Program Officer

Job #: req22794

Organization: World Bank

Sector: Ethics & Internal Justice Systems

Grade: GF

Term Duration: 3 years 0 months

Recruitment Type: International Recruitment

Location: Washington, DC,United States

Required Language(s): English

Preferred Language(s): Spanish, French, Chinese

Closing Date: 6/1/2023 (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 most significant development challenges. The Bank 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.

Maya Angelou once said, “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” Such is the ethos of the WBG Race Equity Office (REO). The REO is a new unit of the World Bank Group established to prevent, monitor, and respond to systemic practices and procedures that contribute to racial discrimination within the organization.

The establishment of the REO is a result of a call for internal change with increased organizational responsiveness, support, and guidance to those who believe they have experienced discrimination based on race. We are a small but dedicated unit committed to providing substantive support, service, engagement, and remedy.

The role of the Program Officer is a highly responsible position supporting the work of the Race Equity Officer and the REO Team in providing people-focused services. It entails engagement in tasks using a high degree of discretion, good judgment, creativity, and tact in the execution of assigned responsibilities.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in human rights and organizational development background. They must employ traditional and digital learning approaches to develop and implement innovative, creative, and effective ways to strategically bring together and share knowledge, build awareness, and convey the mandate of the REO across the WBG.

They will use data and facts to find patterns, inferences, and insights to advise the Race Equity Officer’s decision-making process in crafting protocols and procedures and issuing formal recommendations and reports. The work also entails ensuring alignment of efforts around the REO logical framework from a human rights perspective and results-based approach.

The candidate’s experience and education must reflect a foundational understanding of nuances surrounding racism and inequality. They should have advanced ability to dissect and analyze multi-layered processes and procedures. The candidate must be passionate about a discrimination-free workplace and use equal energy to address mundane and exciting ad-hoc tasks that come with this post.

Duties and Responsibilities

Work in close consultation and support of the work of the Race Equity Officer and her Team to:

•  Facilitate data collection, developing, refining, and designing data tracking indicators.
•  Conduct intensive research and prepare written materials and reports on systemic issues, trends, policy, practice, and case data within the institution in a manner that protects the confidentiality and anonymity of staff.
•  Maintain confidential recordkeeping and contribute to the maintenance and upkeep of a confidential case tracking system.
•  Remain current on anti-racist organizational development approaches and literature.
•  Plan and coordinate REO presentations and programming.
•  Provide consistent and timely monitoring, analysis, and adjustment of REO’s logical framework adhering to its mandate.
•  Respond to ad hoc information requests and engage proactively across the WBG community to develop partnerships and extend the presence of the Race Equity Officer in different working groups and units.
•  Work closely with the Race Equity Officer to contribute, craft analyze, and prepare a variety of communications addressing concerns and claims of racism and racial discrimination in the WBG workplaces.
•  Promote and maintain safe space environments in the engagement of all staff (regardless of grade level or appointment type) who have experienced, have concerns about, or witnessed racial discrimination to discuss issues, the relief they seek, and the options available to them, and ensure follow-up engagements.

Selection Criteria

•  Master’s degree focusing on conflict resolution, organizational development, or comparable related fields with five years of experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
•  Professional experience as a neutral third party in conflict resolution processes is required. Conflict resolution experience in addressing workplace concerns involving a wide range of issues.
•  Strong skills in designing, managing, and delivering training in conflict resolution.
•  Knowledge, ability, and experience with group dynamics, group process methods, and techniques as a facilitator and trainer.
•  Excellent interpersonal skills with stakeholders and partners at all levels of the organization. Consistent track record working with confidential matters in multicultural environments and possessing an established reputation for integrity, good judgment, fairness, and discretion.
•  Proven track record in promoting and contributing in a collaborative team environment, building trust among colleagues, working effectively across different levels of staff, and reliably handling conflict.
•  Strong analytical and communication skills, ability to speak and write persuasively, present ideas clearly and concisely, prepare, present, discuss sophisticated conflict resolution methods and processes, and produce various materials in different mediums for REO programs and objectives.
•  Ability to analyze, anticipate, evaluate, and plan for the Race Equity Office program impact and growth across the organization.
•  Fluency in other WBG languages is desirable.

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.