Principal, Inclusive Procurement

Purpose of Job

The Principal is a member of the Gender and Economic Inclusion Team within the Policy, Strategy and Delivery Department (PSD) in the Vice Presidency for Policy and Partnerships (VP3). Under the overall guidance of the Associate Director G&EI Infra and Energy and the project manager, the post holder will develop and implement the Inclusive Procurement Policy workstream across the six Western Balkans countries, as part of the Inclusive and Socially Responsible Program (“ISRP” Program), funded by the Western Balkans Infrastructure Fund (WBIF). The ISRP program encompasses two main workstreams i) a policy component, to assess inclusive procurement policies in the six WB countries and ii) a pilot implementation in the Solid Waste Sector in North Macedonia, with the development of new nationality certified skills programs in waste management. The programme (pilot) involves the application of inclusive procurement principles to open up training and job opportunities in the context of the Regional Solid Waste Project, an EBRD loan of up to EUR 55 million to the Republic of North Macedonia for establishing and developing regional waste management systems in five administrative regions in the country. Through the work of the pilot programme, training and job opportunities arising from the implementation of the loan are expected to specifically benefit currently underrepresented groups. The programme also seeks to fill gaps in knowledge around the challenges and opportunities of applying ISRP in the Western Balkans, by carrying out a legal and regulatory assessment of the 6WB countries and developing standard language to be included in national procurement templates. The post holder will implement the scope of the policy assessment and support the dissemination of lessons learnt, including through engagement in relevant cross-IFI working groups and with the EU. The post holder will also be responsible for on-going policy dialogue with relevant authorities in the countries selected for the policy assessment to agree on recommendations and reflect them into on-going reform processes.

Background

G&EI consists of a team of around 45 experts in Human Capital, Skills, Gender and Inclusion based across Headquarter and ROs. It leads on the design and delivery of the Bank’s Gender Equality and Human Capital Strategy (2026-30) for across all areas and geographies of the Bank’s operations and policy engagements. Promoting equality of opportunity through access to skills and employment, finance and entrepreneurship and support for women, young people and other under-served communities is one of the three cross-cutting strategic themes of the Bank.

G&EI is part of the Vice Presidency for Policy and Partnerships, and within that the Policy and Strategy Delivery department (PSD). PSD consists of approximately 140 staff that support policy engagement across the Bank’s transition qualities (except for green), political assessments, country strategy development and economic assessments as well as to support the Bank’s compliance with Article 1.

Facts / Scale

• The Principal Inclusive Procurement Expert leads the multi-country legal and regulatory procurement system assessment under the EBRD’s EUR 2.7m grant programme with the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) in close coordination with the project manager based in North Macedonia. The programme is of utmost importance for the EBRD’s relationship with the EU and has the potential to unlock significant additional opportunities for the Bank in terms of investment and TC funds.
• In addition, the post holder advises on investment design and implementation across the EBRD’s 36 economies to the extent that investments have the potential to pilot and promote the application of ISRP and related approaches. Annually, the Principal Inclusive Procurement Expert is likely to advise on around 10-15 projects and oversee implementation activities on 5-7 investments.
• The post holder is responsible for the successful management of the consultant carrying out the policy assessment for each of the six WB countries, the delivery of outputs on time and to budget, as well as related donor engagement, reporting and, as necessary, additional fund raising. 
• The post holder will be expected to liaise with a large number of public procurement stakeholders at project and policy level and ensure strong involvement of relevant EBRD RO and HQ teams.

Accountabilities & Responsibilities

• Leads the implementation of ISRP and related approaches at project and policy level. This will include reviewing existing evidence and materials to support the effective implementation of ISRP approaches across EBRD investments, including on the North Macedonian Regional SW programme, and the development of new tools and guidelines to further scale up this work.
• Delivers the procurement system assessment for the six Western Balkans countries, overseeing the expert consultant and reviewing deliverables against the assignment’s objectives. This will require coordinating closely with public procurement authorities to agree on recommendations and next steps for implementation, including the drafting and integration of standard language into national procurement templates.
• Manages and coordinates internally all workstreams on ISRP, in close coordination with the project manager. This will include building and maintaining close contact with relevant departments within the EBRD such as PPAD, Donor Partnerships and others involved in promoting more inclusive procurement policies and practices among EBRD clients and stakeholders. One of the key tasks is also expected to be the development (or update) of standard language to be included in the procurement documents of EBRD financed projects that apply inclusive procurement approaches, in collaboration with EBRD’s procurement policy and project implementation advisors as relevant.
• Ensures strong visibility for the ISRP agenda. This will include (i) supporting the development of knowledge products on best practices and lessons learnt from the pilot implementation of ISRP in North Macedonia, (ii) contributing to roundtables and events to share insights about the programme and create awareness about the benefits of ISRP with relevant partners, including the EU, and (iii) pro-actively identifying opportunities to further advance the agenda through new partnerships and initiatives, and remaining involved in the international debate on inclusive and gender-responsive procurement.

Knowledge, Skills, Experience & Qualifications

• A postgraduate degree in Law (public procurement), Economics, International Development, and/or or relevant Social Sciences from a leading university
• Strong knowledge of public procurement, economic inclusion, equality of opportunity, human capital development and some post-graduate professional/work experience, gained for example through employment in an international organisation, relevant development or governmental institution, consultancy/company, think tank or academia.
• Experience leading and implementing policy-level interventions in the area of procurement, such as activities related to OECD MAPS or other relevant methodologies; experience supporting policy dialogue in the Western Balkans countries would be a particular asset.
• Excellent understanding of the infrastructure sector and public procurement processes in infrastructure, including for IFI financed projects; experience implementing inclusive procurement approaches in the private sector would also be relevant.
• Strong stakeholder management skills; client-oriented and practical approach.
• Excellent oral and writing skills in English; knowledge of Macedonian and/or other Western Balkans languages would be a strong advantage.
• Ability to think strategically and to innovate.

What is it like to work at the EBRD?

Our agile and innovative approach is what makes life at the EBRD a unique experience! You will be part of a pioneering and diverse international organisation, and use your talents to make a real difference to people's lives and help shape the future of the regions we invest in. 

The EBRD environment provides you with:

• Varied, stimulating and engaging work that gives you an opportunity to interact with a wide range of experts in the financial, political, public and private sectors across the regions we invest in;
• A working culture that embraces inclusion and celebrates diversity;
• An environment that places sustainability, equality and digital  transformation at the heart of what we do.

Diversity is one of the Bank’s core values which are at the heart of everything it does.  A diverse workforce with the right knowledge and skills enables connection with our clients, brings pioneering ideas, energy and innovation. The EBRD staff is characterised by its rich diversity of nationalities, cultures and opinions and we aim to sustain and build on this strength. As such, the EBRD seeks to ensure that everyone is treated with respect and given equal opportunities and works in an inclusive environment. The EBRD encourages all qualified candidates who are nationals of the EBRD member countries to apply regardless of their racial, ethnic, religious and cultural background, gender, sexual orientation or disabilities.  As an inclusive employer, we promote flexible working and expecting our employee to attend the office 50% of their working time.

Please note, that due to the high volume of applications received, we regret to inform you that we are unable to provide detailed feedback to candidates who have not been shortlisted (for further consideration).