Associate Director, Head of Procurement & Implementation - European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (Istanbul)

About this position

The summary below is published by European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on the official vacancy notice. Our own analysis — salary realism, comparable openings, career trajectory, language profile — follows further down the page.

Key responsibilities

According to the vacancy notice, the role centres on the following duties:

• Lead, develop, and manage a high-performing procurement team of approximately 8-10 procurement professionals
• Direct procurement operations across assigned regions, ensuring compliance with institutional policies and international best practices
• Provide strategic procurement advice across the full project lifecycle, from concept design through implementation
• Establish and maintain robust procurement governance frameworks to ensure consistency, transparency, and accountability
• Identify, assess, and mitigate procurement risks, ensuring appropriate controls and escalation mechanisms
• Review and approve procurement documentation, contracts, and variations
• Drive procurement transformation initiatives and lead adoption of MDB procurement best practices
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including clients and co-financing institutions

Are you eligible?

Check these requirements from the notice before investing time in an application:

• Education: Degree in Business, Finance, Law, Engineering, or related field
• Experience: Demonstrable extensive practical experience in procurement and project implementation in developing countries or countries in transition; proven experience leading procurement operations in complex, multi-project and multi-regional environments; proven experience in leading procurement reform and change initiatives; experience in leading and developing teams
• Languages: English (C1)
• Key skills: Strong understanding of procurement policies, governance frameworks, and international best practices in MDB/IFI environments, Strong financial and commercial knowledge, including application of value-for-money principles, In-depth knowledge of internationally accepted forms of contract (FIDIC/NEC etc), Excellent written and verbal communication skills, Stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills, People and team management skills in multi-cultural and geographically dispersed organisations, Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving, and sound judgment, High level of accountability and decision-making capability, Ability to operate effectively in complex, fast-changing, and multicultural environments, Flexibility and adaptability to changing duty stations

Contract and working arrangements

Contract duration: 4 years, which may be extended for up to another 4 years, up to a maximum of 8 years.

Hiring unit: Project Procurement Department (PPD).

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Associate Director, Head of Procurement & Implementation at EBRD based in Istanbul.

Requisition ID 36886 Office Country Türkiye Office City Istanbul Division Project Procurement Contract Type Fixed Term Contract Length 4 years Posting End Date 25/10/2026

Purpose of Job

The Associate Director, Head of Procurement and Implementation, provides strategic and operational leadership for procurement activities across a multi-regional portfolio.

The role leads and manages a team of procurement professionals and works in close collaboration with internal departments and external stakeholders to ensure procurement processes are efficient, transparent, and compliant with institutional policies, including the Bank’s Procurement Policies and Rules (PPRs), PPD’s Operational Standards and international best practices.

The position is responsible for driving procurement governance, risk management, and continuous improvement to support effective project delivery, ensure value for money, and safeguard fiduciary integrity. It also plays a key role in leading procurement transformation and adapting practices to evolving geopolitical and economic environments.

Background

Since its inception in 1991, in its countries of operation, The Bank has invested more than EUR 215 billion in over 7,600 projects in the public and private sector. PPD’s key role is to ensure that all Bank-financed procurement is conducted efficiently, transparently and in compliance with the Bank’s PPRs, keeping procurement aligned with the Bank’s principles and vision and supporting better development outcomes. The Project Procurement Department (PPD) defines procurement policy, provides advisory services, ensures compliance across all procurement activities, and supports clients in achieving value for money through effective procurement implementation.

The Head of Procurement and Implementation Unit provides operational leadership across a flexible regional portfolio, where geographic coverage may evolve in line with business needs. It works closely with banking teams, legal, risk, the environmental and social and finance functions, as well as external clients and stakeholders, to ensure procurement processes are transparent, competitive, and aligned with institutional objectives and the Bank’s PPRs and PPD’s Operational Standards.

The Associate Director provides strategic procurement advice to its team of procurement professionals, Operational Leaders (OLS) and clients across all stages of the project lifecycle and manages relationships with external clients from the early stages of project design through to implementation on all procurement related matters.

The role is central to maintaining strong governance, ensuring consistency in procurement practices, and supporting the Bank’s clients to deliver complex, high-value projects.

Facts / Scale

- The current annual value of Bank-financed operations in the public and private sector is circa. EUR 16 billion. - Leads and manages a team of approximately 8 -10 procurement professionals across headquarters and countries of operation. This includes administrative staff. - The role interfaces with senior management, governance committees, internal and external stakeholders including clients and co-financing MDBs/IFIs. - Advises on procurement and implementation issues for multiple complex projects across sectors and geographies with changing regional coverage.

