World Bank Group announces vacancy for Operations Officer

Operations Officer

Job #: req18864
Organization: World Bank
Sector: Operations
Grade: GF
Term Duration: 1 year 0 months
Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment
Location: Kathmandu,Nepal
Required Language(s): English, Nepali

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. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.

Nepal Country Management Unit (CMU)

The Nepal program has a considerable increase in IDA lending with a portfolio value at about US$3.0+ billion (including both IDA credits, Regional IDA credits, and trust funds). Nepal is implementing the Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for five years starting FY2019 with priority in three focus areas: (1) Public institutions and policies, (2) Growth and employment, and (3) Inclusion and resilience. The World Bank country program provides financial support and technical advisory services across a broad range of sectors, with focus in infrastructure, energy, human development services, climate, and disaster risk management. In addition, the priority of the program is also to support implementation of federalism. The CPF was updated through a Performance and Learning Review, which covers the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the support to the Government’s Green, Resilient, and Inclusive (GRID) agenda. World Bank assistance is channeled through government agencies for agreed development priorities. Technical Teams from the World Bank are drawn from staff in the Kathmandu Office and from around the world.

The Word Bank Office Kathmandu, Nepal is seeking a dynamic candidate to join the Team as an Operations Officer. The Operations Officer is an integral part of the Nepal Country Office.

Role & Responsibilities:

Reporting to and under the supervision of the Country Director (CD) and the Operations Manager (OM) of the Nepal CMU, the Operations Officer will support the Nepal Country Office in ensuring strong linkages, information flows and coordination within various project teams in advancement of the Country Partnership Framework (CPF), and with Development Partners. This will require a constant engagement across World Bank Group teams, as well as technical counterparts of other Development Partners, NGOs and members of Civil Society to ensure that there is coordination of engagements, and information flow on current and planned activities.

Similarly, the Operations Officer will also work closely with the Program Leader for Social Development to support the Government of Nepal (GoN) operationalize the Green, Resilient, Inclusive Development (GRID) Agenda.
Specifically, the Operations Officer will undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

A. Development Partner Engagement and CMU Support (40%):

1) Facilitate and enhance strategic engagement between World Bank and Development Partners (DPs).

• Organize and facilitate at least two bilateral retreats with DPs to enhance bilateral collaboration (i.e., FCDO, ADB, EU), and follow up on agreed actions
• Serve as the Core Team Member for the Green, Inclusive Development (GRID) Support DP Team to help the government operationalize GRID Platform for Nepal’s long term sustainable recovery from COVID-19. This will also include helping to ensure DP presence and engagement in GRID events such as the high-level roundtable on GRID
• Organize and facilitate Heads of Agency (HOA) level consultations during concept stage and appraisal for all World Bank projects going to Board in FY23-24
• Working together with CD, identify and organize consultations, closed-door meetings with DPs on strategic issues such as provincial and local roads, vaccines, federalism
• Support CD/ OM in maintaining dialogue and relationship with key DPs
• Organize one joint Heads of Agency level field visit to World Bank (WB) project site, working together with the relevant GP (COVID-19 situation permitting, in areas such as vaccine, federalism implementation)
• Identify potential DPs to collaborate with on the upcoming digital development.

2) Ensure effective and relevant information flow between WB and Development Partners for better collaboration.

• Organize briefings to DPs on critical WB analyses and WBG management decisions such as on Budget, monetary policy, Public expenditure review, and discontinuation of Doing Business Report
• Serve as the focal person for information flow between Headquarter (HQ)and Nepal Country Office(NCO) on DP collaboration and on Corporate Functions. This includes preparing DP collaboration briefs for Regional Vice President’s (RVP) DP engagements
• Maintain and update DP collaboration briefs, as required
• Identify relevant DP colleagues to engage with to explore collaboration opportunities at the technical level
• Engage in technical discussions between and GPs and DPs, and keep CMU informed of any important conversation with DPs at the technical level
• Identify opportunities for WB to discuss issues at International Development Partner’s Group (IDPG) meetings
• Clear letters to DPs before they are signed by the OM
• Prepare briefs for CD’s meeting with DPs in Nepal.

3) Contribute to Nepal Program’s strategic engagements and support the CMU.

