Job Details

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. 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 with a growing portfolio of 357 projects totaling more than $52 billion 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 and help countries build back better after COVID. 

Western and Central Africa (AFW) Region:
https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/western-and-central-africa

Country Context 

Duties and Accountabilities

The key accountabilities of the Operations Officer are as follows:

• Provide general operational support to the WBG Country Manager Director/Operations Manager (CMD/OM) as needed, including attending meetings, facilitating provision of operational information; liaising between donors and stakeholders.
• Compile and disseminates information on behalf of the CMD/OM to the country team as necessary, including keeping and distributing minutes of key meetings.
• Contribute to teamwork, workflow coordination and an operating culture focused on client service as envisaged under the Country Partnership Strategy.
• Coordinate management of the portfolio, including facilitating in-country missions, providing guidance and comments to task teams, and interacting with the client on a regular basis on portfolio management issues.
• Produce reports and analysis of the Cote d’Ivoire’sGuinea portfolio, including ensuring the quality of portfolio performance management through project implementation, monitoring and assistance.
• Carry out regular corporate and country portfolio reviews; drafting briefing and speaking notes; providing key input in the preparation of briefs, including for senior management and for Spring/Annual Meeting briefs; provide inputs to helping coordinate CMU contributions into the review of regional and corporate products; and other operational tasks, as needed.
• Carry out results tracking of the IDA and trust fund portfolio, working in collaboration with TTLs and M&E Specialist as needed, liaising regularly with task teams on both the framework and the progress towards project outcomes, raising issues to management as needed.
• In coordination with the OCM and the country team, provides support to the CD OM in the preparation of management of work program delivery.
• Provide substantive input to the overall country program development and implementation
• Respond to routine inquiries from clients, donors, NGOs, and other civil society representatives. 
• Under the supervision of the  DC/O CM, provide strategic advice to Government, Civil Society Organization, and Donor Agency counterparts working with the World Bank.
• Attend to tasks related to IFC and MIGA engagement as needed.
• Foster and maintain on-going working relationships with international agencies that can be leveraged for coordination purposes and collaborate closely with Donors and Cooperation Agencies in Cote d’IvoireGuinea in the development and articulation of common actions
• Facilitate dialogue with a diversity of stakeholders and support the development of partnerships with them where relevant. 

Selection Criteria

• Masters’ degree with a minimum of 5 years of professional experience.
• Strong analytical skills – mastery of corporate systems (operations portal, standard reports, BI, etc.)
• Knowledge of WB and MIGA products will be a plus.  
• Ability to function effectively in multi-disciplinary teams within a matrix environment.
• Experience with multi-stakeholder governance, social accountability, leadership, and managing multi-stakeholder networks that engage non-traditional World Bank clients such as networks of youth, private sector and other specific CSOs.
• Written and Verbal Communication – Delivers information effectively in support of team or workgroup.

Required Competencies:

• Project Management - Understands and utilizes the basic concepts of project management, as they relate to the implementation of a project.
• Bank Instruments, Policies, Procedures, and Systems - Fully familiar with Bank Instruments, Policies, Procedures and Systems (including safeguards, FM and procurement).
• Client Orientation - Takes personal responsibility and accountability for timely response to client queries, requests or needs, working to remove obstacles that may impede execution or overall success.
• Drive for Results - Takes personal ownership and accountability to meet deadlines and achieve agreed-upon results, and has the personal organization to do so.
• Teamwork (Collaboration) and Inclusion - Collaborates with other team members and contributes productively to the team's work and output, demonstrating respect for different points of view.
• Knowledge, Learning and Communication - Actively seeks knowledge needed to complete assignments and shares knowledge with others, communicating and presenting information in a clear and organized manner.
• Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making - Analyzes facts and data to support sound, logical decisions regarding own and others' work.

To know more about the COS Competencies, please click on the below link:

 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.