Lead Corporate Services Specialist

About the Role

The Islamic Development Bank is seeking a Lead Corporate Services Specialist to provide senior substantive advice to the Director-General, Corporate Services (DGCS). This role focuses on cross-cutting Corporate Services policies, operating models, service delivery, transformation, and governance matters. The position is based in Jeddah and is offered on a contract basis.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide evidence-based advice to the DGCS on Corporate Services policies, operating models, and service-delivery arrangements.
• Assess strategic, operational, financial, organizational, workforce, technology, sourcing, governance, control, risk, and implementation implications of proposals.
• Review interfaces and dependencies across Corporate Services functions, including HR, administration, facilities, technology, and procurement, to identify gaps and opportunities for integration.
• Benchmark relevant Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) and industry practices and assess their applicability to the Bank’s context and strategy.
• Quality-assure the technical and policy substance of assigned Corporate Services submissions, business cases, policy proposals, and transformation initiatives.
• Prepare concise technical briefs outlining issues, evidence, assumptions, options, risks, trade-offs, and recommended courses of action.
• Evaluate Corporate Services operating-model and organizational-design proposals for clarity, accountability, interfaces, capacity, cost, controls, and strategic alignment.
• Assess service-delivery performance and root causes of cross-functional inefficiency, recommending corrective or redesign options.
• Advise on transformation and digitalization initiatives, including process simplification, automation, data use, and technology-enabled service delivery.
• Assess alternative delivery models such as insourcing, outsourcing, managed services, and shared-service arrangements.
• Coordinate technical inputs from accountable Corporate Services units to develop integrated analyses or recommendations for the DGCS.
• Facilitate resolution of substantive cross-functional policy, process, operating-model, and service-delivery issues assigned by the DGCS.
• Follow up on the implementation of assigned technical recommendations and advise the DGCS on material barriers or required decisions.
• Identify inconsistencies, gaps, or overlaps across Corporate Services policies, processes, mandates, and service standards, recommending corrective action.
• Develop and maintain knowledge of Corporate Services trends, MDB practices, and emerging service-delivery models.

Qualifications and Experience

• A minimum of 10 years of relevant experience is required for this role.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to assess complex strategic, operational, and financial implications.
• Ability to benchmark industry practices and apply them to the Bank’s context.
• Proficiency in preparing concise technical briefs and providing substantive decision support.
• Expertise in evaluating operating models, organizational designs, and service delivery performance.
• Capability to advise on transformation, digitalization, and alternative delivery models.
• Effective coordination and facilitation skills for cross-functional technical integration.
• Strong understanding of corporate services policy coherence, knowledge management, and continuous improvement.

Work Environment

This role operates within the Corporate Services Directorate, providing senior advisory support while respecting the operational authority of respective Directors and Business Units. The position is based in Jeddah.

Application Process

Interested candidates are invited to apply for this contract position. Salary details will be discussed during the recruitment process.