Accountabilities & Responsibilities

Leadership and Team Management

- Lead, develop, and manage a high-performing procurement team, ensuring capability development, accountability, and delivery against agreed objectives and KPIs - Promote and role model corporate behaviours and institutional values. - Proven role model for collaboration and delivering effective solutions relating to both people and technical matters,

Procurement Delivery and Advisory

- Direct procurement operations across assigned regions, ensuring compliance with institutional policies, procedures, including the Bank’s PPRs, and international best practices. - Accountable for delivery against contracting and disbursement objectives across the unit’s portfolio. - Establish, monitor and act on performance indicators and delivery metrics supporting PPAD scorecard outcomes. - Provide strategic procurement advice across the full project lifecycle, from concept design through implementation. - Ensure procurement inputs are timely, appropriate, and aligned with operational priorities and value-for-money principles.

Governance, Risk and Compliance

- Establish and maintain robust procurement governance frameworks to ensure consistency, transparency, and accountability. - Identify, assess, and mitigate procurement risks, ensuring appropriate controls and escalation mechanisms are in place from design through implementation. - Review and approve procurement documentation, contracts, and variations, ensuring compliance, accuracy, and fiduciary integrity.

Procurement Reform and Change Management

- Act as a change leader, driving the design and implementation of upstream (policy, strategy, planning) and downstream (implementation, contract management) procurement reforms. - Lead and champion procurement transformation initiatives to enhance efficiency, transparency, and delivery outcomes. - Drive the adoption and institutionalisation of leading Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) procurement best practices across the portfolio.

Stakeholder Engagement and Influence

- Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including senior management, clients, and co-financing institutions. - Influence decision-making and ensure alignment on procurement strategies and outcomes.

Performance and Continuous Improvement

- Monitor procurement performance and report on risks, compliance, and outcomes to senior management and governance bodies. - Drive continuous improvement of procurement policies, processes, and tools to enhance operational effectiveness.

Communication and Documentation Quality

- Ensure all procurement documentation is clear, well-structured, and compliant with institutional standards, tailored to the audience and clearly articulated. - Ensuring communications are clear, consistent, and accessible.

Knowledge, Skills, Experience & Qualifications

Knowledge and Experience

•Strong understanding of procurement policies, governance frameworks, and international best practices, particularly within MDB/IFI environments.

- Demonstrable extensive practical experience in procurement and project implementation in developing countries or countries in transition, with a strong knowledge of risk management as well as best modern procurement practices.

- Proven experience leading procurement operations in complex, multi-project and multi-regional environments.

- Strong financial and commercial knowledge, including application of value-for-money principles.

- In-depth knowledge of internationally accepted forms of contract (for example, FIDIC/NEC etc).

- Proven experience in leading procurement reform and change initiatives.

- Proven ability to manage senior stakeholders and influence decision-making.

- Experience in leading and developing teams.

- Proven role model for collaboration and delivering effective solutions relating to both people and technical matters,

Skills

•Proven excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to delivery clear, concise and fit for purpose messages, tailored to diverse audiences and presented in a structured and streamlined manner.

- Proven stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships and collaborate effectively across diverse internal and external stakeholders.

- Demonstrate people and team management skills, in a multi-cultural and geographically dispersed organisation.

- Proven strong analytical thinking, problem-solving, and sound judgment.

- High level of accountability and decision-making capability.

- Track record of mitigating conflicts and demonstrating balanced and inclusive behaviour

- Ability to operate effectively in complex, fast-changing, and multicultural environments including the management competing priorities to support project delivery.

- Excellent written and spoken English language skills.

- Demonstrate flexibility and adaptability to changing duty stations in line with the Bank’s evolving business needs.

Education & Qualifications

•Degree in Business, Finance, Law, Engineering, or related field.

- Professional certification (e.g. CIPS or equivalent) would be advantageous.

The length of the fixed term contract is 4 years, which may be extended for up to another 4 years, up to a maximum of 8 years.

What is it like to work at the EBRD? / About 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.

At EBRD, our Values – Inclusiveness, Innovation, Trust, and Responsibility – are at the heart of how we work. We bring these to life through our Workplace Behaviours: listening well and speaking up, collaborating smartly, acting decisively with full commitment, and simplifying to amplify our impact. These principles shape our culture and define our success. We seek individuals who not only share these values but are also committed to embedding them in their daily work, fostering a positive and high-performing environment.

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.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 9 October 2026, 9 days ago.

No closing date is published in the source feed for this position. EU vacancies typically remain open for four to eight weeks; check the official vacancy notice for the cut-off date and time.

Last verified against the EU Careers feed on 18 October 2026.

Where to learn more

For headcount, mission, and other open vacancies at EBRD see the EBRD institution page; for the cost of living, correction coefficient, and other postings in Istanbul see our Istanbul location page.

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