AFEDE Operations Adviser

AFEDE Operations Adviser

Job #:

req20452

Organization:

World Bank

Sector:

Operations

Grade:

GH

Term Duration:

4 years 0 months

Recruitment Type:

International Recruitment

Location:

Washington, DC,United States

Required Language(s):

English

Preferred Language(s):

French or Portuguese

Closing Date:

1/9/2023 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

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. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org

Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE)

Home to about 700 million people, the World Bank's Eastern and Southern Africa Region (AFE) is a geographically, culturally, and an economically diverse region of 26 countries stretching from the Red Sea in the North to the Cape of Good Hope in the South. South Africa, an upper middle-income country, is the Region's largest economy, followed by Angola, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Seychelles and Mauritius are the Region's only high-income economies. The Region boasts some of the world's richest natural resources. Democratic Republic of Congo produces much of the world's mined cobalt, and Angola leads the Region in the production of crude oil. For many Eastern African countries, agricultural products are the main commodity. For Southern African countries, precious metals and minerals are the biggest exports, including gold and diamonds from South Africa and platinum from Zimbabwe. While much of Africa's population lives in rural areas, Eastern and Southern African cities continue to grow.

The AFE Region harbors some of Africa's protracted conflicts (13 countries in the AFE Region are classified as FCVs), rendering many of its countries fragile, while significant gaps in education, health, and skills development continue to keep people from reaching their full potential. This creates huge development challenges and impacts heavily on the lives and livelihoods of people, and hinders regional integration and trade. The Horn of Africa, which already has 22 million severely food insecure people and more than 12 million internally displaced, is facing a critical food security emergency particularly after the conflict started in Ukraine. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on human life, strained health systems and with contracting agricultural production (because of the war in Ukraine), several AFE countries (including Somalia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan and others) could face a severe food security crisis.

These challenges create an opportunity to work closely with country leaders, civil society, development partners, and young people to chart a brighter course for the future, as well as regional economic organizations, which play a strong role in helping countries reach their development potential.

The World Bank Group (WBG) has been helping countries realize their considerable development potential by focusing on priorities detailed in the World Bank Africa strategy, including building up the digital economy, increasing access to energy, provisioning of water and sanitation services, creating jobs and transforming economies while also building human capital. Focusing on gender issues is a priority. The strategy also prioritizes regional integration to maximize development impact for clients.

Read more: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/eastern-and-southern-africa

UNIT CONTEXT

AFE's Development Effectiveness Unit (AFEDE) is part of the AFEVP's Front Office structure. The unit reports to the Director of Strategy and Operations. The unit leads the Region's work on quality assurance and operational support services for all financing instruments. The unit plays an important role in advising management and operational teams to ensure the highest quality of its operational deliveries. A team of about 20 staff offers high quality inputs across key stages of strategy formulation and program/project preparation and implementation; embeds the WBG's twin goals and AFE's regional priorities into operations and outputs; and helps the Region deliver impactful strategies and operations to its client countries. The work program ranges from Quality Assurance; Pipeline and Portfolio management and monitoring, Results Measurement and Management; Regional Environmental and Social Standards Advisory services; Regional Risk Management; support on Regional and Corporate priorities (including Climate, Gender and PCM/PCE); and Operational Learning and Knowledge Sharing targeted to regional staff. It houses the Secretariat of the Regional Operations Committee.

Duties & Accountabilities

AFEDE is looking for a high-performing, energetic team member who possesses adaptability and flexibility in providing support to the Region and in taking on special assignments as the need arises. His/her main accountabilities would include:

• Providing strategic operational support and policy guidance to task teams and Regional management in connection with the preparation, approval, implementation, and evaluation of IPFs (including Guarantees), PforRs, and innovative approaches such as MPAs.
• Advising Regional management and staff on complex operational issues, including strategic, technical, and institutional aspects.
• Championing the identification and dissemination of innovative operational approaches and best practices across CMUs and RD offices and leading a community of practice.
• Reviewing lending packages (during project preparation, approval, and implementation) to ensure that the Bank and the Region's due diligence (and quality) standards are met.
• Working with cross-cutting teams of Bank staff and outside experts to address operational issues and innovations.
• Liaising with OPCS, DFi, Legal, IEG, and other corporate players on quality, portfolio, and operational issues.
• Mentoring junior operational staff.

Selection Criteria

• Masters in a relevant field (Economics, Business Studies, Political Science, Finance, International Relations, or similar filed relevant to the Bank's mission) and 12 years of relevant experience. Prior substantive and sustained work experience in achieving results on the ground in more than one world region or corporate (including both pre-Bank experience and Bank experience).
• Prior substantive and sustained work experience in achieving results on the ground in more than one world region or corporate (including both pre-Bank experience and Bank experience).
• Deep experience in Bank operations (specifically IPFs and PforRs) as a TTL.
• Recognized as an expert on operational policies: Knowledge of the Bank's instruments, country engagement model, policies, procedures, and strategies, and capacity to apply them effectively in the preparation and implementation of Bank-funded operations.
• Knowledge of procurement, ESF, and financial management design and implementation issues.
• Understanding of the Bank's risk management system and results agenda.
• Strong team player, willing to collaborate closely with colleagues and across boundaries; ability to operate effectively in a decentralized, matrix environment.
• Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills; ability to listen carefully and provide sound advice in a constructive manner; ability and readiness to stand firm on difficult and sensitive issues; ability to convey ideas and positions clearly and tactfully to staff and managers at all levels.
• High performance in previous assignments; recognition by peers and managers for excellence and innovation in operational work.
• High capacities to conceptualize, organize, manage and bring to closure high-quality work quickly and independently; proven capacity to integrate and synthesize across disciplines.
• Ability to mentor and coach junior staff.

Required Professional Competencies:

• Policy Dialogue Skills - Possesses political judgement, diplomatic acumen and negotiating skills; builds and sustains key stakeholder relationships with government and other key stakeholders;
• Integrative Skills - Demonstrates ability to think and work across WBG practices and sectors; integrates divergent viewpoints of multiple external and internal stakeholders into a coherent strategy/program/project;
• Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena - Fully understands the Bank's development initiatives and policies and practices related to lending and non-lending; Guides research and translates technical and cross-country knowledge into practical applications and contributions to country and sector strategies; interacts with clients at the policy level;
• Strong Leadership Skills - Experience with leading teams and in mentoring staff.

WBG Core Competencies

• Lead and Innovate - Develops innovative solutions with others.
• Deliver Results for Clients - Achieves results and identifies mission-driven solutions for the client.
• Collaborate within Teams and Across Boundaries - Initiates collaboration across boundaries and broadly across the WBG and brings differing ideas to the forefront.
• Creates, applies and shares knowledge from across and outside WBG to strengthen internal and/or external client solutions.
• Makes Smart Decisions: Recommends and takes decisive action.

COS Competencies: https://tinyurl.com/y34lnxvu

Note: This is part of COS GH Batch Recruitment for Non-Managerial Positions.

This internal requisition is open to WBG staff only (including short-term and extended term consultants/ temporaries).External candidates are requested not to apply. In case an external candidate applies, their application will not be considered.

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.