Manager

Manager

Job #:

req25479

Organization:

World Bank

Sector:

Environment

Grade:

GH

Term Duration:

3 years 0 months

Recruitment Type:

International Recruitment

Location:

Washington, DC,United States

Required Language(s):

English

Preferred Language(s):

French, Spanish

Closing Date:

1/5/2024 (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. Visit www.worldbank.org.

About the Global Environment Facility (GEF)

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a multilateral financial mechanism created in 1991 to provide grant and concessional funds to recipient countries for projects and programs that address biodiversity loss, climate change mitigation and adaptation, degradation of international waters, land and forests, ozone depletion, elimination or reduction of persistent organic pollutants and mercury, all within the framework of sustainable development.

The GEF unites 186 countries in partnership with international institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs), and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives. An independently operating financial organization, GEF is the designated financial mechanism for five international environmental conventions: the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Minamata Convention on Mercury. GEF is also a designated financial mechanism of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

In the years since its establishment, the GEF has funded over 4,500 projects in 170 countries, and many thousands more through the GEF Small Grants Program, providing $20.5 billion in grants that leveraged $112 billion in co-financing. The GEF Secretariat, construed for administrative purposes as a Vice Presidential Unit (VPU) within the World Bank, has approximately 70 professional and administrative and client support staff.

The GEF Secretariat is looking for a dynamic and experienced Manager to lead its complex Multilateral Environmental Agreement and Convention Relations Division that encompasses six multilateral conventions and is growing. Additionally, this Manager will work on multiple political fronts; from the attention of the G7 and G20 Environmental Agenda and the United Nations to policy research and partnerships towards international collaborations.

The ideal candidate would have solid policy engagement experience, including an appreciation for the role of the GEF in the evolving global environmental finance architecture, the new directions of the GEF, and the multi-dimensional GEF partnership arrangement.

Reporting to the Director of Strategy and Operations, the Manager has the responsibility to supervise and manage the daily operations of the Division, including overseeing the work of technical staff responsible for Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), climate finance coordination, and strategic initiatives on emerging global priorities.

The candidate should have solid experience in international negotiations and on all Conventions to which the GEF responds, as well as managerial experience supervising large teams, departments or divisions, a deep appreciation for the new directions of the GEF, its expanding mandate, and its vision for 2030, and a significant understanding of the complexity of the GEF partnership arrangement.

The candidate should have strong interpersonal skills, political acumen and the capacity to work effectively on sensitive issues as part of the senior management, the GEF and LDCF/SCCF Councils and across different agencies of the GEF.

The Manager of MEAs and Convention Relations will also work with other Division leads on functions that require cooperation and collaboration related to the smooth and efficient functioning of the GEF. This will also require managing cross-division work of the technical staff in the Division.

The selected candidate will report to the GEF Director of Strategy and Operations and become part of the GEF Leadership Team.

Duties and Accountabilities

• Lead the monitoring of the Division's work program and individual staff deliverables and facilitate resolution of issues related to performance.

• Lead GEF's strategy, representation and participation in multiple global environmental agreements, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), and other MEA-related forums as well as new international environmental agreements under discussion, and also explore cooperation with other biodiversity-related and regional Conventions as appropriate. Manage relevant Focal Area coordinators on tasks related to MEA engagements.

• Lead and Manage the LDCF/SCCF team, its budget, and Council engagements, and ensure programming, country engagement, and strategic alignment with the Programming Division in terms of synergies with the GEF Trust Fund, while enhancing the visibility of the LDCF/SCCF.

• Play a leading role in the Climate Change policy arena internationally, ensuring the proper role, standing and visibility of the GEF within the global finance architecture.

• Be part of a select group of senior staff responsible for engaging in complex discussions with major GEF donor countries on questions related to financing developing countries to fulfill their commitments with the multiple MEAs and other international forums, including replenishments.

• Under the guidance of the Director of Strategy and Operations, oversee strategic initiatives on emerging global priorities that support GEF's political engagements and advise the CEO on enhancing positioning and leveraging influence/impact of the GEF.

• Maintain productive relationships with the GEF network, including GEF agencies, national governments, and other stakeholders to promote the role of GEF on the international environmental agenda;

• Lead and/or assist with the preparation of Council papers and reports to the conventions and other bodies;

• Coordinate with other GEF Secretariat teams (in particular the Partnership Division) and relevant stakeholders with the aim of developing and representing GEF's positions across MEAs and other multilateral platforms;

• Oversee GEF delegations and participation agendas in Conferences of the Parties (COPs) of MEAs for which the GEF is a financial mechanism;

• In collaboration with the Manager of the Programming Division, coordinate with other environmental funds (e.g., Green Climate Fund, Climate Investment Funds, Adaptation Fund, among others) to enhance complementarity and coherence, with an aim to collectively enhance impact and simplify access to support;

• Coordinate and work closely with the Manager of the Programming Division and his/her staff of the climate change mitigation focal area to ensure a combined and holistic engagement with countries on immediate adaptation and mitigation priorities and programming;

• Be an active member of GEF's Leadership Team;

• Undertake other duties as required, including assisting the Director of Strategy and Operations and the CEO as appropriate in activities that support the successful management of the GEF.

