks within tight deadlines.
• Ability to deal sensitively in a multicultural environment and build effective working relationships with clients, colleagues, and other stakeholders.
• Strong digital skills & digital/IT literacy, including working knowledge of call-tracking systems and MS Office applications and proficiency of technology and/or systems relevant to the functional area (e.g., SAP, R3, Admin Portal, Microsoft Dynamics) is desirable.

General Competencies:

• Awareness of basic concepts of Project Management as they relate to the execution of tasks within a project.
• Participates in tactical negotiations or is involved in supporting others, under supervision, with larger projects.
• Superior communication skills in English (verbal, written, and comprehension), and ability to resolve interpersonal conflict.
• Cross-functional team player and ability to function effectively in multi-disciplinary teams within a matrix management environment, as well as an individual contributor.
• Strong client service orientation.

Source: https://worldbankgroup.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=27241&site=1