ETC – Senior Operations Officer

Job #: req24482

Organization: World Bank

Sector: Operations

Grade: EC3

Term Duration: 1 year 0 months

Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment

Location: Washington, DC,United States

Required Language(s): English

Preferred Language(s): Closing Date: 10/13/2023 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

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

Regional Context

The World Bank Group serves 30 client countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region (LCR). Clients range from large rapidly growing sophisticated middle-income clients to IDA countries to small Caribbean states to one fragile state. Despite immense resources, deep inequalities persist in most LCR countries, with nearly a quarter of the Region’s people living in poverty. The Bank’s strategy in LCR is focused on five pillars: (a) stimulating growth and improving competitiveness; (b) reducing poverty and inequality; (c) making governments and institutions work for people; (d) providing a platform for tackling global issues (climate change, trade, disease, migration); and (e) reducing risk, whether from extreme weather events, climate change, crime and violence, or other. During the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, LCR’s strategy adjusted to help counties respond to unprecedented health and economic crisis by saving lives; protecting poor and vulnerable people; ensuring sustainable business growth and job creation; and strengthening policies, institutions, and investments. The Bank will support countries in pursuing a green, inclusive, and resilient recovery.

Country Management Unit Context

The Caribbean Country Management Unit (LC3 CMU) covers 19 countries, with a total population of about 18 million people, ranging from Sint Maarten (40,000) to Haiti (11 million). The CMU and key staff, including the Country Director and Operations Manager, are based in Kingston, Jamaica with a few CMU staff based in Washington DC.

Caribbean countries benefit from common opportunities, including ocean resources and beautiful landscapes, a well-educated population, a vibrant diaspora, and proximity to larger markets (US, Canada, and Mexico). Some countries have hydrocarbons and mineral resources. The Caribbean is also one of the world’s greatest centers of biodiversity. Caribbean countries also face significant common challenges: their small size leads to diseconomies of scale, unemployment, and high energy costs. They are vulnerable to economic shocks and natural disasters, and some countries face economic and financial sector weaknesses and high debt. Haiti is a fragile country with high poverty and extreme vulnerabilities. Nearly all the Caribbean countries are facing negative impacts from climate change with rising frequency and severity of natural disasters. While the early implementation of social distancing measures helped contain the spread of COVID-19 in most Caribbean countries, the pandemic had a disproportionate impact on the region’s economy due its dependence on tourism and remittances.

In collaboration with Global Practice Groups, the LC3 CMU supports the development priorities of Caribbean countries through financing (IDA, IBRD, trust fund) and knowledge services, and also provides reimbursable advisory services in Overseas Countries and Territories. The active program includes a portfolio of 76 projects with commitments of $3.0 bn in IBRD, IDA, and recipient-executed trust fund financing of US$1.17 bn and 39 advisory services and analytics (ASA) products.

In addition to the Country Office in Kingston, Jamaica, where the Country Director is based, the CMU has a Country Office (headed by a Country Manager) in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and a Country Office (headed be a Resident Representative) in Guyana. A Caribbean CMU anchor unit represents the CMU in Washington, D.C., and supports the overall work program. LC3 also administers the Sint Maarten Reconstruction, Recovery and Resilience Program Trust Fund (SMRRR TF), funded by the Netherlands.

Country Context

On September 6, 2017, Hurricane Irma hit the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten, an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with catastrophic effects. Hurricane Irma made landfall as a category 5 storm, packing winds in excess of 180 mph (290km/h), and leaving a trail of devastation.

The country started the reconstruction and recovery efforts in 2017 with limited financial and human resource capacities. The Netherlands made available EUR 550 million (through funding and technical assistance) to support the country’s recovery and reconstruction efforts. Given limited capacities within the country to manage the massive reconstruction effort, the Netherlands asked the World Bank to act as the Fund’s Trustee and Manager, recognizing the institution’s long and substantial global experience. On April 16, 2018, the World Bank established a single-donor trust fund (SDTF) through an Administration Agreement with the Netherlands for EUR 470 million (US$533 million) to help Sint Maarten manage this complex program.

Sint Maarten Reconstruction, Recovery, and Resilience Program

The SMRRR TF finances and provides technical support for implementing selected activities under the Government’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), prepared with the World Bank’s support. The NRRP outlines the Government’s vision, principles, and a proposed approach for rebuilding a “better and stronger Sint Maarten” following Hurricane Irma.

