Job Abstract

Senior Operations Officer

Description

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.

Western and Central Africa (AFW) Region

We need the best and brightest talent focused on Sub-Saharan African countries in order to harness the potential and innovation happening across the continent. Africa is a continent on the move, with a young population and a growing market of nearly 1.2bn people. We are committed to making the Africa regional teams into leading innovation hubs.
Yet, these vast opportunities are tempered by persistent gaps in education, health, and skills, which have Africa only reaching forty percent of its estimated potential. Moreover, conflict, food insecurity, population growth, and the disruptive forces of climate change threaten to curtail or even reverse the progress that has been made over the past decades.
In West and Central Africa, the World Bank is a leading partner in areas such as agriculture, trade and transport, energy, education, health, water, and sanitation- all to support job creation, gender equality, poverty reduction, and better lives. Across the continent, the World Bank’s program has nearly doubled over the last 10 years. By 2030, about 87% of the world’s extreme poor are projected to live in Sub-Saharan Africa, so this is where our mission to end extreme poverty and to promote shared prosperity will be achieved.
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.
https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/western-and-central-africa

Country Context

The AFCW3 Country Management Unit (CMU) for Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Niger provides a range of financial, knowledge and convening services to help address the countries’ most complex development issues. The CMU covers staff in the four country offices (CO) supported by an Anchor team based at Headquarters in Washington DC and consisting of a Sr. Operations Officer (SOO) and a Program Assistant. The Country Director (CD) is based in Bamako, together with an Operations Manager, a Senior Operations Officer, and four Program Leaders (PL), coordinating and overseeing the AFCW3 CMU. The Country Managers (CM) for Burkina Faso, Chad, and Niger manage the day-to-day operations of the program for the respective country, with the assistance of an Operations Officer.

The AFCW3 CMU delivers analytics, studies and advisory (ASA) and lending services to Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Niger, which are all IDA countries. The four countries have high rate of poverty and are among the lowest in the world on the Human Capital Index (HCI) ranking. All AFCW3 countries have been being affected by fragility or conflicts for many years, with Mali and Chad formally classified as Fragile, Conflict and Violent (FCV) states. Furthermore, they are dealing with the challenges related to adverse weather conditions given the high dependency on agriculture, and lower export diversification. They are thus focusing on restoring security, service delivery, building resilience to climate shocks, export diversification/competitiveness, and human capital development. AFCW3 manages a broad portfolio of projects across all four Practice Groups (Sustainable Development; Human Development; Infrastructure; and Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions). As of the end April 2024, the portfolio is made up of 101 operations, 46 of them regional, amounting to a total IDA commitment of $4.08bn, while the balance reflects the national projects. Also, the AFCW3 is supporting a strong program of core ASA products informing lending, including Risk Resilient Assessments (RRA), with a focus on key structural reforms. The preparation of the Country Engagement Notes for Mali, Niger and Chad have been launched similarly for the Chad Country Framework Partnership.

The key responsibilities of a CMU, of which the Sr. Operations Officer is a key member, include support the formulation and implementation of country partnerships and programs, country relations and policy dialogue, work program and portfolio, and promotion of country and global knowledge sharing. The CMU's goals are to ensure that the Bank's programs are (i) carried out in a client-responsive manner, (ii) relevant to the development challenges facing each country, (iii) realistic and feasible to implement within the department's budget parameters while meeting the Bank's quality standards, and (iv) focused on achieving development results and impact.
This is an international hire position, with a term appointment of 3 years. The appointee will be based in Washington, DC, USA

Duties and Accountabilities

The Senior Operations Officer will work in close collaboration with the Country Director (CD), the Operations Manager (OM), the Country Managers (CMs) and other members of the CMU management and country teams on all aspects of the work program to ensure strategic focus, integration and consistency across and within the portfolio. More specifically (s)he will:

• Be the Focal point for the CMU in Washington DC; engage with corporate units on behalf of the CMU including DFI and others as needed.
• Contribute to strong relationships and liaison at headquarters (HQ) vis-a-vis Executive Directors, and support external outreach with other donors and civil society, as required.
• Coordinate AFCW3 country work with the Africa Region management, senior management, Global Practices (GPs), other Bank units and internal partners such as IFC, MIGA and IEG, as required.
• Work with the OM, PLs and Operations Officers to analyze and monitor work program delivery, portfolio and operational performance, quality and trends, and contribute to problem resolution with task teams.
• Prepare briefing notes and assist in determining appropriate Bank responses; and draft and review operational correspondence.
• Take the lead, or participate as a key team member, of important strategic products activities and contribute to or lead the preparation of management briefs and other major or complex internal reports.
• Serve as a liaison, coordination and integration point for the extended country teams; provide guidance and advice on country developments, operational priorities and strategies as needed; help foster teamwork and cross-sectoral cooperation on program preparation and implementation, and contribute to country team meetings and activities.
• Assist in country program management, including business planning and work program preparation, WPA budget allocation, monitoring of work program and budget implementation, quarterly reviews and progress reporting.

Selection Criteria

• Masters in a relevant field (Economics, Business Studies, Political Science, Finance, International Relations, or similar filed relevant to the Bank's mission.)
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience with the World Bank or comparable institution. Thorough knowledge of Bank operational policies and business practices.
• Proven ability to think strategically, and to apply this to the design and implementation of country assistance programs.
• Extensive knowledge of WB instruments, policies, and procedures, and ability to proactively apply them.
• Strong level of attention to detail and ability to manipulate and interpret portfolio data to identify areas for focus of further monitoring.
• Outstanding inter-personal skills with proven ability to work cooperatively with a multi-disciplinary country team, other groups throughout the Bank, and development partners.
• Demonstrated initiative, leadership skills and drive for results, including ability to undertake diverse tasks within a rapidly changing and demanding environment on short deadlines.
• Strong problem-solving skills and solutions-oriented attitude.
• Political sensitivity and mature judgment; and ability to focus on big the picture, while not losing sight of details.
• Highly developed spoken and written communications skills; including the ability to draft concise briefs and reports and correspondence.
• Language proficiency in English and French (speak, read and write) is essential.

Note: Please refer to the below link to know more about the COS competencies:

https://worldbankgroup.sharepoint.com/sites/hr/Documents/Career%20Management/ Professional%20Family%20Mapping/COS_PFM_Criteria.pdf

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.