Job Details

Senior Operations Officer

 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.

The Infrastructure Vice Presidency

Globally, one billion people live more than 2 kilometers from all-weather roads, 685 million people lack electricity, and nearly 4 billion people lack internet access.  Access to basic infrastructure services is critical for creating economic opportunities for the poor.  The Infrastructure (INF) Vice Presidency within the World Bank is charged with developing sustainable solutions to help close infrastructure gaps in developing and emerging economies.  It currently consists of four global departments: Energy & Extractives (EEX); Transport (TRA); Urban, Resilience and Land (URL), and Global Infrastructure Finance Department.  It oversees the Bank's work across energy and transport sectors, urban development, as well as efforts to promote energy transition, low-carbon transportation, livable cities, disaster risk resilience, land management, and quality infrastructure services through public-private partnerships.  Infrastructure represents around $110 billion of the Bank’s portfolio.  For more information: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/infrastructure 

Energy and Extractives Global Department (EEX)

Energy is at the heart of development.  Energy makes possible the investments, innovations and new industries that are the engines of jobs, inclusive growth, and shared prosperity for entire economies. Universal access to affordable, reliable and sustainable and modern energy – Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7  -- is essential to reach other SDGs and is at the center of efforts to tackle climate change. For more information:  https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/energy

There are around 300 staff professionally mapped to the Energy and Extractives Global Department, of which about 90 mapped to EEX global units. Remaining staff is within regional energy units. EEX has an annual lending program in the order of US$5-7 billion a year, an active portfolio of some $40 billion, and a rich program of Advisory and Analytical Work. Regional energy units oversee and develop lending and non-lending energy operations in different subsectors including renewable energy, energy efficiency, utility performance, grid and off-grid access, regulatory and policy reforms. The EEX GP focuses on: providing affordable, reliable and sustainable energy to meet the needs of fast-growing economies and to ensure universal access to modern energy services for people in client countries; and, strengthening policy and institutional frameworks to promote transparent and equitable growth of the extractives sectors for public benefit. There is a strong emphasis on private sector resource mobilization and catalyzing financing from commercial and other sources of development and climate finance.

There are three global units for EEX: (a) the Infrastructure Energy Extractives Industry Unit (IEEXI) oversees and contributes to lending and non-lending activities in mining and hydrocarbon development with particular emphasis on transparency, governance, capacity building, and gender opportunities together with the regional units; and takes the leadership on global extractives initiatives; (b) the Infrastructure Energy Global Programs (IEEES) oversees mobilization and deployment of trust funds (Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) and the climate funds); and (c) the Infrastructure Energy Global Knowledge & Expertise (IEEGK). 

Energy Global Programs Units (IEES1 and IEES2)

The Energy Global Programs Units IEES1 and IEES2 harbor the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) and the Energy Climate Finance Team.  The ESMAP is a donor-funded global knowledge and technical assistance program, administered by the World Bank. It provides analytical and advisory services to low- and middle-income countries to increase their know-how and institutional capacity to achieve environmentally sustainable energy solutions for poverty reduction and economic growth. Supporting over a hundred activities in countries around the world at any given time, ESMAP is an integral part of the Energy and Extractives Global Department of the World Bank.

The Energy Climate Finance Team coordinates and manages the demand of the Energy and Extractives Global Department for climate funds, including the Climate Investment Funds (CIFs, such as the Clean Technology Fund), Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and others. 

Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP)

In its Business Plan FY25-30, ESMAP aims to support client countries on three overarching objectives: 1) ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services by 2030; 2) accelerate the transition towards a sustainable, just, and decarbonized energy system; and 3) ensure the resilience and adaptation of the energy sector to the growing impacts of climate change and other shocks. The Business Plan has two focus areas: Energy Access and Energy Transition. The Energy Access focus area helps World Bank clients achieve results on the ground and will employ three approaches: i) catalytic incentives to facilitate private sector investments and connections, ii) hands-on implementation support, and iii) tailored solutions for all beneficiary groups. The Energy Transition focus area will be implemented through three complementary workstreams: (i) scaling up renewable energy, storage, and clean hydrogen; (ii) scaling-up energy efficiency and decarbonization of end-use sectors; and (iii) transitioning away from unabated fossil fuel. These workstreams will be supported by the Financial Innovation Window designed to provide last-resort project de-risking and incentives for innovation and resilient investment. All workstreams will support economic and leadership opportunities for women and excluded groups. 

Annual allocations and disbursements have been over $100 million with a current active portfolio of grant of over $300 million. ESMAP’s portfolio consists of Bank-executed grants to the energy practice, as well as other sectors (e.g., transport, water, health), global own-managed activities and recipient-executed grants managed by regional energy units and grants to IFC. IEEES serves as the trustee, secretariat and an implementing unit for the ESMAP Umbrella.

The ESMAP Energy Access Focus Area helps the World Bank clients achieve results on the ground, will employ three approaches in this Business Plan: i) catalytic incentives to facilitate private sector investments and connections, ii) hands-on implementation support, and iii) tailored solutions for all beneficiary groups

The Energy Transition focus area will be implemented through three complementary workstreams: (i) scaling up renewable energy, storage, and clean hydrogen; (ii) scaling-up energy efficiency and decarbonization of end-use sectors; and (iii) transitioning away from unabated fossil fuel. These workstreams will be supported by the Financial Innovation Window (see Box 3 and Section 6), designed to provide last-resort project de-risking and incentives for innovation and resilient investment. All workstreams will support economic and leadership opportunities for women and excluded groups.  

Duties and accountabilities:

The World Bank seeks to recruit a Senior Operations Officer to join the ESMAP Team in Washington, D.C. who will work closely with and reports to both the IEES1 and IEES2 Practice Managers/ESMAP Program Manager. S/he will provide leadership to the ESMAP team on operational, financial, and administrative functions. 

