Associate Senior Product Owner - Operations Procurement, Washington DC

Associate Senior Product Owner - Operations Procurement Job #: req38015 Organization: World Bank Sector: Information Technology Grade: GG Term Duration: 2 years 0 months Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment Location: Washington, DC,United States Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s): Closing Date: 8/21/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? The World Bank Group is a unique global partnership of five institutions driven by a bold vision to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. As one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries, we help solve the world’s greatest development challenges. When you join the World Bank Group, you become part of a dynamic, diverse organization with 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide. We work with public and private sector partners, invest in groundbreaking projects, and use data, research, and technology to bring tangible and transformative change around the globe. For more information, visit  
ITS Vice Presidency Context
The Information and Technology Solutions (ITS) Vice Presidential Unit (VPU) enables the World Bank Group to achieve its mission of ending extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet by delivering transformative information and technologies to its staff working in over 150+ locations. For more information on ITS, see this video:

Department Context The World Bank Group (WBG) is committed to supporting country clients in achieving sustainable development outcomes, including improved health systems, economic growth, education access, climate resilience, and social equity. In this context, digital platforms and data play an increasingly critical role in how development projects are designed, implemented, and adapted. 
The ITS Operations Products unit (ITSOP) enables digital enablement of the Bank's business processes through a modern, flexible, and user-friendly digital platform that integrates and optimizes critical functions for thousands of front-line staff. It also drives the delivery of AI-powered business solutions to support business priorities and accelerate data-driven decision-making across the institution.
To strengthen the feedback loop between the realities on the ground and the digital tools that support operations, ITSOP is seeking a Regional Partner embedded within regional operations. This individual will serve as a trusted advisor to task teams, regional leadership, and product teams in identifying opportunities to optimize operations through fit-for-purpose technology solutions and smarter business processes. 
As the organization accelerates its adoption of emerging technologies to support development goals, the Regional Partner will play a critical role in identifying, analyzing, and promoting innovative solutions that enhance business processes, service delivery, and knowledge management.
Role Overview
Associate Senior Product Owner is responsible for co-creating, shaping, managing the product vision and roadmap for the Financing product line, ensuring alignment with World Bank Group priorities, the operational modernization agenda, and evolving client needs. As a subject matter expert in Product and Portfolio Management, this role focuses on the team backlog and leads large cross-functional team collaboration to deliver innovative, high-quality products, and optimize products across the product lifecycle. This role also monitors product performance, identifies opportunities, and provides insights to inform decision making and ensure successful execution.  Specific Responsibilities
• Engage with business stakeholders to fully understand their needs and challenges and translate them into viable product requirements and features.

• In collaboration with the Product Manager and the business stakeholders, create product vision, product roadmap and maintain and prioritize product backlog and user stories based on the requirements. • Drive the product execution to bring the product vision to life in collaboration with product manager, solution architects, developers, designers, and other cross-functional teams when applicable.

• Manage relationships with stakeholders and ensure alignment on product direction. • Deliver regular status updates to clients, identify and address risks, and reflect changes in requirements and priorities.

• Plan and execute updates and future releases through a data driven and agile approach. • Prepare estimates and communicate costs, oversee all stages of the product development, and lead the user acceptance testing process.

• Actively engage with the experience design and the service delivery teams to monitor and incorporate various needs and requirements, industry trends, and user feedback into the product. • Assess impact to end users and need for change management.

• Develop product KPIs that are measurable, actionable, and aligned with business goals and users’ objectives. • Actively monitor client needs, industry trends, Bank priorities, KPIs, and user feedback.

Selection Criteria

• Master’s degree in computer science/STEM with 8 years of relevant experience; or bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Demonstrated expertise in product ownership for a complex product  including backlogs, performance, team health etc. • Proven expertise in stakeholder engagement, product performance management, value proposition development, data driven decision making, product roadmap and requirement analysis, sprint planning and product development lifecycle.

• Demonstrated expertise in emerging technologies, systems thinking, change management, and innovation methodologies (e.g., AI, design thinking, agile)• Experience working in large, complex organizations or international development settings and delivering solutions in a global delivery model

• Strong executive communication and presentation skills with proven experience presenting product strategy, investment recommendations, business cases, and portfolio insights to senior leadership. • Plans and coordinates cross team delivery within Agile/SAFe environments (e.g., Azure DevOps); understands technical constraints and tradeoffs

• Demonstrated ability to provide thought leadership, and experience in developing and presenting high-impact business cases, portfolio analysis to large stakeholder group • Expertise in World Bank financing operations, operational policies, ADM processes, lending instruments, and project lifecycle management preferred.

• Strong understanding of operational modernization initiatives, process simplification, workflow automation, and digital transformation within operational environments. • Knowledge of World Bank’s Financing domain, business value drivers, and operational constraints preferred

• Certified in SAFe Product Manager/Product Owner, Certifications in other areas such as Design Thinking, AI would be preferred.

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.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

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.