Job #: req7874
Organization: World Bank
Sector: Poverty Reduction
Grade: GG
Term Duration: 3 years 0 months
Recruitment Type: International Recruitment
Location: Washington, DC,United States
Required Language(s): English
Preferred Language(s):
Closing Date: 7/8/2020 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. 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, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. 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

BACKGROUND

Poverty Global Practice and East Africa Poverty team

The Poverty and Equity Global Practice, part of the Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions vice-presidency, plays a key role in supporting the World Bank Group’s goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity. It generates knowledge and dialogue and supports operational solutions, focusing on poverty monitoring and statistical capacity building, markets and institutions, fiscal and social policy, and resilience to shocks and sustainability. The practice is organized into seven regionally-oriented units—EAP, ECA, LAC, MNA, SAR and two in AFR—each managed by a Practice Manager. The development and flow of global knowledge within the practice is facilitated through four cross-cutting thematic lines, each of which is led by a thematic Lead Economist. These are: (1) data for policy analysis; (2) markets and institutions for poverty reduction and shared prosperity; (3) fiscal and social policy for poverty reduction and shared prosperity; and (4) welfare implications of climate change, fragility and conflict risks. Every member of the practice is affiliated with, participates in and contributes to the work of at least one of the thematic lines. In addition, the practice takes the lead in two corporate priority areas: (a) Data for Goals; and (b) Systematic Country Diagnostics.
The East Africa Poverty unit (EA1PV) covers a large number of countries in East and Southern Africa with a broad range of challenges and opportunities. They are at different stages of economic development but all share the common goal of eliminating extreme poverty and reducing inequality.

Duties and Accountabilities:

You will support statistical operations and poverty programs in selected countries. You will be expected to lead or be a team member in activities supporting the modernization of statistical systems. This includes the design and implementation of lending operations through a variety of instruments (IPFs, DPF, PforRs), technical assistance, and the preparation of statistical reform strategies. You will also offer strategic guidance to task team leaders of other statistical capacity building operations.

Like all members of our practice, you will also contribute to our global knowledge base.

Your tasks will include the following:

• Lead or participate in teams preparing and implementing statistical operations in selected countries. Serve as the Poverty and Equity Global Practice’s regional focal point for advice on statistical modernization, data integration, and data for decision-making.

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  Work with selected countries (including poverty economists, the CMU, and particularly with the Program Leaders overseeing the poverty programs) on poverty monitoring and poverty-related analytics.

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  Participate with the team working on adaptive feedback or ‘learning CPFs’. Oversee the implementation of rapid feedback mechanisms (iterative beneficiary monitoring; commune censuses), and help strengthen the operational relevance of (project) monitoring systems.

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  Mentor and guide junior members of the teams working on statistical modernization and policy tools.
Contribute to the global knowledge base of our practice by participating in and contributing to the work of at least one of the four thematic lines.

Selection Criteria

We are looking for an accomplished statistician or microeconomist with a record in statistical operations in low and middle income countries and with experience using (monitoring) data to inform decision-making. If you have experience in an advanced statistical agency, sound analytical work, good judgment, demonstrated experience in tailoring analysis and conveying advice in low as well as high capacity contexts, strong client engagement skills and effectiveness in working collaboratively, we urge you to apply for this position.

Minimum Education/Experience:

Master’s degree (PhD preferred) in economics, public policy, statistics or other related field, with a strong quantitative background and at least eight (8) years of relevant professional experience.

Other Selection Criteria:

• Knowledge and Experience in Modernization of Statistics Agencies– Translates technical and cross-country knowledge into operations; contributes to change strategies; interacts with clients at the policy and operational level.

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  General Economic Knowledge and Analytical Skills – Cross-country knowledge in economic specialty and demonstrates ability to link the macro, institutional, and micro-level behaviors; able to support findings/policy recommendations with credible analysis and tools.

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  Policy Dialogue Skills – Anticipates needs and requests from Clients and conducts independent policy discussions with representatives of the government and non-government partners.

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  Integrative Skills – Understands how relevant cross-sectoral areas are interrelated; able to undertake cross-sectoral work in lending and non-lending operations.

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  Experience with operations – Meets GG expectations, as well as: experience executing World Bank investment operations, advisory services and/or development policy operations; able to translate technical analyses into recommendations for programs, policies and strategies for poverty reduction and shared prosperity; Lead operational work in statistics.

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  Written and Verbal Communication.

Poverty has no borders, neither does excellence. We succeed because of our differences and we continuously search for qualified individuals with diverse backgrounds from around the globe.