Note: This internalrequisition is open to WB and IMF staff only (including short-term and extendedterm consultants/ temporaries). External candidates are requested not to apply.In case an external candidate applies, their application will not beconsidered.

Selection Criteria

• Master's degree or PhD in one of the environmental sciences, economics or sustainable development or a relevant field, and typically the successful candidate will have a minimum of 12 years of experience in positions of increasing complexity and responsibility; • Prior substantive and sustained work experience in achieving results on the ground in more than one world region; Sustained record of achieving high-quality substantive results over an extended period (typically at least 15 years);• Multiregional and cross-thematic integration experience to achieve impact and sustainable results;• Professional experience with funding and/or implementation of environmental projects in developing countries;• A proven track record in designing and implementing complex operations using innovative approaches, demonstrated strong knowledge of multicultural contexts and strong analytical and program strategy skills;• Client orientation, diplomatic skills, as well as sensitivity to social and cultural issues as they affect environmental and sustainable development projects and programs; • Proven track record in supervising teams with 10-15 years of experience, including managing the overall workplan and deliverables of a team, managing the related workplans of its staff, and enhancing their professional experience and development;• Ability to lead/coach teams to achieve results, build strong teams across the matrix and develop/nurture new talent;• Outstanding communications skills, including the ability to influence and persuade. • High degree of discretion, ethics, tact and sensitivity in handling confidential and sensitive information;• Language: English is essential; Spanish or French strongly desired.

The successful candidate will demonstrate the following competencies:

• Knowledge and Experience in Environmental sciences and practice- Influences the design and execution of major policy, implementation and/or research initiatives; promotes innovations in project design, organization structure and management to improve effectiveness and cost-efficiency.• Experience in MEA business, in multilateral negotiations, and in financial assistance for sustainability. • Integrative Skills- Possesses an in-depth understanding of the advantages and gains in scale that can arise from integrative approaches to resource programming for multiple benefits.• Deep knowledge and hands-on experience with projects in one or more of the following thematic areas: biodiversity, climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation, international waters, land degradation, chemicals and mercury, sustainable forest management.• Lead and Innovate- Inspires and influences others to drive innovation.• Deliver Results for Clients - Acts as a trusted, strategic advisor, partnering with clients to deliver results.• Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries.• Create, Apply and Share Knowledge - Establishes an environment where knowledge is created, applied and shared.• Make Smart Decisions and Exercises Proper Judgment - Makes timely decisions that have a broad impact.• Operational Project Management - Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of project management tools & methodologies; ability to manage complex, multi-functional, cross-regional projects/programs including managing relationships with stakeholders & counterparties.

Other Competencies:

• Collaborates across GEF Secretariat and with partners drawing on robust professional networks.• Clearly articulates and models expectations of collaborative behavior, recognizes collaboration and contributions of other.• Provides safe environment for exchange of ideas where people feel free to express dissenting opinions, handling conflicts as opportunities and problems to be solved.• Prioritizes GEF Secretariat corporate goals over individual or team goals when in conflict.• Fosters open discussions with broad audiences to set vision and establish buy-in for innovation that can enhance GEF Secretariat effectiveness. • Inspires others to develop new solutions that have a development impact and advocates for changes and application of new methods to enhance results.• Establishes an environment where knowledge is created, applied and shared.• Leverages external knowledge and partnerships to strengthen solutions for internal and/or external clients.• Encourages a learning culture by seeking out and being open to feedback, as well as effectively mentoring others, on how to improve contribution and impact through continuous learning and knowledge acquisition.• Builds networks of experts and clients to share knowledge and experience for the purpose of strengthening internal and/or external relations;• Makes timely decisions, which anticipate, evaluate and plan for the impact across organizational boundaries and stakeholder groups;• Demonstrates the confidence to make bold decisions quickly, balancing speed and thoroughness even in the face of ambiguous circumstances;• Takes accountability for decisions that involve higher levels of risk, works effectively with stakeholders to minimize risks involved.

Bank Managerial Competencies

The World Bank Group values diversity and encourages all qualified candidates who are nationals of World Bank Group member countries to apply, regardless of gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability. Sub-Saharan African nationals, Caribbean nationals, and female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.