The Senior Operations Officer is the main liaison on behalf of ESMAP with advisory and service provider (corporate) units in the World Bank Group, including the Development Finance Vice-Presidency (DFi), Legal, Budget, Performance Review and Strategic Planning (BPS), Finance & Accounting (WFA), and Operations Policy and Country Services (OPCS). S/he will also liaise and be a focal point of the INF VP’s operational team, providing trust fund administration support to regional energy and other units, as necessary. S/he will oversee and coordinate the work of ESMAP’s Regional Coordinators. 

The ideal candidate is versatile, and solutions oriented, with extensive experience with trust funded partnership programs and/or Umbrella trust funds in multiple WBG units and has strong networks across the WBG.

The Senior Operations Officer will lead ad oversee the work of ESMAP’s Portfolio Team to discharge the following duties and responsibilities:

Business Function Management
• Leads work to ensure operational, monitoring and evaluation, and administrative systems and processes are in place to deliver on goals set by the ESMAP CG and Program Manager.
• Oversees management of business functions in the context of applicable WBG policies and procedures, including trust fund management, resource management, portfolio management, and financial and risk management; ensures development of ESMAP-specific tools where necessary to support delivery of these functions.

Trust Fund Advice and Oversight
• Serves as advisor to both the IEES1 and IEES2 Practice Managers/ESMAP Program Manager and staff on trust fund processes, such as Grant Funding Requests (GFRs).
• As the Fundraising Focal Point, prepare and finalize Strategic External Fundraising Framework (SEFF) and Financial Initiative Notes (FINs).
• Coordinates with donors, DFI, LEG, and WFA on trust funds administration agreements, amendments, extensions, and reporting with donor partners.
• Supports ESMAP teams on preparation of specialized funding proposals to donors.
• Tracks specialized donor financial and progress reporting requirements and delivers on such reports.

ESMAP Work Plan and Budget, Results Monitoring and Resource Management
• Advises ESMAP Program Managers and teams on ESMAP annual work plan and budget development for approval by the CG.
• Prepares semi-annual progress reporting on approved grants and budgets, including block grants to regions, identifying implementation and disbursement issues for management attention.
• Oversees delivery and ensures applicability of Resource Management functions by BPS staff assigned to ESMAP.
• Coordinates with ESMAP’s M&E lead on the Results Framework for ESMAP; implements ESMAP's M&E framework, including delivery of the annual

Progress Reports to ESMAP’s donors and managing ESMAP’s Dashboards and Grant Management Systems.
• Contributes to the preparation of the ESMAP Annual Report by identifying and presenting key results.
• Monitors implementation of the management response to the ESMAP External Evaluation; manage the external evaluation at end of the business plan period, including procurement, donor liaison, focal point for ESMAP team with evaluation team, and managing the overall process.
• Advises task teams on funding allocations of ESMAP proposals and conducts quality review of such allocations in GFRs for the Program or Window Manager’s approval.

Financial Management
• Provides proactive and strategic management of ESMAP's financial resources; leads on monitoring, planning and problem-solving with respect to ESMAP's overall financial prospects and status.
• Oversees cash planning and monitoring of trustee accounts with contributions from about 24 donors to operational tasks to ensure availability of resources to deliver approved work plan activities.
• Leads preparation of ESMAP financial statements to the Consultative Group (CG) of donors, and updates on projected and actual donor contributions over current ESMAP business planning period.
• Develops indicative financial plan and budget for duration of ESMAP business plan.

Selection Criteria

• A Master's degree in a relevant field such as public administration, economics, business or finance, or in a sector where growth of trust funds and partnerships has been significant.
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience.
• Ability to coach and guide staff.
• In-depth understanding, knowledge of and experience in Bank processes and procedures, and ability to provide hands-on assistance at the interface between operational issues and corporate requirements on trust funds and partnerships, in particular. 
• Established track record of excellence in management of corporate, operational and/or analytical work. Proven ability to identify and articulate policy issues, trade-offs and priorities and to provide sound advice. Ability to integrate different perspectives into a sound overall approach.
• Proven skills in working collaboratively with colleagues across the Bank, and with senior representatives from external stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to speak articulately and persuasively, and to write clearly, concisely, and effectively for a wide range of audiences.
• Prior experience in managing people, budget processes in an open and collegial way would be an advantage. 
• The candidate must be proficient in English. 

Required Competencies

• Project Management - Demonstrates in depth knowledge and understanding of project management tools & methodologies, as well as of Bank instruments and processes related to project preparation & implementation, resource management, and stakeholder communications.
• Bank Instruments, Policies, Procedures, and Systems- Recognized by peers and/or managers for providing high quality, pragmatic advice to teams on the appropriate use of Bank policies, procedures and instruments and financing mechanisms.
• Portfolio Management - Leads the monitoring of country/sector strategy and work program; Flags implementation issues for attention of clients and Bank management and takes a leading role in resolving these.
• Analytical and Technical Skills, Operational Strategy Development & Advice- Recognized by peers and/or managers for ability to identify and pro-actively solve operational issues and problems.
• Integrity and Independence - Recognizes potential conflicts of interest and puts interests of stakeholders and employer ahead of unit, team or individual interests.
• Statutory and other Stakeholder Reporting - Designs useful stakeholder reports that comply with accounting standards; engages with auditors to meet their requirements and represents entity interests.
• Internal controls and corporate procedures - Can identify gaps or deficiencies across the internal controls framework and recommend improvements.
• Planning and Budgeting - Can coordinate budget planning, formulation and allocation processes at the VPU level, and monitor its funding position.

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.

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