Junior Professional Associate

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.

Global Programs Unit, Social Sustainability and Inclusion Global Practice (SSIGL)

The Social Sustainability and Inclusion (SSI) Global Practice helps countries tackle deep-rooted social problems stemming from fragility, climate change, exclusion, and the digital age with people centered solutions that build on local values and institutions. The Practice engages with citizens, communities, and governments to deepen resilience, build inclusion, and empower vulnerable and marginalized groups to have influence and voice. It prioritizes participatory, multi-sectoral approaches that build on norms and informal institutions to address social challenges and to build more inclusive, empowered communities. The Practice also works across the Bank’s portfolio to implement the Environment and Social Framework (ESF) standards. The ESF offers an overarching platform for fostering inclusive approaches to ensure vulnerable groups benefit from Bank investments and mitigate against related risks.

This is done through four pillars of work:

• Promoting inclusive societies. We help expand access to markets, services, and spaces for vulnerable and marginalized groups in ways that promote their dignity.
• Promoting resilient communities. We help communities cope with climate change, conflict, pandemics, and migration by expanding access to resources and responsive governments.
• Empowering people. We help expand access to the policy arena to strengthen voice and social accountability and build consensus for positive change.
• Managing social risk. We help enhance the inclusiveness, efficiency, equity, and transparency of public and private investments.

Objective

The JPA will work under the supervision of the Practice Manager of the global programs unit and will contribute to the overall management and running of the unit, including through portfolio monitoring, preparation of issues briefs and talking points for senior management, review of documentation, and preparation of meetings with donors and other partners.

Roles and Responsibilities

The SSI GP Global Unit (SSIGL) is seeking to recruit a JPA on a two-year contract to be based in Washington DC. The JPA will perform a variety of research and analytical tasks to support the implementation of the Bank’s global social sustainability priorities, including:

• Maintain portfolio monitoring for the global unit, including working with team to address upcoming and overdue milestones;
• Organize meetings, draft agendas, take minutes and monitor follow up actions.
• Support effective delivery of the unit’s work program, including by working across teams to connect areas of synergies;
• Support GP reviews of corporate documents, including by coordinating and integrating comments from across teams;
• Carry out research as needed to prepare speeches, presentations and talking points on issues related to social sustainability
• Undertake other tasks as requested by the practice manager.

• Master’s degree in Public Policy, political science, economic or equivalent
• At least two years of relevant professional work experience in international public policy, program delivery, stakeholder engagement and/or implementation of development projects.
• Excellent oral, writing and analytical skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information into short coherent briefs, draft presentations, and prepare other written communications.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to work on a variety of subjects and often to tight deadlines.
• A strong sense of teamwork and ability to work independently with limited supervision.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Enthusiasm for and commitment to development work.

Contract Terms and Location

The successful candidate will be appointed under the JPA program i accordance with JPA program terms. The JPA program is a full-time, two-year Extended Term appointment. JPAs must leave the World Bank following the end of their two-year Extended Term (ET) contract for a minimum of two years before they can be eligible for reappointment at the World Bank Group.

The JPA will report to Nikolas Myint (Practice Manager, SSIGL).

The work location is Washington, DC, with anticipated start date by January 2, 2024.