Regional Director, EFI

Regional Director, EFI

Job #:
req19654

Organization:
World Bank

Sector:
Other

Grade:
GI

Term Duration:
4 years 0 months

Recruitment Type:
International Recruitment

Location:
Washington, DC,United States

Required Language(s):
English

Preferred Language(s):

Closing Date:
11/15/2022 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

Eastern and Southern Africa

We need the best and brightest talent focused on our region to harness the potential and innovation happening across the continent. Home to about 700 million of Africa's people, Eastern and Southern Africa is a geographically, culturally, and economically diverse region of 26 countries stretching from the Red Sea in the North to the Cape of Good Hope in the South.

The subregion harbors some of Africa's protracted conflicts, rendering many of its countries fragile, while significant gaps in education, health, and skills development continues to keep people from reaching their full potential. This creates a huge development challenge, impacts heavily on the lives and livelihoods of people, and hinders regional integration and trade! But it also creates an opportunity to work closely with country leaders, civil society, development partners, and young people to chart a brighter course for the future.

Are you ready to make an impact? We are looking for dedicated professionals to join our innovative and diverse team to improve people's lives and help countries build back better after COVID!

For more information, visithttps://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/eastern-and-southern-africa

Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions Practice Group (EFI PG)

The Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions Practice Group (EFI) is one of the World Bank Group's four Practice Groups. EFI's mandate is "Growth, Finance, and Institutions for all." Our approach is to leverage public and private sector expertise, together with International Finance Corporation (IFC), to support a data-driven reform agenda. EFI supports clients in advancing evidence-based structural reforms to build the foundations for inclusive and sustainable growth.
Position Context

The department is composed of four Global Practices (GPs):

• Macroeconomics, Trade, and Investment
• Governance (including FM, procurement, and public sector)
• Poverty and Equity; and
• Finance, Competitiveness, and Innovation

The department has been at the center of regional efforts to help clients manage the multiplicity of shocks. This has included efforts to support macro stabilization in close collaboration with the IMF, debt relief, and urgent efforts to promote jobs and address climate change. There is very close collaboration with other Practice Groups (PGs) and IFC. Notwithstanding short-term crisis pressures, the department continues to actively promote the medium-term agenda on jobs and sustainable, equitable growth, essential to the reduction of poverty and inequality. This is through promoting economic transformation through strengthening macro-fiscal-financial linkages, tackling price and market distortions, boosting trade and regional integration, strengthening institutions for better governance, supporting equity, and scaling up innovative approaches for FCV.

The department has more than 260 staff in 25 countries. About 70 percent of staff are decentralized along with 75% of the PMs. It has a growing work program delivering more than $8bn in FY22 in own-managed and co-led tasks as well as around 60 high quality ASAs. It comprises a wide range of countries, including several FCV countries, providing an exciting opportunity for learning and growth. The Regional Director has 17 direct reports including 8 practice managers, 6 program leaders, a senior economist, an operations officer, and a senior program assistant.
Duties & accountabilities:

The Regional Director will be accountable for modeling WBG leadership values and managerial behavior and ensuring that the unit delivers on its commitments. Accountability means being answerable for making strategic choices, managing quality, risks, results, institutional initiatives, external and internal resources, and compliance with WBG policies and procedures.

Solutions and Results to Clients:

• Collaborate with the Global Directors of other GPs, with the Regional Directors, and with DEC and IFC
• Support the VPU management team in setting the PGs' key strategic priorities to guide institution-wide work and in collaboration with CDs, in establishing global and country goals to ensure alignment with the WBG Strategy and Country Partnership Framework
• Draw on thought leadership and implementation know-how within the PG to ensure high impact evidence-based solutions
• Assist the PG's management team to build and maintain a balanced portfolio of innovative, cost-effective, and demand-driven products and services
• Implement quality control processes, including analytical work, technical assistance, and lending operations
• Ensure availability and maintenance of portfolio, pipeline, staff, and budget information as well as portfolio and practice quality and performance metrics to inform WBG management
• Represent the PG on corporate strategic issues to ensure that operational policies, practices, and procedures align with quality service delivery to clients

People Talent Management

• Model exemplary WBG leadership values and managerial behavior and reinforces these qualities in the management team and staff
• Contribute to and implement and monitor compliance with talent management, diversity, and inclusion plans
• Drive and encourage technical excellence within the GP by creating an environment of learning and innovation that attracts and develops the best talent reflective of the diversity of our clients
• Coordinate and supports the GP management in developing and implementing appropriate strategies for global staffing, deployment, staff learning and development as well as career progression and talent and performance management

Knowledge Management

• Engage with Managers, other Regional and Global Directors, and DEC to develop a knowledge and learning strategy and approach for the GP that integrates cross-cutting solution area considerations and multi-sectoral links
• Ensure timely flow, capture, codification and dissemination of knowledge and expertise so that clients receive the highest quality support and knowledge
• Support the coordination of innovative and cross-cutting research, as well as the dissemination of technical and experiential knowledge and learning
• Encourage a culture of evidence-based, and client tailored engagement for highest development impact
• Establish new and cutting-edge knowledge in the GP is reflected in staff learning and development

Resource Management

• Manage the department's budget (internal and external funds) to support the implementation of the (sector) Directorate strategy
• Ensure the GP Management accountability for delivering the agreed-upon work program through cost-effective use of resources (human and budget) within the agreed parameters and in compliance with internal WBG fiduciary and safeguard controls and policies, and ensures timely delivery and overall quality of the GP's outputs
• Ensure implementation of an appropriate risk management framework to meet (sector) unit's objectives

Selection Criteria

• Advanced degree in economics or related field, with a minimum of 15 years of experience in positions of growing complexity and responsibility
• Recognized expert within WBG or among one or more of the following: academia, private sector actors and policymakers - and with a proven track record of applying practice know-how and effective policy dialogue to achieve development results
• Experience and ability to engage with clients at the senior level and represent the Bank at high-level international fora
• Demonstrated thought leadership through economic research and publication recognized by academic and policy community
• Substantive experience working in client countries of different regions and familiarity with the WBG services including deep technical knowledge and experience on (sector) policy
• Demonstrated in-depth experience working across practice and disciplinary boundaries, with different units of the WBG and with multiple partners both public and private in building collaborative alliances for results
• Extensive experience managing complex and large work programs, budgets, portfolio monitoring and supervision with proven results
• Proven ability to effectively implement complex change management initiatives

This internal requisition is open to WBG and IMF 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.

WBG Managerial Competencies

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.