Financial Sector Specialist

Job #:
req17954

Organization:
World Bank

Sector:
Financial Sector

Grade:
GF

Term Duration:
4 years 0 months

Recruitment Type:
International Recruitment

Location:
Washington, DC,United States

Required Language(s):
English

Preferred Language(s):

Closing Date:
6/22/2022 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank consists of two entities - the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA). It is a global development cooperative owned by 189 member countries. As the largest development bank in the world, the World Bank provides loans, guarantees, risk management products, and advisory services to middle-income and creditworthy low-income countries, and coordinates responses to regional and global challenges. For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org.

The Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation (FCI) Global Practice combines expertise in the financial sector with expertise in private sector development to foster private-sector led growth and help create markets in client countries. FCI's core lines of business are: (a) Financial Stability & Integrity; (b) Financial Inclusion, Infrastructure & Access; (c) Firm Capabilities & Innovation; (d) Long-Term Finance; (e) Climate & Risk Management; (f) Markets and Technology; and (g) Investment and Competition. For more information, please visit https://www.worldbank.org/en/about/unit/fci

Eastern and Southern Africa: Home to about half a billion 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. Children under 18 make up almost half of the total population. The subregion boasts of some of the world's richest human and natural resources and, apart from South Africa, the countries are predominantly raw material exporters.

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.

The World Bank's Eastern and Southern Africa Region, comprised of approximately 1,207 staff, mostly based in 26 country offices, has been helping countries realize their considerable development potential by focusing on the following priorities:

• Creating Jobs and Transforming Economies: We are working with countries across Africa to stimulate job creation and economic transformation by leveraging all sources of finance, expertise, and solutions to promote investment.
• Building up the Digital Economy: We are supporting Africa's vision to ensure that every African individual, business, and government is connected by 2030 - a vision that, if realized, can boost growth by up to 2 percentage points per year, and reduce poverty by 1 percentage point per year in Sub-Saharan Africa alone.
• Institutions more Efficient and Accountable: Our support is helping governments strengthen public policy processes, manage resources effectively, and reinforce fair and reliable delivery of public services.
• Investing in People: We are at the forefront of helping African countries accelerate human capital gains and empower women by improving their access to education and skills acquisition, sexual and reproductive health services, and employment opportunities. With the influx COVID-19, we are mobilizing financial support and timely analysis and advice to countries across the subregion deal with the pandemic.
• Supporting Climate Change Mitigation and Adaption: In the face of increasing climate-related risks, we are working with African countries to advance efforts to adopt renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, and green infrastructure. A number of East African countries are currently facing a debilitating Desert Locust infestation, threatening the already precarious food security situation. The Bank has put together a program to help affected countries deal with the scourge.
• Addressing the Drivers of Fragility, Conflict, and Violence: Given the cross-border nature of conflicts in Africa, we are employing an approach that simultaneously focuses on the drivers of fragility while also supporting well-targeted regional initiatives to create opportunities for peace and shared prosperity.
• Building Partnerships and Working across the African Continent: We are scaling up our work on regional integration, taking a holistic view of the continent that covers both North and Sub-Saharan Africa.

The World Bank is a dedicated partner for Eastern and Southern African countries, helping them deliver strong development outcomes for their people. A brighter future for Africa is a better future for the world.

This position is based in HQ with the FCI Eastern and Southern Africa team which covers a large and growing regional integration program and work across three CMU clusters (Ethiopia, Tanzania and Kenya CMUs) covering a total of 12 countries. It is expected that this position would support the regional program and either the Tanzania or Ethiopia CMU work program initially though evolving work needs may require adjustments over time.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

Amongst other things, the candidate will be expected to:

• Contribute to the policy dialogue on finance, lead, task manage, and/or support the implementation of ongoing FCI lending projects, analytical and advisory services work with a focus on strong country outcomes.
• Work closely with the Program Leaders/Country Economists and CMUs to ensure the integration of relevant finance, competitiveness and innovation sector issues in country strategies, SCDs/CPFs and work programs and country policy dialogue and engagement.
• Develop effective coordination mechanisms internally with the Global Practices and externally with development partners and with IFC and contribute on behalf of FCI to activities/projects led by other GPs/units.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of the Country Partnership Framework from an FCI perspective.
• Produce technical notes, briefings, presentations, etc. as requested by Management.
• Business Development: cultivate strategic relationships with country clients and the CMU and contribute to building the FCI engagement further in line with the CPF and country priorities.
• Knowledge Management, and Teamwork: promote synergies across product teams, providing support through trouble shooting, anticipating problems and solving them. Facilitate learning across projects, regions and best practices.

Selection Criteria

This job requires a driven Financial Sector professional with requisite technical and operational skills and a good understanding of the Private Sector Development (PSD) agenda. He/she will have demonstrated an ability to manage and mentor teams effectively and deliver results on the ground. The following qualifications will be considered:

• A master's degree in Finance, Economics, Management or a related field and a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience including of working in the private sector/financial sector.
• The ideal candidate will have a combination of experience inside and outside the World Bank, and within the Bank have experience of preparing lending projects and ASA/AAA activities and have familiarity of operational policies on lending. IPF accreditation will be a plus though is not a requirement.
• The ideal candidate should have strong proven track record, experience and technical expertise in the following areas: understanding finance, competitiveness and innovation topics, and have work experience in one or several of the following areas: financial regulation and supervision, banking reform and bank restructuring, financial infrastructure, financial inclusion, digital financial services, MSME and housing/infrastructure finance, PPP financing.
• Should be a mature professional with a strong results focus, demonstrated ability to mentor and incentivize teams, inspire confidence in senior country officials, and work in a culturally diverse environment.
• Possess strong internal and external client engagement skills and ability to collaborate and work across boundaries.
• Verbal and written proficiency in English is required. Strong written communication skills for both policy dialogue and analysis.

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.

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.