Senior Data Scientist

Senior Data Scientist

Job #:
req19846

Organization:
World Bank

Sector:
Research & Quantitative Analysis

Grade:
GG

Term Duration:
4 years 0 months

Recruitment Type:
International Recruitment

Location:
Washington, DC,United States

Required Language(s):
English

Preferred Language(s):

Closing Date:
11/25/2022 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? 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 and promoting shared prosperity. 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.

OPCS Context

Operations Policy and Country Services (OPCS) plays a pivotal role in achieving the WBG's mission. OPCS is at the center of the 'operations complex' and plays a critical role in supporting MDO, MDD and the President of the World Bank on all issues related to Operations. OPCS develops and oversees Bank operational policies and procedures for country engagement products, lending operations, advisory services and analytical support, financial management, procurement, environmental and social safeguards, as well as development outcome risk and results. It also serves as a link between the Operational units and the Board of Directors. OPCS provides advice and support to World Bank management and staff as well as hands-on assistance to help teams apply the Bank's policies, processes and risk management tools for our country clients.

Working in OPCS helps World Bank professionals gain broad exposure to strategic operations issues and develop a deeper understanding of the business of the Bank.

OPCS's 160 staff are organized in four departments:

• Operations Policy (OPSPO) consolidates the corporate support and oversight of country strategies and all financing and advisory instruments and manages the Operations Help Desk.
• Operations Standards, Procurement and Financial Management (OPSPF) is responsible for procurement, financial management, UN agencies and anti-corruption policies and support to operations.
• Operations Standards, Environment and Social (OPSES) is responsible for Environmental and Social Standards and Safeguard Policies, including support to operations, learning and training, knowledge management, reporting, interface with the Inspection Panel, and management of the Grievance Redress Service (GRS).
• Operations Strategy, Risk, Results and Learning (OPSRL) focuses on overall Bank strategy; risk management in operations; support to the country directors' and management communities; corporate-level results reporting; strengthening results and effectiveness throughout the institution; and operational learning. The OPSRL department is comprised of three units, each led by a Manager: i) Results (OPSRS), where this job is located; ii) Strategy, Risk and Country Operations (OPSSR); and (iii) Learning (OPSLR).

OPSRS encompasses four interlinked streams of work (i) it supports the OPSVP and the MDs to report on results spearheaded by Practice Groups and Regions, including through yearly Board updates on the WBGs Corporate Scorecards, and stewardship of the IDA Results Measurement System and policy commitments; (ii) it coordinates the overall engagement with the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG), including by crafting corporate responses to independent evaluations and reporting annually on the Management Action Record; (iii) it works with task teams and other units in OPCS and across GPs and Regions to support operations through relevant advice and strengthen skills, guidance, and tools to enhance Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) underpinning results reporting, hosting the Secretariat of the WBG Results Measurement and Evidence Stream (RMES); and (iv) it spearheads WBG efforts towards greater outcome orientation, including external coordination on results with other Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs).

OPSRS is currently strengthening its capacity on data science / analytics to support different aspects of OPCS' work. This newly created position in OPSRS will play a pivotal role in the data science work of the Unit working along with other colleagues in the team and across various Practice Groups (PGs) and Regions of the World Bank.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Lead the work on updating the overall data architecture for measuring results in the Bank, including the Corporate Scorecard and IDA Results Management System.
• Lead on further strengthening the choice of indicators, clarify the definitions of the indicators in liaison with relevant GPs, and review the data collection and data analytics systems currently in place for measuring results.
• Translate technical analyses in core areas of data science into recommendations for programs, policies, and strategies for social and economic development.
• Advise operational work in core areas of data science.
• Develop with relevant parts of the Bank adequate data protocols to facilitate access to data in specific areas, including the climate change work of the Bank.
• Help design an overall data science work for OPSRL, including the design, operation, quality assurance and oversight of data management system using innovative technology.
• Help develop and implement a plan for use of new technology, including machine learning, to further strengthen the work of OPSRS - including using technology to identify key issues on an ongoing basis in the areas of results, M&E systems, lesson learning etc. from the WB operations portal, Project Appraisal Documents (PADs), project Implementation Support Reviews (ISRs), Implementation Completion Reports (ICRs) and Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) evaluations. These will help directly inform the operational effectiveness of the Bank's work.
• Design and manage tenders and contracts for external contractors hired to strengthen the data science work of the Unit.
• Work collaboratively with other colleagues in OPSRS and other parts of OPCS and contribute to ongoing work and priorities.
• Any other assignment as may be required by the Manager.

Selection Criteria

• Master's degree in Applied Mathematics, Statistics, Economics, Computer Science, or other relevant field, with a focus on data science, with at least 8 years of relevant professional experience.
• Experience with data engineering and analytics, and/or data mining, machine learning and big data processing techniques.
• Excellent programming/coding skills related to data collection, data management and statistical software (e.g., STATA, R, Python, SQL).
• Outstanding quantitative modeling and statistical analysis skills.
• Strategic sense and demonstrated experience in ensuring the operational relevance of analytical and/or research work.
• Solid understanding of some of the technical work streams of the WB. Experience in climate work will be an added advantage.
• Ability to develop partnerships and effective working relationships across institutional boundaries.
• Drive, proven sense of initiative, results orientation, flexibility, leadership qualities, as well as effective teamwork skills.
• Ability to work flexibly, creatively and to multitask as the need arises.
• A high degree of self-motivation, positive attitude, and drive.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.

Core Competencies

• Integrative Skills
  • Ability to integrate divergent viewpoints of multiple external and internal stakeholders into a coherent project/program/strategy.
• Internal and External Stakeholder Engagement
  • Sound knowledge of Bank Group's Twin Goals and the complementarities among different World Bank Group member institutions.
  • Strong knowledge and experience of the operating context, including challenges and opportunities across WBG Clients (MICs, LICs, FCS).
  • Strong understanding and experience with operational political economies.
  • Experience in building and sustaining key stakeholder relationships including via participation in dialogues with Government and other key stakeholders and undertaking follow up tasks as needed.
  • Ability to guide Clients and/or Development Partners in identifying key country cross-cutting operational issues and optional solutions with a demonstrated ability to bring together different perspectives on how to address these issues.
  • Experience in leading the preparation of briefs, analytical products, and other materials for high-level events and Bank management visits.
• Bank Instruments, Policies, and Procedures, and Ability to Proactively Apply Them
  • Sound knowledge of key strategic, analytical, and financing instruments, policies, procedures, and systems (including disbursements, safeguards, financial management and procurement).
  • Demonstrated ability communicate new developments in policies and procedures that affect the GP/country pipeline or portfolio to internal and external clients.
  • Demonstrated ability to provide high quality practical advice to management and teams, including as peer reviewer, on the appropriate use of Bank policies, procedures, and financing instruments.
  • Ability to contribute to improvement of the operational policy framework, financing instruments, and advisory services.

WBG Core Competencies

• Achieves results and identifies mission-driven solutions for the client.
• Initiates collaboration across boundaries and broadly across WBG and brings differing ideas into the forefront.
• Develops innovative solutions with others.
• Creates, applies, and shares knowledge from across and outside WBG to strengthen internal and/or external client solutions.
• Recommends and takes decisive action.

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.