With contributions of US$519 million, the SDTF program provides: 1.Resources for reconstruction and recovery activities grouped in the following three focus areas: (a) Resilient recovery of social sectors in affected communities (Community Recovery); (b) Resilient rehabilitation and reconstruction of critical infrastructure and businesses (Economic Recovery); and (c) Strengthening of the country’s readiness to reduce and address future impacts of natural disasters and climate change (Governance Recovery).

2. Resilience building support to assist the Government of Sint Maarten in establishing the institutional arrangements for the implementation of the recovery framework and for resilient governance. This component would also extend technical assistance and promote the use of best practices for disaster risk management and the mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction into sectoral investments.

3. Resources for program management and administration activities, including but not limited to, supporting any program governance arrangements and Trust Fund management; planning and executing work plans and budgets; managing communications and conducting outreach; disseminating lessons learned; reporting on progress; and monitoring and evaluating the program.

General Job Description

The LC3 CMU wants to fill an extended term position to support LCCST’s operations. We encourage high-performing and seasoned staff and consultants based in DC to apply for this assignment. The selected candidate will work closely with the Program Manager and CMU Operations Team for 12 months with a possible extension subject to business needs and the corresponding staff rules. The selected candidate will be based in Washington DC and travel as needed.

Roles & Responsibilities:

The ETC will support the Bank’s Program and Trust Fund team responsible for Sint Maarten. S/he/they will report to the Program Manager and support the investment and analytical work program. S/he/they will serve as a key staff of the Trust Fund’s secretariat, managed by the Program Manager, and overseen by the Country Director for the Caribbean.

Specifically, s/he/they will undertake the following principal tasks: Operations Quality Management. Help ensure strategic and high-quality lending and knowledge products by playing a central role in the CMU’s operational clearance function. Review operational documents in the project cycle (e.g., PCNs, QERs, Decision Meetings, ROC, Appraisal, Negotiations, Board, ISR, ICR) and ASA, and ensure inputs from other CMU members as appropriate. Ensure operational compliance and promote best practices and distill and disseminate operational lessons learned. Participate in selected missions to remain abreast of sector and country developments.

Portfolio Implementation Support. Play an active role in managing the operational quality of the ongoing Caribbean lending and knowledge program. This would involve taking a proactive role in reviewing and monitoring country portfolio performance in close collaboration with CMU country representatives/ coordinators; Global Practice(GP) project teams; fiduciary, safeguards, and legal staff;and government counterparts. Identify and assess implementation problems and bring them to the attention of the PM. Assist project teams in addressing complex implementation challenges, liaisingwith LCR Operational Services and with OPCS as needed. Also, overseeand participate in periodic country portfolio performance reviews and monitor follow-up. More broadly,help document the operational implementation arrangements in Sint Maarten and develop an exit plan for the Trust Fund.

Selection Criteria

* Master’s degree in a relevant discipline, and minimum 8 years of relevant operational experience.

* WB portfolio/pipeline management experience – sound experience in supporting portfolio and pipeline management based on solid understanding of World Bank’s policies and procedures for operations and advisory services and analytics, and familiarity with its various financial/knowledge instruments.

* Knowledge of the overall objectives of the CMU and an understanding of the broader World Bank context in which it operates.

* Demonstrated understanding of operational policies and procedures; hands on experience as a team member/team lead in the preparation of operations is an advantage.

* Solid experience liaising/coordinating with donors, development partners, and other stakeholders.

*Demonstrated strategic and analytical capabilities to interpret data and diverse information and lead to clear and concise recommendations.

*Strong spoken and written communications skills in English, including the ability to speak and write persuasively and present ideas clearly and concisely. Dutch language skills to support our engagement in Sint Maarten will be considered a plus.

*Demonstrated ability to work in teams. Outstanding inter-personal skills with proven ability to work cooperatively with a multi-disciplinary team.

* Strong drive for results by undertaking a diverse range of tasks in a rapidly changing and demanding environment with short deadlines. Client orientation, high degree of motivation, and agility to effectively and efficiently deliver results are strongly desired.

Note: The World Bank Office – Sint Maarten (LCCST) is looking for an Extended Term Consultant (EC3) for a 12-month period, renewable based on performance and business need.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

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Note: The selected candidate will be offered a one-year appointment, renewable at the discretion of the World Bank Group, and subject to a lifetime maximum ET appointment of three years. If an ET appointment ends before a full year, it is considered as a full year toward the lifetime maximum. Former and current ET staff who have completed all or any portion of their third-year ET appointment are not eligible for future ET appointments.