• Support CD and OM on strategic discussions and engagements, and step in as the informal special assistant to the CD, as required
• Lead the quality control of all briefs prepared for the CD until a Short-Term Consultant (STC) is hired to take over this function
• Serve as a core member in preparation of high-level visits, especially to help with Briefing Books, are required
• Lead the preparation of the Reopening Plan (3-1), working together with the Country Management Team (CMT) sub team
• Facilitating discussions with Development Partners as required regarding the Reopening Plan

B. Support to the Country Director (20%)

4) Under the guidance of the Country Director, the incumbent will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following duties:

• Expert copy-editing/proofreading of official and internal documents/reports
• Harmonizing briefings, reports, and other sources of information into a single, comprehensive, and categorizable format
• Consolidating briefings, updates, and reports in support of the WB Country Director
• Conducting corroborative research and fact-checking on information from news-media and open-source origins before preparing briefs and reports
• Working with WB staff to produce briefs, reports, and any other written deliverables that may be assigned to the consultant
• Follow up with Bank teams to obtain the inputs for preparing briefing papers. Also follow the procedure established by the CMU.

C. Green, Resilient, Inclusive Development (GRID) Support Work (40%)

5) Provide technical input to the GRID Development Policy Credit (DPC).

• Draft the Program Document for the DPC together with the CO-Task Team Leaders (TTL) of the program
• Provide operational support to ensure the task team follows the processes in place for DPCs
• Support DPC Mission planning and implementation
• Facilitate Quality Enhancement Review (QER) planning and implementation
• Assist in getting the DPC ready for Decision Review, Appraisal, Negotiations, and Corporate Secretary Policy Operations (SECPO) submission.

6) Support the development of the Government’s GRID Strategic Action Plan (a key deliverable under the GRID Advisory Program funded partly by a UK EFO on GRID), as part of the core GRID SAP team.

• Facilitate coordination with Development Partners (DPs) for input to and support for the Strategic Action Plan (SAP)
• Review the overall SAP prepared by the consultancy hired and provide technical inputs to the SAP formulation
• Coordinate input from World Bank GPs as necessary
• Organize GRID policy seminar series
• Draft TOR to hire a consultant in leading the organization of the GRID seminars
• Coordinate with session leads from among Government, Bank and DPs, and the consultant in organizing the seminars
• Coordinate Bank communication team’s support.

7) Represent the World Bank alongside the GRID Lead on the DPs’ GRID Support Team.

• Support the DPs’ GRID Support Team Leads (FCDO and WB) as necessary, including facilitating communication with DP Heads of Agency through Flash Briefs, etc.
• Attend bi-monthly meetings of the GRID Support Team.

Selection Criteria

• Master’s degree in Humanities, Social Sciences, International relations, or other related field with at least 5 years of relevant experience.
• Familiarity with the World Bank’s organizational structure and operations, including strategic goals and operational modalities at corporate, regional and country level; and demonstrated operational experience of delivering development outcomes including through partnerships with donor countries and other development organizations.
• Good understanding of how to design and prepare programs with diverse partners, including modalities and mechanisms for cooperation, setting operational targets and delivery, and measuring development impact and outcomes; sufficient understanding of project management concepts, methodologies and processes to develop drafts of plans and strategies and identify and mitigate risks with minimal supervision.
• Excellent analytical skills and understanding of Nepal’s development context including challenges and opportunities for finance and investments; and innovative solutions that can accelerate development outcomes.
• Experience of working in an international organization and on sustainable development issues. In-depth knowledge of international trends and political/economic issues related to development. Ability to view issues from partners’ perspectives and advocate for collaboration.
• Excellent written and spoken command of English, and the ability to convey complex ideas in a creative, clear, and direct style.
• Sound judgement and ability to work harmoniously with a diverse set of colleagues; strong diplomatic, interpersonal, and teamwork skills; sensitivity to working in a multicultural environment.
• Demonstrates accountability for achieving results that have a development impact and financial, environmental and social sustainability. Identifies and proposes solutions to mitigate and manage risks.
• Contributes new insights to understand situations and develops solutions to resolve complex problems; adapts as circumstances require and manages impact of own behavior on others in context of WBG’s values and mission and relations with partners; sets clear explanations for the integration and alignment of services/solutions with business functions, focusing on the strategic value of engagement with partners.
• Applies knowledge across World Bank Group (WBG) to strengthen solutions for internal and/or external clients and leverages the unit’s expertise and body of knowledge across WBG to strengthen internal and/or external client solutions.
• Seeks to learn from more experienced staff to deepen or strengthen professional knowledge and helps others to learn.
• Maintains an in-depth understanding of the long-term implications of decisions both for related areas within the unit and the Region and relevant partners.

Country and Operations Services.

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.

Closing Date: 9/15/2022 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

To apply for this job please visit worldbankgroup.csod.com.