Senior Operations Officer

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.

Regional Context

Countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region confront a vast array of development challenges, from an uncertain and uneven recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic to the implications of decelerating global economy, deepening geopolitical divisions, protracted regional conflicts, and climate change. These overlapping crises are amplified by longstanding structural relating to economic governance that contribute to an outsized presence of the state in the economy, high unemployment rates among women and youth, and limited intraregional trade and investment.

• Overcoming these challenges will allow MENA countries to realize their vast development potential, endowed as the region is with a rapidly growing and highly educated population, geo-strategic location, and abundance of renewable energy potential. To unlock this potential, the World Bank is advancing inclusive, sustainable, and resilient development through a two-pronged strategy that seeks to respond to sudden and severe crises while supporting reforms that spur structural transformation and job creation, advance gender equity, strengthen regional cooperation, and accelerate green transitions. This strategy is operationalized through a differentiated approach that reflects the distinct circumstances of the World Bank’s clients in the region, comprising 20 countries that range from active IBRD borrowers and IDA recipients to recipients of reimbursable advisory services and non-active countries with whom the Bank maintains a policy dialogue.
• Partnerships are central to the World Bank’s evolution and are a priority for the MENA region, have direct linkages to the operational objectives of the Evolution Roadmap particularly relating to the scaling of impact and increasing co-financing with partners. Much of MENA’s work to address the most complex development challenges in the region is done in collaboration with development partners, including multilateral development banks, UN agencies, the European Union, bilateral donors, think tanks, and other stakeholders.  Our partnerships touch every operation, sector and country in the region, and include collaboration around pipeline development, portfolio management, development financing, analytic work, knowledge-sharing, and advocacy.

Duties and Accountabilities

• The MENA Region seeks a multi-talented and multi-disciplinary professional with demonstrated operational experience to join a highly collaborative Partnerships and Operations team within MNADE. Guided by the One WBG Partnership Charter, MENA Regional Pipeline and Portfolio the Senior Operations Officer
• Partnerships will support the implementation and development of relevant partnerships in support of the World Bank’s core mission as well as the effective and efficient operational management of the MENA region.

The Senior Operations Officer

• Partnerships will contribute substantively to enhancing partnerships with multilateral, bilateral and other partners, pursuing opportunities to maximize complementarities and deepen joint activities around MENA priorities.
• To succeed in this position, the candidate will need to have strong operational skills in World Bank Group operations, diplomatic and relationship skills and sound judgment, to be able to collaborate with a wide range of internal and external partners, and to be able to both directly lead and manage projects and initiatives, and to steer processes and dialogue with indirect authority. 
• The selected candidate will be a part of the MENA Partnerships team within MNADE and will be expected to work with a significant degree of autonomy, with visibility to and regular collaborations with the Manager of the MENA Development Effectiveness unit, the Director of Strategy and Operations, the Regional Vice President, and a wide cross-section of regional and corporate units. Specific areas of responsibility will include:

Partnerships Dialogue

• Lead and support ongoing partnerships in the region including day-to-day liaison with partners, monitoring of partnerships targets and results, and reporting on partnership and operational activities including but not limited to those pertaining to pipeline development, portfolio management and trust fund management.
• Build new partnerships as relevant for the region, and in line with strategic corporate priorities.Support engagement between regional and corporate management and partner agencies, including facilitating meetings and deep dives, preparing relevant briefs, memos, talking points, and minutes, and handling correspondence and report-backs. Intensive engagement in partnerships dialogue during the World Bank Annual and Spring Meetings is expected.
• Represent the World Bank in partnerships dialogue and engagement.Lead oversight, monitoring, and reporting on formal partnership initiatives, such as active Memoranda of Understanding with partners and associated operational documents.Mentor and support other colleagues around partnerships, including building their skills on different dimensions of partnerships, and providing guidance and quality control for their partnerships-related tasks.

Trust Fund Management

• Support the MENA Regional Trust Fund program and TTLs, including day-to-day program oversight, liaison and reporting to donors, support to sub-grantees, strategic communications and outreach on the TF, and interaction with regional management and corporate units (including DFI and LEG) on trust fund management issues.Provide ongoing support to sub-grant task teams and advice on trust fund design and management to Global Practices (GPs)/Practice Groups (PGs) and Country Management Units (CMUs).

Strategic Communications

• Lead communications on partnerships and trust fund outcomes and results, including contributions to regional notes and strategies and updates to the Board of Directors.Support task teams, communications colleagues, and other stakeholders, on outreach and dissemination of trust fund materials, knowledge products, and results.Support wider communications initiatives by the MENA front office.
• Development Effectiveness and Operational Support
• Support regional initiatives around project delivery, pipeline design, operational effectiveness, and other related aspects, as part of the MNA Partnerships team.Contribute to regional and MNADE learning and knowledge programs, including support to operations forums, regional and country team retreats, and other trainings and learning programs.Contribute to project reviews, peer reviews, strategic discussions, reviews of documents for corporate meetings, operational policies, guidelines etc. as requested.

Selection Criteria

In addition to WBG-wide core competencies, the successful candidate will have the following qualifications, experience, skills, and personal attributes:

• Advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in a relevant field (e.g. international relations, public policy, economics, management, business administration, social sciences, technical studies, or another field related to development).At least 8 years of relevant experience, including a sustained record of achieving high-quality substantive results in positions of increasing complexity and responsibility.
• Solid experience in international development including robust direct experience in developing, implementing, and strengthening partnerships for development outcomes, including with bilateral and multilateral development partners.
• Experience working with the World Bank, and/or in the Middle East and North Africa region is highly desirable.Outstanding collaboration and interpersonal skills, including the ability to establish and maintain relationships across boundaries and with partners inside and outside the World Bank, to work collaboratively in a team environment, and to mentor and support other colleagues.Strong diplomatic and networking skills and high political acumen, including integrity, tact, discretion, trust-building, and ability to influence.Strong strategic communication skills, including the ability to speak persuasively and diplomatically, to present ideas clearly and concisely, and excellent writing and editing skills.Demonstrated ability and the necessary organizational skills to take initiative, personal ownership, and accountability to meet deadlines, work under pressure, problem-solve, and achieve agreed-upon results. Sensitivity to the political and cultural contexts in which the World Bank operates in the MENA region.

Source: https://worldbankgroup.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=29296&site=1